Linda,
Playing a round of golf my ball was embedded under the lip
of a bunker offering no chance to be played based on the severity of the slope
on all sides of the bunker. I declared the ball unplayable and dropped the ball
in the bunker at a point of nearest relief no closer to the hole. A discussion
with my fellow golfers led us to ask the question of placing or dropping the
ball in a hazard. One stated you could place it, the other said it must be
dropped. Whether in the edge of a lake or in a bunker the drop may cause the
ball to become embedded and thus unplayable again. What do we do?
Lou from Wilmington, North Carolina
Dear Lou,
Relief for a ball unplayable in a bunker is not “nearest point of relief.”
When you declare your ball unplayable in a bunker, you have
three relief options, all of which will add one penalty stroke to your score:
1. Play a ball under stroke and distance; or
2. Drop a ball in the bunker, on the flagline; or
3. Drop a ball in the bunker, within two club-lengths, no
closer to the hole [Rule 28].
If you suspect you will have a difficult lie in the bunker
if you drop the ball, it might be best to choose the stroke-and-distance relief
option.
Linda
Copyright © 2018 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
