Ask Linda 1960-Ball moves when rake lifted

Linda, 

As always, I enjoy reading your blog daily.

My question relates to a ball resting against a rake in a bunker. 

The situation was that my ball was resting against a rake on the side slope of the bunker. Rule 24-1 allows that the rake can be moved without penalty and the ball replaced where it was if it moves. In this case the ball would not stay on the slope and rolled to the bottom of the bunker. I know you cannot press the ball down to make it stay put. 

In this case do you just play the ball where it stops as long as it is not closer to the hole?

Thanks,

Lou from Kansas 

Dear Lou,

It’s time to throw out your old rulebook and invest in a new one. Rule 24-1 (Obstructions) is ancient history (pre-2019).

Rule 15.2a requires the player to replace his ball on its original spot if it moves as the result of moving a movable obstruction. For what to do if the ball will not remain on that spot, you must look at Rule 14.2e, which tells you what to do if the replaced ball will not remain on its original spot. You must try to place it a second time. If the ball again fails to stay put, you must place it on the nearest spot, no closer to the hole, where it will remain at rest. If the original spot was in a bunker, the ball must be placed in the bunker.

Your statement that you are not permitted to press the ball into the sand is correct. After the ball rolls away a second time, you must replace it as close to the original spot as possible, no closer to the hole, lifting and placing it at close intervals until the ball remains at rest. 

If there is no spot in the bunker that is not closer to the hole where the ball will remain at rest, you must take penalty relief outside the bunker. The two relief choices outside the bunker are stroke and distance for one penalty stroke [Rule 19.2a] or back-on-the-line relief for two penalty strokes [Rule 19.3b].

Linda

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