Here are a couple of recent golf rule questions I received in the past week. Thankfully golf rules expert and author of “999 Questions on the Rules of Golf” Barry Rhodes was on hand to give an accurate answer to each one.
GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:
Hi Andy,
Thank you for all your informative support, it has helped immensely in my game. I have a question, if I start of the ball with a ball marked no 1, do I have to play the whole game with the same ball or can I change the balls during the various tee offs.
My point is that at hole no 1 the distance is 124 m and I use a ball marked no 1 because I read that it is used for short distances (0 and 1 marked soft). The next tee off is 331m and I want to use say a ball marked 2 or 3 because the trajectory is much greater and the ball will go further.
Please could you advice and guide me accordingly.
Thanks and Kind Regards
Steven
GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:
“There is nothing in the Rules to stop players changing the type of ball that they are playing with between holes or even during the play of a hole if their original ball is lost, or may be substituted within the Rules. The commonly held belief that this is not so is due to the fact that the Pro Tour events impose a Condition of Competition, known as the ‘one ball Rule’ (in the Rules book, it is in Appendix 1, Part C, c), which restricts the player to use the same brand and model of golf ball throughout the stipulated round.
Regards,
Barry
BUNKER PLAY – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:
Hi Andy
On the 5th hole, I was told by my playing partner that I infringed a rule. This is what happened.
I put my approach into the bunker to the right of the green. I promptly picked up a rake and put it down near where my ball lay, played my shot and then raked the bunker. My playing partner told me that I had incurred a one shot penalty for testing the playing surface.
What is the ruling?
With Best Regards
David
BUNKER PLAY – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:
David,
I am pleased to tell you that your playing partner was wrong. You can point him to Decision 13-4/0.5 which includes these words;
“Examples of actions that would not constitute testing the condition of the hazard include the following:
……placing an object, such as clubs or a rake, in the hazard”
Incidentally, had he been right because your action was intended to test the condition of the bunker it would have been two strokes penalty, not a one stroke penalty!
Regards,
Barry
http://www.BarryRhodes.com – Miscellaneous content on the Rules of Golf.
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