Golf rules expert and author of “999 Questions on the Rules of Golf” Barry Rhodes answers eight questions relating to the golf ball and the rules of golf below.

But first I wanted to report that I’m very happy to announce that Barry will personally sign your own copy of “999 Questions on the Rules of Golf” and post it to you anywhere in the world for free!

Grab your copy here, remember no shipping fees.

In fact if you order 3 copies you will receive a great 20% discount, and even better 25% discount for an order of 5 copies.

Please email Barry direct at if you would like to order more than 3 copies (e.g. for your Golf Club). Take a look here, to find out how this outstanding book will save you many shots as I can highly recommend it.

The book contains:

* 999 questions in 3 sections; easy, moderate and harder
* 3 formats for the questions; true/false, open ended, multiple choice
* Reference to the relevant Definition, Rule or Decision for every answer
* Explanations to aid readers understanding of the Rule
* An easy, look-up index to resolve the myriad situations that occur on the course
* Questions on all 34 Rules and 126 sub-sections

Here are the 8 questions on the rules of golf:

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 1 :

I take address on a T-box. On my downswing a gust of wind blows the ball off the tee and it rolls about an inch away. I am unable to stop the swing and strike the ball. Do I incur a penalty stoke? What is the ruling?

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 1 :

This is an interesting question that is answered by Rule 11-3, which states;

“If a ball, when not in play, falls off a tee or is knocked off a tee by the player in addressing it, it may be re-teed, without penalty. However, if a stroke is made at the ball in these circumstances, whether the ball is moving or not, the stroke counts, but there is no penalty.”

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 2 :

Regarding GPS systems on golf buggies, many clubs are now allowing these in competitions but I cannot see where this has been sanctioned by the rules of golf. Can you advise, thanks

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 2 :

The Note to Rule 14-3, Artificial Devices, Unusual Equipment and Unusual Use of Equipment, states,

“The Committee may make a Local Rule allowing players to use devices that measure or gauge distance only.”

So, GPS devices may only be used in competition if there is a Local Rule permitting their use. It is important to check this before the competition starts as the penalty for a breach of Rule 14-3 is disqualification.

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 3 :

What is meant by casual water being an abnormal ground condition?

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 3 :

An Abnormal Ground Condition is defined in the opening pages of the Rules book as follows;

“An abnormal ground condition is any casual water, ground under repair or hole, cast or runway on the course made by a burrowing animal, a reptile or a bird.”

Casual water is further defined as follows;

“Casual water is any temporary accumulation of water on the course that is not in a water hazard and is visible before or after the player takes his stance. Snow and natural ice, other than frost, are either casual water or loose impediments, at the option of the player. Manufactured ice is an obstruction. Dew and frost are not casual water.

A ball is in casual water when it lies in or any part of it touches the casual water.”

Decision 25/1, relating to casual water, states;
“Q. Is soft, mushy earth casual water?

A. No. Soft, mushy earth is not casual water unless water is visible on the surface before or after the player takes his stance — see Definition of “Casual Water.”

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 4 :

My wife was playing in a singles stableford competition and began playing with a Titleist ball. However, she had two balls in her pocket and inadvertently teed off with a Nike ball on the 4th tee without informing her playing partners. She only realised her mistake when she located her ball just off the fairway. Neither her playing partner nor herself were aware of the Rule and she continued to play the Nike ball finishing with a 4. She then announced that she was going to tee off with the Titleist, which she played with until the end of the round. She submitted her card duly signed by one of her playing partners. However she is now concerned that she acted incorrectly and should advise the club secretary and effectively disqualify herself for submitting an incorrect card. What is the appropriate Rule in this situation and what action should she take?

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 4 :

You can tell your wife that she can relax as she did not break any Rule of Golf. Players may change their ball, and brand of ball, between holes unless the competition has a one ball rule, which is typically only used in tour events. Whilst it is courteous to tell your fellow competitors that you have changed balls there is no Rule that requires you to do so. Of course you cannot substitute a ball during the play of a hole. Rule 15-1 states;

“A player must hole out with the ball played from the teeing ground unless the ball is lost or out of bounds or the player substitutes another ball, whether or not substitution is permitted (see 15-2). If a player plays a wrong ball, see Rule 15-3.”

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 5 :

Please advise under what circumstances a player would declare his ball as “unplayable”?

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 5 :

Rule 28 states;
“The player may deem his ball unplayable at any place on the course, except when the ball is in a water hazard. The player is the sole judge as to whether his ball is unplayable.”

Usually, a player invoke this Rule when their ball is in a place where they would have trouble in making their next stroke and it is probably better for them to incur a penalty stroke and drop under one of the three options available under this Rule. Examples would be when your ball lies deep in a bush, or in very thick rough, or in the roots of a tree.

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 6 :

After a tee shot a player’s ball crosses the course boundary, hits a tree that is wholly out of bounds and then bounces back onto the fairway. What is the ruling on this?

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 6 :

It is of no consequence if a player’s ball travels out of bounds providing it lands back on the course. They play their ball as it lies without penalty.

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 7 :

In a foursome, player A’s tee ball could not be found, but it might have entered a lateral water hazard. No one in the foursome saw the ball enter the hazard. Can an assumption be made that the ball entered the hazard, and then is Player A allowed to drop within 2 club lengths of where the ball is thought to have entered the hazard, and incur a one stroke penalty?

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 7 :

Rule 26-1, Relief From Water Hazard (which includes a lateral water hazard) states;

“It is a question of fact whether a ball that has not been found after having been struck toward a water hazard is in the hazard. In order to apply this Rule, it must be known or virtually certain that the ball is in the hazard. In the absence of such knowledge or certainty, the player must proceed under Rule 27-1.”

So, where it is only likely that a ball might have come to rest in a lateral water hazard the only way to proceed is to go back to where the last stroke was made and drop a ball under penalty of stroke and distance (Rule 27-1, Ball Lost or Out of Bounds).

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF QUESTION 8 :

After a stroke a player’s ball ends near, or maybe even touching, a white stake. Can you take relief without a penalty or do you play ball from where it lies?

GOLF BALL – RULES OF GOLF ANSWER 8 :

White stakes identifying out of bounds are not obstructions and are deemed to be fixed (see Definition of Out of Bounds). There is no relief from them. Therefore, the player must either play their ball as it lies or deem it unplayable and drop it according to one of the three options available under Rule 28, under penalty of one stroke.

You can access another 999 golf questions and answers here:

http://www.BarryRhodes.com – Miscellaneous content on the Rules of Golf.
Author of the book ‘999 Questions on the Rules of Golf’

Gain instant access to “The Rules Of Golf Course” – Club secretaries have been praying For – for decades!

Visit here for more Rules of Golf questions.

Disclaimer: Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of this information on the Rules of Golf I am human and have been known to be wrong! Neither I, nor anyone connected with GolfSwingSecretsRevealed.com, shall be held responsible for any losses caused by reliance upon the accuracy or reliability of such information. Readers should refer to the full text of the rules and decisions as published in the official publications of the R&A and the USGA, The Rules of Golf 2008-2011 and Decisions on the Rules of Golf 2008-2009.