Here are a selection of 30 rules of golf questions and answers I have given over the past couple of months. I thought you would be interested in reading the wide variety of rules questions golfers are currently asking themselves out on the course.

I trust you will enjoy reading these 30 rules of golf questions and answers:

#1 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Thanks for your help re: your golf tips’ I predict that I will shave at least 10 big strokes this year from my handicap. that is the number I am shooting for. One other question please. It is my understanding that a player can declare unplayable his ball anytime he wants with a penalty whenever he wants.

Is that true? Thanks and a happy new year to you. Johnny”

#1 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Yes, you are almost correct. A player may deem his ball unplayable for a penalty of one stroke 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 (Rule 28).

An interesting, if unusual example of this Rule, is that if a player hits a downhill putt too hard and his ball misses the hole and rolls off the putting green into a bunker, he can pick his ball out of the bunker and replace it on the green at the point that he last putted from. Obviously he incurs a penalty of one stroke for doing so, but in match play it might be worth it to see how your opponent reacts!”

#2 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“I enjoy your Golf Rules series, however I have a question for you.

Can the line marked on the golf ball to show the balance center of the ball become an aid to lining up the golf shot when teed?”

#2 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Yes, there is nothing in the Rules preventing a player from using any marking on his golf ball to assist him in lining up the direction of any stroke. Decision 20-3a/2 rules on similar circumstances to your question;

“Q. When a player is replacing his ball, is it permissible for him to position the ball so that the trademark is aimed along the line of putt to indicate the line of play?

A. Yes.”

#3 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Playing at our local club I encountered the following situation.

In the middle of the fairway is a tree, when hitting my second shot directly into the tree the ball stay in the branches and become unplayable. The local rule at our club is placing on the fairway one(1) club. Because my ball is in the tree and the tree in the fairway I assume that I can use the local rule to place my ball for my third shot.

Question – Should I declare my ball unplayable and act according to the rule or should I interpreted the local rule and place my ball without penalty”

#3 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“All Local Rules for ‘Preferred Lies’ and/or ‘Winter Rules’ should follow the recommended wording suggested by the R&A & USGA in Appendix I, Part B, 4c, which starts, “A ball lying on a closely mown area through the green may be lifted without penalty and cleaned…..”.

As your ball was obviously not lying on the fairway you may not take relief under the ‘Preferred Lies’ Local Rule. Also, you must be able to find and identify your ball in the tree in order to proceed under options b) or c) of Rule 28 – Ball Unplayable. Otherwise your only option is to go back to the point where you played your last stroke from under penalty of stroke and distance.”

#4 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Yes I do enjoy your excellent rules questions and answers.

Here is a question for you, and it’s about the ball coming to rest on a rake outside the bunker. What happens if the rake is removed and the ball rolls into the bunker. Ok, you might say that the ball is to be replaced. But what if the ball keeps rolling into the bunker because the ground is steep?”

#4 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“If a ball comes to rest against a movable obstruction (which is any artificial object, including a rake) the obstruction may be removed.

If the ball moves during this procedure, it must be replaced, and there is no penalty, provided that the movement of the ball is directly attributable to the removal of the obstruction.

In your question, if the the ball fails to come to rest on the spot where it is replaced it must be placed at the nearest spot where it can be placed at rest that is not nearer the hole and not in the bunker (Rule 20-3d(i)).”

#5 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“On October 29, 2008, I was playing 9 holes at Land Park Golf Course here in Sacramento, California and made a Hole in One on Hole #3, 138 yards using a six iron. My friend said, ” My hole in One is nullified because I only played 9 Holes. Is he right or wrong?”

#5 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“If you put the ball in the hole with your first stroke from the teeing ground then you scored a hole in one.

Your friend’s misunderstanding may have arisen from the situation that some Clubs offer insurance to players for a hole in one requiring that the stroke must have happened during competition play, which is normally over a stipulated round of 18 holes.”

#6 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“So what is the definition of the teeing ground area?”

#6 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“All definitions can be found at the start of the Rules of Golf book published by the USGA and Royal & Ancient.

‘The “teeing ground” is the starting place for the hole to be played. It is a rectangular area two club-lengths in depth, the front and the sides of which are defined by the outside limits of two tee-markers. A ball is outside the teeing ground when all of it lies outside the teeing ground.’

Thanks for your question.”

#7 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Is there a penalty for hitting the pin when chipping from off the green?

In this example, how close does a partner have to be to the pin for one to suggest that he is tending the pin?

If a chip is coming from off the green why would ones partner want to pull the flag for a ball the was apparently chipped to hard and going on past the pin?

Once tending a pin can you walk away from a chip from off the green if it appears the ball is hit too hard and would now like to leave the pin in – in hope the ball might strike the pin and slow it down?”

#7 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Is there a penalty for hitting the pin when chipping from off the green?”

“If the flagstick is being attended there is a two stroke penalty in stroke play. If the flagstick is not being attended there is no penalty.”

“In this example, how close does a partner have to be to the pin for one to suggest that he is tending the pin?”

“Decision 17-1/1 reads as follows; ‘Note 1 to Rule 17-1 states that, if anyone “stands near the hole,” he is deemed to be attending the flagstick. Is such a person considered to be standing “near the hole” if he is close enough to touch the flagstick?
A. Yes.’ ”

“If a chip is coming from off the green why would ones partner want to pull the flag for a ball that was apparently chipped too hard and going on past the pin?”

“A possible scenario is that the partner thinks that the ball may fall straight into the hole if the flagstick is removed, whereas if it is left there the ball might ricochet off it and come to rest several feet away.”

“Once tending a pin can you walk away from a chip from off the green if it appears the ball is hit to hard and would now like to leave the pin in – in hope the ball might strike the pin and slow it down?”

“No, Note 3 to Rule 17-1 states, ‘If anyone attends or holds up the flagstick while a stroke is being made, he is deemed to be attending the flagstick until the ball comes to rest.’ ”

#8 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“We played on Saturday (didn’t stop raining!) and a situation occured that I remember you covered in your rules campaign but I couldn’t remember the ruling. One of the guys was chipping from off the green and his ball came to rest against the flag but didn’t drop. Can you tell us what happens next?”

#8 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“When a player’s ball rests against the flagstick in the hole and the ball is not holed, the player, or another person authorized by him, may move or remove the flagstick, and if the ball falls into the hole, the player is deemed to have holed out with his last stroke; otherwise, the ball, if moved, must be placed on the lip of the hole, without penalty (Rule 17-4).”

#9 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“A player marks his ball on the putting green using a twenty pence coin as his marker.

Does this incur a penalty as the coin is not round and how big a marker are you allowed to use.”

#9 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“You may use anything to mark the position of a ball, though the recommendation is that it should be a small coin or other similar object. It certainly does not have to be round. I think that you will be interested in Decision 20-1/16, which deals with the method used to mark the position of a ball, even though it is a bit lengthy;

‘Q. The Note to Rule 20-1 provides that ‘the position of a ball to be lifted should be marked by placing a ball-marker, a small coin or other similar object immediately behind the ball.’ Is a player penalized if he uses an object that is not similar to a ball-marker or small coin to mark the position of his ball?

A. No. The provision in the Note to Rule 20-1 is a recommendation of best practice, but there is no penalty for failing to act in accordance with the Note.

Examples of methods of marking the position of a ball that are not recommended, but are permissible, are as follows:

placing the toe of a club at the side of, or behind, the ball; using a tee; using a loose impediment; scratching a line, provided the putting green is not tested (Rule 16-1d) and a line for putting is not indicated (Rule 8-2b). As this practice may cause damage to the putting green, it is discouraged.

However, under Rule 20-1 it is necessary to physically mark the position of the ball. Reference to an existing mark on the ground does not constitute marking the position of a ball. For example, it is not permissible to mark the position with reference to a blemish on the putting green.

When moving a ball or ball-marker to the side to prevent it from interfering with another player’s stance or stroke, the player may measure from the side of the ball or ball-marker. In order to accurately replace the ball on the spot from which it was lifted, the steps used to move the ball or ball-marker to the side should be reversed.”

#10 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“I am in need of some direction in respect of the etiquette of the game and where penalties may be allocated for abuse.

For this example I would like to suggest a player in the fourball is of a bad tempered and grumpy disposition. Often swearing after yet another poorly executed shot. What can one do about it? It can be intimidating to say the least.

But, a bigger problem is the character who throws clubs after a poor shot. Apart form being dangerous in the extreme, it is intimidating. Is there a rule that allows me to disqualify him from a club stableford competition because he has surely affeced the play of the three other players in the fourball. I have raised it with the committee but their response was that ‘I should speak with him…. ‘

Is there a ruling I could point out to them?

I have noticed a lot of youngsters throw their clubs around following a bad shot, is this an unpleasant trend creaping into the game. I have heard of Pro’s being cited for actions and being fined but what about the amateur in a club weekend comp?

Would appreciate your feedback.”

#10 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Rule 33-7 states, ‘If a Committee considers that a player is guilty of a serious breach of etiquette, it may impose a penalty of disqualification under this Rule.’ Therefore, your only course of action is to report breaches of etiquette to the Committee. In my experience, in Club golf a caution from the Committee is usually sufficient to bring players who have poor etiquette into line.

However, this sanction is not much help on a municipal course.

The only Decision on what constitutes a serious breach is Decsion 33-7/8; Q. In Rule 33-7, what is meant by a “serious breach of etiquette”?

A. A serious breach of etiquette is behavior by a player that shows a significant disregard for an aspect of the Etiquette Section, such as intentionally distracting another player or intentionally offending someone.

Although a Committee may disqualify a player under Rule 33-7 for a single act that it considers to be a serious breach of etiquette, in most cases it is recommended that such a penalty should be imposed only in the event of a further serious breach.

Ultimately, the application of a penalty for a serious breach of etiquette under Rule 33-7 is at the discretion of the Committee.’

I regret that, without the assistance of the Committee, there is very little you can do personally in this regard.”

#11 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“What is the ruling if your ball is plugged or against the face of a bunker where you feel you will not be able to hit the ball out of the sand hazard properly, can you deem the ball unplayable in this case?”

#11 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Yes, a 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 (Rule 28).

However, note that if the player opts to take relief, under penalty of one stroke, under options b) or c) of this Rule he must drop the ball in the bunker.”

#12 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Two questions come to mind regarding the ‘addressing the ball’ question.

I have always addressed my putts by grounding my club somewhere in the area between my feet and the ball but not behind the ball, then I hover the putter behind the ball before stroking.

I assumed that since I had not grounded my club behind the ball I was okay. But you offer no such exclusion. Am I to assume then, that once my stance has been taken, that grounding my club behind the ball or virtually anywhere else constitutes ‘grounding’?

Second, what is the ruling if, when addressing the putt properly by hovering the putter, a sudden gust of wind blows the ball off its resting spot into the putter blade and comes to rest in a different location?”

#12 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Yes, your putting routine does meet the definition of addressing the ball; ‘A player has addressed the ball when he has taken his stance and has also grounded his club, except that in a hazard a player has addressed the ball when he has taken his stance.’

Note that there is no mention of where the putter is grounded. This is borne out by Decision 18-2b/5.5; ‘Q. A player takes his stance and places his clubhead on the ground in front of the ball without pressing anything down. Before the player grounds the club behind the ball, the ball moves. Has the player “addressed the ball” so that he is subject to penalty under Rule 18-2b?
A. Yes.’

Your second question is covered by Decision 19-2/1.5;

‘Q. A player’s ball lies on a steep slope through the green. The player takes his stance but, fearing the ball might move, does not ground his club and so has not addressed the ball. The ball rolls backwards and is stopped accidentally by the player’s club. The player then removes his club and the ball rolls farther down the slope. Is the player subject to the penalty of one stroke under Rule 19-2?

A. Yes, and the ball must be replaced on the spot at which it was stopped. A further penalty under Rule 18-2a (Ball at Rest Moved by Player) would not be appropriate in the circumstances provided the player replaces the ball. If the ball is not replaced before the player makes his next stroke, the failure to replace the ball is considered a separate act (see Decision 1-4/12) and he loses the hole in match play or incurs an additional penalty of two strokes in stroke play under Rule 18-2a, for a total penalty of three strokes. (Revised)’

Thank you for your question.”

#13 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Just thinking about the statement ‘take you time’, a phrase heard at our club a lot in the same situation is ‘have a rest’ or ‘do you want to rest’ meaning they should mark and let someone else take their shot. Do either of these break the rules?”

#13 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Very strictly speaking, I would say that, ‘Take a rest’ is similar to, ‘Take your time’ and does meet with the strict definition of offering advice; ‘Advice’ is any counsel or suggestion that could influence a player in determining his play, the choice of a club or the method of making a stroke.” However, in my opinion, asking the question, ‘Do you want a rest?’ is not a breach. But please don’t misunderstand me. I am not suggesting that anyone tries to penalise a fellow competitor, or opponent, for making any such comment, and I am a stickler for the Rules! The reason being that there is obviously no intent to give advice by using one of these phrases.”

#14 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“While I was playing the other week with 3 other fellow golfers, one guy had hit his 2nd shot out of the rough and was taking some practice swings while waiting for other golfers in the group to hit their shots, so during one of his practice swings a lump of dirt flew out sideways and knocked his ball a couple of feet from where it was originally lying, is there a penalty of 1 stroke or just a simple replace and no penalty?”

#14 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“The circumstances in Decision 18-2a/20.5 are similar to those in your question; Q. In making a practice swing, a player dislodges a loose impediment (e.g., a stone), which causes his ball in play to move. What is the ruling?

A. The loose impediment is an outside agency; however, as the player’s actions caused his ball in play to move, he incurs a one-stroke penalty under Rule 18-2a and must replace the ball.”

#15 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“During a game this week my friend playing a par three which is all water from tee to green hit the green with his tee shot but ran through into the bunker.

He had a very bad lie and came out, ran over the green and into the water.

Barry`s ruling is that the line from the flag to his point of entry would mean he would have to go back to the tee.

My question: Is there an alternative ruling that he could have taken the penalty and re-played the ball from the bunker?”

#15 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Yes, one of the options for taking relief from a water hazard permits a player to play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played, under penalty of one stroke (Rule 26-1a). In other words, in your question the player could have dropped his ball in the bunker at the place where he last played from under penalty of one stroke. He is permitted to rake the bunker first to re-create a similar lie to that which he had before his first stroke from the bunker.

I did mention this in my short video but used the example that the player wanted to take this option after his first stroke (i.e. from the tee). Of course, the player has the same option when his second (or any other stroke) comes to rest in a water hazard.”

#16 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Would it be possible for you to send me the rule on the 3 option, when you take a penalty in a bunker”

#16 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“I believe that you are referring to when you declare your ball unplayable in a bunker. The three options, under Rule 28, all incurring a penalty of one stroke, are;

a. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or

b. Drop a ball in the bunker behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped; or

c. Drop a ball in the bunker within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.

There is another situation when a player’s ball lies in an abnormal ground condition in a bunker (e.g. casual water); ‘Rule 25-1b. If the ball is in a bunker, the player must lift the ball and drop it either:

(a) Without penalty, in accordance with Clause(i) above, except that the nearest point of relief must be in the bunker and the ball must be dropped in the bunker or, if complete relief is impossible, as near as possible to the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole, on a part of the course in the bunker that affords maximum available relief from the condition; or

(b) Under penalty of one stroke, outside the bunker, keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the bunker the ball may be dropped.’

Remember, that the options under Rule 25-1b only apply when there is an abnormal ground condition in the bunker. Some players mistakenly think that they have the option to drop their ball outside a bunker, under penalty of one stroke, whatever the circumstances.”

#17 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Are all the rules international rules?

i.e. the same rules, whether you play golf in Denmark, Germany, the UK, the USA, Japan, China, and so on……. the world around ?”

#17 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Yes, there is only one unified Rules of Golf. The Royal & Ancient (R&A) is the governing body for the Rules of Golf and the Rules of Amateur Status in all parts of the golfing world, except the United States and Mexico, which are governed by the United States Golf Association (USGA).

The R&A and USGA agreed on the first uniform issue of the Rules of Golf worldwide back in 1952.

There were still some differences in the Appendices, relating to equipment and Local Rules, but in 2000 these were also harmonised. Any agreed changes to the Rules of Golf are made every four years and the current edition is for 2008 – 2011. You can find them on-line here.”

#18 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Would moss be classified as a living thing?”

#18 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“I think that your point is whether moss is a loose impediment. The answer is that if it is detached then it is, but if it is still rooted in the ground then it is not. Similarly, if a divot made by a player is still attached to the ground at any point then it is not a loose impediment, whereas if it is totally detached then it is. In this video there was a loose bit of moss in the bunker (it could have been a leaf, a twig or any other natural object) and so a penalty was incurred. If the moss that Michelle had touched on her backswing was rooted in the bunker then no Rule would have been breached.”

#19 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“I watched both videos but they brought another related question to mind: is water considered to be a loose impediment? In other words, if you decide to hit it out of a water hazard, and if your club brushes the water on the takeaway, is it a penalty?”

#19 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Water is not a loose impediment. However, Rule 13-4b states that before making a stroke at a ball that is in a hazard the player must not ‘touch the ground in the hazard or water in the water hazard with his hand or a club’. As a stroke does not commence until the forward movement of the club the player does incur a penalty for brushing the water on his backswing.”

#20 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Referring to this video, does Barry’s last comment make a difference then, if the moss in the bunker was growing in the bunker.”

#20 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Yes, If the moss was actually growing in the bunker then there would be no penalty. The note to Rule 13-4 states; ‘At any time, including at address or in the backward movement for the stroke, the player may touch, with a club or otherwise, any obstruction, any construction declared by the Committee to be an integral part of the course or any grass, bush, tree or other growing thing.’

You can catch more rules of golf videos here.”

#21 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Hi – Following the seagull video I am told by our pro that if a bird catches he ball in flight and drops in into the water, the ball (or rather another ball) must be dropped outside the hazard applying a penalty shot for the drop.

Had the bird dropped the ball into the hole (green) the ball would be considered as holed out.

Is this correct please?”

#21 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Your Pro is correct, assuming the ball was not played from the putting green, which seems likely as the ball was ‘in flight’! The bird is an outside agency and Rule 19-1 states, ‘If a player’s ball in motion is accidentally deflected or stopped by any outside agency, it is a rub of the green, there is no penalty and the ball must be played as it lies’.

The circumstances of Decision 19-1/6 are not too dissimilar; Q. A ball played from off the green was about a foot from the hole and still in motion when it was moved by a dog to a spot about 10 feet from the hole. The ball was either deflected by the dog or the dog picked it up, ran with it and dropped it. What is the ruling?
A. If the ball was deflected, it would be played as it lay, without penalty, from the spot to which it was moved by the dog — Rule 19-1.

In your scenario when the bird dropped the ball in the water hazard so the player would have to take relief under Rule 26-1, incurring a one stroke penalty.

However, If a ball at rest is moved by an outside agency, there is no penalty and the ball must be replaced, Rule 18-1.”

#22 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“In these times of difficult winter golf when preferred lies are the norm, I find a lot of confusion about this rule more than any other, except perhaps the WATER question.

My club rules state that Preferred lies are available ‘Through the Green’ The R&A Rules of Golf give a definition of this meaning, but still most golfers whom I play with insist that balls may only be lifted, cleaned and placed when they lie on the fairway, which, I believe, is incorrect.

Would you please relate the rules on this matter, as seen from your point of view.

Thanks for all the other info and videos.”

#22 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“You are obviously correct in your understanding of your Club’s Local Rule re preferred lies if you have quoted from it correctly. The way that it is worded means that players may not only take relief from the fairway but from anywhere on the course other than the teeing ground and putting green of the hole being played and all hazards on the course. I think that the confusion arises because the specimen Local Rule for Preferred Lies in Appendix l.B.4c. refers to “a ball lying on a closely mown area through the green”, which obviously does not include the rough.”

#23 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Have a question for your rules person. This actually happened today.

A ball appeared to be hit OB from the tee. There was no doubt it was visually going out by about 1 metre. The OB area had some cattle and one of the cattle picked the ball up and dropped it back in bounds. No one actually saw it come to rest OB but the cow was seen to bend down presumably to pick it up and it then it dropped it over the fence. The ball was seen to fall from the cows mouth, is the ball still in play or is it deemed to be still OB?”

#23 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Although no-one actually saw that the ball had come to rest out of bounds I think that we can be virtually certain that it did. A cow does not not usually move fast enough to field or pick-up a moving ball! Therefore, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, my ruling would be that the ball was out of bounds (Rule 18-1 and Decision 15/9). However, I am impressed by the well-trained and courteous cows neighbouring your course!”

#24 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“During a recent round one of the players in our groups ball became lodged in a tree, this tree was measured to be under 2 club lengths high. is the ruling for this situation the same as a ball coming to rest under a tree 2 clubs lengths high with a free drop, or does the rule regarding an unplayable shot apply which results in a penalty? One would assume that the first ruling comes in to play, can you carifiy this for me.”

#24 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“There is no relief without penalty (‘free drop’) for a ball lodged in a tree, no matter how tall the tree is. The player may either play the ball as it lies from the tree or take one of the three relief options under Rule 28 – Ball Unplayable, for a penalty of one stroke.

Decision 28/11 relates to a similar situation; Q. A player’s ball is eight feet off the ground, lodged in a tree. The player deems the ball unplayable. May the player proceed under option c of Rule 28 which permits him to drop a ball within two club-lengths of where his ball lay unplayable?
A. Yes. The player would be entitled to drop a ball within two club-lengths of the point on the ground immediately below the place where the ball lay in the tree. In some instances this may allow the player to drop a ball on a putting green.

Note that this option under Rule 28c incurs a penalty of one stroke.”

#25 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“When you are on the tee bed I know you can stand on the outside of the grid but can you have your feet over the front line of the grid?”

#25 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“In the Rules of Golf the ‘tee bed’ as you describe it is known as the teeing ground.

Rule 11-1 states, ‘A player may stand outside the teeing ground to play a ball within it.’ Therefore it does not matter whether a player has a foot in front of, to the side, or behind the teeing ground when he makes his stroke, providing the ball is played from within the teeing ground.”

#26 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Regards to out of bounds. We have a barbwire fence that defines the out of bounds line on a couple of holes. It is what we use in the wild, wild west at times.

My question is if the ball is in bounds next to the parallel line of the fence and restricts my swing when ball is in bounds. Is a free drop permitted since the fence is a man made object?”

#26 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“The Definition of Out of Bounds states that objects defining out of bounds such as walls, fences, stakes and railings, are not obstructions and are deemed to be fixed. Therefore, there is no relief from the barbed wire fence defining out of bounds on your course. What happens if someone takes relief in these circumstances? Decision 18-2a/3 deals with this situation;

‘Q. A player’s swing is interfered with by a stake defining out of bounds. The player mistakenly considers the stake an obstruction and he lifts his ball and drops it in the manner prescribed in Rule 24-2b.

What is the ruling?

A. The player incurs a penalty of one stroke under Rule 18-2a and he must replace his ball before playing his next stroke. Otherwise, he loses the hole in match play or he incurs a total penalty of two strokes in stroke play — see penalty statement under Rule 18.’

Thanks for your rules of golf out of bounds question”

#27 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Can you clear this up for me?

I sliced my tee shot onto the adjacent fairway, this put a hazard with tall trees standing in it between me and; the green I was playing to… I tried to go over trees but hit into the hazard … I was taking a drop at the point of entry, the trees were now directly in front so I would had to have to hit sideways onto or near the tee of the adjacent fairway when a rules official told me I could drop the ball at the opposite end of the hazard as long as it was no nearer the hole… this took me to the end of the hazard that was on the hole I was playing and also gave me a clear shot to the
green… this didn’t seem right?”

#27 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“No, his ruling certainly doesn’t seem right to me either. Because you had lifted your ball and had chosen not to go back to where you played your last stroke from, your only remaining option (under Rule 26-1) was to drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped. It does not seem to me that this is what the Rules Official was saying to you.

If the hazard was a lateral water hazard (red stakes) then there were two more options; drop a ball outside the water hazard within two club-lengths of and not nearer the hole than (i) the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard or (ii) a point on the opposite margin of the water hazard equidistant from the hole. Again, this does not seem to fit with what you were being advised.”

#28 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Do the rules say that anything touching the ball is deemed to be adhered to the ball? If not, then as long as the blade of grass was merely touching and not adhered, there should be no penalty as long as the ball was not moved. Now one could under the rules, and without penalty, rotate the ball in order to make a positive identification. An un-adhered blade of grass would fall off.”

#28 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Decision 21/2 specifically prohibits removing cut grass adhering to a ball.
‘Q. Through the green, is it permissible to remove cut grass adhering to a ball?
A. No. Such action is prohibited by Rule 21. Anything adhering to a ball is not a loose impediment – see Definition of Loose Impediments.’

Note that this Decision is under Rule 21 – Cleaning Ball. So, in the second part to your question, if a player rotated his ball in order to identify it and a cut blade of grass fell from the ball the player would be penalised under Rule 12-2, which says that the ball must not be cleaned beyond the extent necessary for identification.

Of course, if the blade of grass touching the ball was still growing then Rule 13-2 still prohibits the player from moving or bending it to improve his shot.

Remember also, that under Rule 12-2 a player may only touch his ball if it is necessary to lift his ball in order to identify it and he must announce his intention to his opponent in match play, or his marker or a fellow-competitor in stroke play, mark the position of the ball and give them an opportunity to observe the lifting and replacement. In other words, he cannot use the Rule to replace his ball in a more favourable position where a blade of grass may not then be between his ball and club-face when he makes his stroke.”

#29 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“I was on the last hole and drove the ball right down the middle, not as far as I normally hit it. As I began my downswing with my 3 wood, a ball hit by one in the foursome behind rolled past my ball.

I was startled and could not stop my downswing. I hit my ball the the toe of the club and it went into the water hazard to the right, about a 100 yards away. I was told I had to play the bad hit since there is no rule allowing me to hit another ball without penalty from where my ball was originally. Is there a rule on this situation?”

#29 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“There is no rule to answer your question, but there is a Decision that is relevant and your fellow competitor/opponent/partner was correct in telling you to play the ball as it lay.

Decision 1-4/1: As A was making his backswing, B accidentally dropped a ball, which rolled within six inches of A?s ball. The appearance of the dropped ball startled A, causing him to top his shot. In equity, should A be permitted to replay his stroke?
A. No. Distractions are a common occurrence which players must accept.

Of course, it was extremely poor etiquette from the player behind and if they had not apologised to you they should have been advised. Lack of knowledge of the Rules is one thing but bad etiquette on the course can upset everyone’s game.”

#30 RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Here is a very interesting scenario involving water. I’m still not sure what the correct ruling is, but I have given a possible solution at the end. Will be great to hear what you say.

It’s a par five with a split fairway. From the end of the righthand side fairway there is water for +- 170 yeards up to the edge of the green. The golfer played his perfect t-shot to this island fairway and struck his second, well but could not see the end-result as it was straight into the sun.

He did not feel comfortable that he reached the green and assumed the ball was in the water. He dropped another ball at the edge of the fairway and hit his next shot onto the green.

On reaching the green both balls were on the green. Which ball is now in play?

Problem is as you have said in your email that a ball in the water is a matter of fact and therefore the second ball can not be in play as he could not have proceeded under this rule. Is he now disqualified or penalised because he played a wrong ball? Remember he could not have played a provisional ball, as he thought the ball might be in the water.

Someone said that because of the fact that the layout of the hole makes it impractical to actually first walk up to the green to try and find the ball on or around the green, the first ball should be treated as if in play when found on the green. Furthermore it is felt that the committee should actually set out on the local rules the correct procedure to follow on this specific hole.

Your comments will be appreciated..”

#30 RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“There are a couple of points here which need to be clarified. The first is that you did not say whether the player had declared that his ball was to be a provisional before playing it onto the green. If he had not, then he had obviously put that ball into play and the original ball was lost within the Rules.

As it happens, the outcome was the same anyway, because under Rule 27-2a a provisional ball may only be played if ‘a ball may be lost outside a water hazard or may be out of bounds’. In this case the ball was obviously not lost outside of a water hazard; because of the layout of the hole it was either on the green or in the hazard.

Therefore, even if the player had declared his ball provisional it would not have mattered, it was still the ball in play and the original ball had to be picked up. Greg Norman made this mistake in 2004.

What your player should have done is to walk up to the green to see if his ball was there. If it was not then he had to take one of the options under Rule 26-1 Water Hazards), one of which is to drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped.

If your player played his original ball and did not correct the situation before teeing off at the next hole he is disqualified for playing a wrong ball.

I think that the Committee on this course would be totally wrong to introduce a Local Rule for a situation that is adequately covered within the Rules. What you have to remember is that there is only one option where a ball is lost or out of bounds; to go back to where you played your last stroke from. When a ball is lost in a water hazard there is the additional option referred to above.

I understand the point you are making in that the player would have to tale the long walk back 170 yards to the point where his ball last crossed the margin of the hazard, but feel that this is necessary to maintain the integrity of the Rules.”

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