Hi Ladies……..Rules time again……………enjoy!
Question 1.
On hole #1 the shots of two players come to rest within a few inches of one
another in the fairway. Mary’s ball is merely inches past Susie’s ball, so Mary marks
and lifts her ball as it would clearly interfere with Susie’s next shot.
Has Mary committed a Rules violation?
Answer:
Mary was obviously acting courteously and sensibly, but has incurred a penalty of one
stroke under Rule 18-2(a)
Without getting Susie’s agreement to move the ball Mary should not have done so.
Ask first, move second.
Question 2.
On hole #5 Elizabeth’s ball comes to rest in the bunker touching the rake. She proceeds to lift the ball, remove the rake, and then drop it as nearly as possible to the spot where it rested.
Has she committed any Rules infractions?
Answer:
Yes, Elizabeth is penalized two strokes for moving the ball while it is in play and
then dropping it when it should have been replaced (See penalty statement under Rule 18
and Decision 18-2a/9).
The correct procedure is:
Carefully remove the rake. If the ball moves it must be replaced, not dropped, and there is no
penalty.
Question 3:
On hole # 9 Adeline’s ball is on the cart path and she is permitted to take a drop off the path. She finds the nearest point of relief, no closer to the hole of course, and drops her ball according to the Rules.
On the drop, the ball rolls approximately 25 feet from the place where it first struck the course
when dropped. The ball did not roll closer to the hole.
So, is a re-drop necessary?
Answer:
Rule 20-2 requires a ball to be re-dropped if it rolls more than two club-lengths from the spot
where the dropped ball first touched the golf course.
Adeline must re-drop the ball.
Question 4:
On hole # 17 on play day three weeks ago Hilary, while taking practice swings preparing to putt, struck her ball.
What penalty, if any did she incur?
Answer:
Although Hilary did not intend to strike the ball, and therefore did not made a stroke, she did incur a one stroke penalty under Rule 18-2a for causing the ball to move except as permitted by a Rule.
She must replace the ball to where it was when she hit it accidentally. Even the Rules Guru makes mistakes, ouch!
Question 5:
The round is almost over and Vanessa is on the teeing ground of hole #18. She accidentally tees her ball an inch in front of the tee markers. She holes out and is on her way to pick up her trophy when her partner Beth reports what she did to the Committee. What is the ruling?
Under the Rules of Golf when starting a hole the ball must be played from within the teeing ground. This is a rectangular area two club-lengths in depth. The front and sides are marked by the outside limits of the tee markers. Your ball is outside when ALL of it lies beyond this area. If you play your ball from outside the teeing ground you will incur a two stroke penalty. You must correct and play a ball from within the teeing ground. If you fail to correct you are Disqualified.
A big mistake for just a few inches. I don’t think Vanessa will be friends with Beth anymore!!
I hope this helps you.
Hilary
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