Author: Hilary

Ladies:

Problem areas are always a problem and the question about your ball being on the bridge on hole #12 has come up again.

I have attached a photo of the situation to this e mail. Hopefully you all can open it!

FACTS

The bridge is IN the hazard.

You are ALWAYS allowed to hit from a hazard without penalty.

But……You MAY NOT ground your club in a hazard.

The bridge, although it is deemed to be IN the hazard, is an “obstruction” in the hazard , NOT ‘”ground” in the hazard

Decision/Rule 13-4/30 allows you to touch an “obstruction” in a hazard.

So this is what you may do:

1. You may, without penalty, hit your ball from the bridge and ground your club.

2. You may, with a one stroke penalty, take relief from the bridge using Rule 26, Water Hazards.

As you well know that means:

Hit from where you were before, if from the tee box you may tee your ball up again.

Go back and drop a ball as far as you like, in line with the pin and where your ball last crossed the hazard.

Drop a ball within two club lengths, no closer to the pin, from where your ball last crossed the hazard.

I do not advocate plagiarism but this time I have included here link here http://www.usga.org/videos/2015/07/07/150707-womens_rules-of-golf-bridges-4342577694001.html to the USGA Rules website that will visually help you.

I hope this helps you,
Hilary

Ladies, no golf today eh? So lots of time for a golf quiz…..enjoy!

Q. Maria’s ball is on the apron between the green and a bunker. Her fellow-competitor then plays from the bunker and deposits sand on and around Maria’s ball. Is Maria entitled to any relief?

A. Yes. Maria is entitled to the lie and line of play she had when her ball originally came to rest. Accordingly, in equity (Rule 1-4), she is entitled to remove the sand deposited by her fellow competitor’s stroke, and also lift her ball and clean it, without penalty.

Q. Susie drops her ball to take relief from a cart path, the ball is no longer on the cart path but her stance is on the cart path. Is Susie’s ball properly in play ?

A. No, Rule 20-2 c (v). Susie’s dropped ball must be re-dropped, without penalty, if it rolls to and comes to rest in a position where there is interference by the condition from which relief was taken. The penalty would be two strokes or loss of hole if the ball was not re-dropped prior to stroke.

Q. Miranda hits a great 7 iron to the green but it accidentally hits a slow walking goose and the ball lands in the bunker. Can she replace her ball where it hit the goose?

A. Sadly no, it is the rub of the green, (or goose), and Miranda must play her ball where it lies, in the bunker. Rule 19-1.

Q. Beth putts her ball and it hits the flagstick which is lying on the ground. Is she penalized?

A. Yes, a two stroke penalty. Rule 17-3. A player’s ball must not strike the flagstick when removed, held up or attended.

(The exception to this is if the flagstick had been removed, held up, or attended during a stroke or while the ball is in motion, without the player’s authority. If in doubt do not have the flagstick attended, or have the flagstick moved well out of the line of your next stroke.)

Q. Ellen his her ball out of the bunker and accidentally strikes the ball twice. Is there a penalty?

A. Unfortunately there is a penalty for being a klutz. Ellen must count her stroke and add one penalty stroke, Rule 14-4.

Q. Vanessa found her ball touching the course side of a white line indicating Out of Bounds. Does she have to take a stroke and distance penalty?

A. No, a ball is not out of bounds unless ALL of the ball is out of bounds. See Definition of Out of Bounds. Vanessa’s ball was not, so she may continue play without penalty.

I hope you got all these questions right, and this helps you.

Hilary

Ladies I am sure you read yesterday Barbara’s minutes from this month’s Advisory Board meeting
where the ice plants behind the green on hole #12 were discussed. I quote:

• “A question was raised about the procedure if your ball goes in the ice plant behind #12. As this is infrequent, no special consideration needs to be given.”

This was one of the 18 holers concerns that I addressed last year. I have copied my answer below in case there is still confusion.

What should you do if your shot from the fairway flies over the green and you think your ball may have landed in the ice plants behind the green?

This area is not Out of Bounds.

As you do not know the exact place where your ball has landed, and you think it “may” be lost, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO HIT A PROVISIONAL BALL FROM WHERE YOU LAST HIT. (Always tell your playing companions this is what you are doing.)

If you find your original ball and it is PLAYABLE, pick up your Provisional ball and play on. No penalty.

If you cannot find your original ball after a five minute search, then it is LOST, play your Provisional ball and take a ONE STROKE PENALTY.

If you decide to search for your ball, and not hit a provisional ball, this is what you do.

If you find your ball in the ice plants, and it is impossible for you to play it without altering your area of intended swing by moving the ice plants, or unnecessarily pressing them down when you take your stance then you may declare your ball UNPLAYABLE.

You incur a ONE STROKE PENALTY and your options for 3 are:

Return to where you last hit and put another ball in play.

If your ball is visible and IF, AND ONLY IF when you measure your ball’s distance from the cart path a measurement of two club lengths* would make your ball touch the path, you may drop the ball at your nearest point of relief on the path, and then take your nearest point of relief from the path onto the grass but no closer to the hole.

(To speed up play you can just find the nearest point of relief on the grass and drop your ball there, no closer to the hole.)

*Please note that if your ball is further back in the ice plants than two club lengths from the path you will have to take multiple drops and multiple one stroke penalties until you ball is on the cart path, not worth it!

The third option for the Unplayable Rule is not possible because, to go back as far as you like in line with the pin would just put you further and further back into the ice plants and you’d have to drop your ball back in the plants.

I hope this helps you.

Hilary