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Rule of the Week - Replacing a Ball

Anne marks the position of her ball and taps down her marker with her putter. Audrey marks the position of her ball, lifts her ball and walks to the hole to remove a twig. She walks back and crouches down to read her putt. She notices that her marker has stuck to her shoe. At the same time, Anne notices that her marker is missing and has stuck to the bottom of her putter when she tapped her marker down. Do Anne and Audrey incur any penalties?

Is the ruling: 

A. Anne and Audrey each incur a one-stroke penalty.

B. Anne incurs a one-stroke penalty and Audrey incurs no penalty.

C. Audrey incurs a one-stroke penalty and Anne incurs no penalty.

D. Neither Anne nor Audrey incurs a penalty.

According to Bernie Loehr, manager for the Rules of Golf at the United States Golf Association, the answer is C. As Anne’s movement of her marker was directly attributable to the marking process, Loehr said, she incurs no penalty (Decision 20-1/6 and Rule 20-1).

Audrey incurs a one-stroke penalty because the movement of her marker was not attributable to the marking process (Decision 20-1/5.5 and Rule 20-1).

Each player must replace her marker as near as possible to the spot where it was located before it was moved but not nearer the hole (Rule 20-3c).

Rule of the Week Dropping & Replacing

Whether on the green or a cart path, there will be many times during a round where you have the option of lifting and replacing, or lifting and dropping, your ball. Surprisingly often, these are done incorrectly. Below are few notes to help you take full advantage (correctly) of lifting, dropping, and replacing your ball.

Lifting and Replacing - A ball can be marked, lifted and replaced by you anyone you designate. If a ball is to be replaced, it must be marked before it is lifted. Use a small, flat object like a coin or marker . If the ball is lifted on the green, it can be cleaned. Elsewhere on the course, it can be cleaned except when it has been lifted to be identified, to be checked for damage, or because it interferes with play (e.g., a ball that interferes with your stance).
 
Place the marker directly behind the ball. If the ball accidently moves when you mark, lift, or replace it, the ball or marker can be replaced with no penalty. When replacing the ball, if it fails to rest on the spot where it is placed, replace it again without penalty. If it still moves, it should be placed at the nearest spot (not closer to the hole) where it won't move (but if the ball was in a hazard, it must stay in the hazard).

Lifting and Dropping  - A ball can be lifted by anyone the player designates, but only the player themselves can drop the ball. To drop the ball, stand erect and hold the ball with an outstretched arm, at shoulder height and arm's length. Then drop it - don't toss it, flip it, or spin it, just drop it. The ball can be re-dropped without penalty if, when it is dropped, it hits you or your equipment, rolls into a hazard, onto a putting green or out of bounds, rolls more than two club lengths away from where you dropped it, or rolls back into the same situation which caused you to drop it in the first place. If any of the above happen when you re-drop it, the ball should then be placed as near as possible to the spot the ball first hit when you re-dropped it (see the explanation above on placing). If you play a ball that has been dropped or placed the wrong way or in the wrong spot, you will incur a penalty of two strokes or loss of the hole (in match play).


Rule of the Week --The Unplayable Ball (Rule 28)

One of the less well known but useful rules in golf is the rule of the unplayable ball. This rule gives a player the option, at any time other than in a water hazard , to declare their ball unplayable. You are the only one who can say it is unplayable. If you do invoke this rule, you will receive a penalty stroke, but then have the following options:

You can play a ball from the spot your original ball was last played, called ‘stroke and distance.

You can drop a ball within two club lengths of where the ball lies, no closer to the hole. If the ball is in a bunker, it must remain in the bunker.