One for the rules gurus.

[jimandr]

I hit my drive down the centre of the bit damp fairway and upon arrival find my ball has ended up in a bombers pitch mark. The ball is unplayable as it is more than 50% below ground level. I was told that it was not plugged so had to play it as it lies. Took a drop and played my 3rd shot under a cloud of mega pissed offness.
What is the ruling here.

This sort of thing is why I am less upset than some about Patrick Reed taking advantage of the rules yesterday. The game itself, and its rules, bend you over so often that sometimes you feel like you deserve some good luck to balance out the bad luck.

I do hope Ferret repaired both his divot and the unrepaired bomber's gouge.

[markTHEblake]

A person who hits it 75 metres past you.

Oh.... haha. Or 50m past me with a 3 wood 😳

[Ferrins]

I do hope Ferret repaired both his divot and the unrepaired bomber's gouge.[/QUOTE]

Repair mine and two others is my motto.

[AndyP]

Free relief from the hose as an immovable obstruction (unreasonable to move)?

[Steve]

The hose is movable. Is there a local rule in regards to touching or moving the Green keepers items? If not move the hose

[AndyP]

What about "cannot be moved without unreasonable effort"?
There was no specific rule about greenskeepers items or Doreen?

[markTHEblake]

Free relief from the hose as an immovable obstruction (unreasonable to move)?

No relief because you dont have a shot anyway because of the tree. This is explained in the rules somewhere.

IMO, you can move the hose. Its not unreasonable to move it. If it was on the ground, you would move it

[AndyP]

No relief because you dont have a shot anyway because of the tree. This is explained in the rules somewhere.

You wouldn't take an unplayable from this location.

IMO, you can move the hose. Its not unreasonable to move it. If it was on the ground, you would move it

I'll tell the little old lady to toughen up and move it next time.

[bdoug10]

Question about drops. If a player is entitled to relief eg ball on cart path. What happens if they mark the drop area and deliberately drop right on the edge of this area in the hope it rolls out twice so they can place it?

Hope that makes sense

[jimandr]

Question about drops. If a player is entitled to relief eg ball on cart path. What happens if they mark the drop area and deliberately drop right on the edge of this area in the hope it rolls out twice so they can place it?

Hope that makes sense

It makes sense to me, because we have gravel cart paths which means the ball often comes to rest on the path. So the relief issue comes up all the time.

The bottom line with cart path relief is nearest point of relief, then an area of one club length. So you can't pick which side of the path to drop on, but you can pick an area within your club length. If the ball rolls away and you get to place it, good luck to you.

My bitter experience is that the luck evens itself out over time. Sometimes the rule works for you. Other times, it hurts you. The ones that hurt you are remembered, the others you forget about.

[bdoug10]

It makes sense to me, because we have gravel cart paths which means the ball often comes to rest on the path. So the relief issue comes up all the time.The bottom line with cart path relief is nearest point of relief, then an area of one club length. So you can't pick which side of the path to drop on, but you can pick an area within your club length. If the ball rolls away and you get to place it, good luck to you.My bitter experience is that the luck evens itself out over time. Sometimes the rule works for you. Other times, it hurts you. The ones that hurt you are remembered, the others you forget about.

Same for us at my club. I was more talking about the ability to place the ball to get a better light “sitting up” seems unethical to me

[markTHEblake]

Question about drops. If a player is entitled to relief eg ball on cart path. What happens if they mark the drop area and deliberately drop right on the edge of this area in the hope it rolls out twice so they can place it?

Hope that makes sense

the rules permit them to drop anywhere within that area, and that includes the edge of it, as well as improving ones line around a tree for example.
However given that they must place it where the ball landed and rolled away, it seems like that person is not going to have the best lie, if that was their aim.

Its probably not a healthy obsession to be watching a single person that closely often enough to come to the conclusion thats their deliberate intention. surely a typical golfer gets relief like that once in 4 rounds or so. If it was me watching them, I wouldnt care.

[bdoug10]

the rules permit them to drop anywhere within that area, and that includes the edge of it, as well as improving ones line around a tree for example.However given that they must place it where the ball landed and rolled away, it seems like that person is not going to have the best lie, if that was their aim. Its probably not a healthy obsession to be watching a single person that closely often enough to come to the conclusion thats their deliberate intention. surely a typical golfer gets relief like that once in 4 rounds or so. If it was me watching them, I wouldnt care.

Totally agree with you MTB, peaked my interest as it happened twice in the one round and seemed to be the game plan for this bloke. Again doesn’t bother me just found it interested the lengths so people go to for that extra inch

[markTHEblake]

its probably not that much different than dropping it in a way so it rolls another clublength (or 2) outside the relief area which was formerly permissible. I would have done that heaps of times if there was an advantage. But yeah what that guy is doing takes a bit more effort for much less advantage (and a risk)

[bdoug10]

To true. I all so found out about the re tee if you ball is still in the teeing area as well. That one was new to me

[aussieashley]

Totally agree with you MTB, peaked my interest as it happened twice in the one round and seemed to be the game plan for this bloke. Again doesn’t bother me just found it interested the lengths so people go to for that extra inch

Surely he can’t be playing too good if he needed to drop off the cart path twice in one round

[Dotty]

It can also be a double-edged sword.

If he drops on a spot to get maximum roll (so he can place), then there is an increased risk that the placed ball will move after addressing it and he would incur a penalty.

p.s. I assume that he still incurs a penalty, as I'm confused as hell with the USGA dumbing down of Rules of Golf in 2019 (to get more participation certificate chasers on their courses).

[damoocow]

145m par 3.
Ground staff on mower doing surrounds, parks just off edge of green (between green and left water hazard).
We're thinking, not the best place to park but he motions to us to hit.
One players tee shot hits the mower on the full and ball goes left into hazard.
How to proceed?

[Steve]

Take a drop, and penalty

[Webster]

Tough titties unfortunately.

[damoocow]

Good,that's what we did. Looked it up later.
The guy on the mower was the lucky one.

[markTHEblake]

Was he playing with his phone while waiting? Saw one guy doing that somewhere.

[damoocow]

Not on phone but earphones in and seemingly oblivious to his surroundings, i doubt he even heard the fore call.

[Froggy]

Hi Guys - Quick one, The last two weeks whilst playing Pennant matchplay, i have had an opponent Putt out of turn - both similiar instances, about 4-6 footers, where i have been lining up my putt expecting them to mark their ball, instead walking up and rolling them in.
If they had missed they would have no doubt conceded the hole, as i only had 2 putts for the win anyway after they're makes.
In this scenario, what is the etiquette here ? could i have taken the hole regardless seeing as though they played out of turn ?
No big deal - just made my putts feel a little longer !
Cheers

[markTHEblake]

There is no ettiquette. If they played out of turn, you can require they replay the shot when it is their turn. There is no penalty either way so you cant "take the hole"

This is assuming this rule hasnt changed. Suggest check the rule book.