One for the rules gurus.

[Johnny Canuck]

Thanks. I learned something.

I bet going back to the original spot would be popular on a busy course

Not nearly as bad as when you walk back to the tee after not hitting a provisional.

[PeteyD]

Not nearly as bad as when you walk back to the tee after not hitting a provisional.

twice

[Johnny Canuck]

twice

You?

[PeteyD]

No but another member here, wet day, shotgun start, twice went left into mush, neither ball found. Second group on tee not very happy.

[IanO]

Ouch!

[dunteachin]

Played Holden Scramble the other weekend. Eight in a group, six hour round, still a fun sort of day. Question: on the eleventh their second hitter had an air swing for his drive but then had a fit of anger and hit the ball again. Their third and fourth hitters then had their drives and from recollection they took the third hitter's ball as their best. We didn't make a fuss as they weren't ever going to be competitive, but I believe they should have been disqualified but not sure on which rule. Scenario one, disqualified because player two played his ball as their second shot but should have dropped out. Scenario two, disqualified because player two played out of turn. Scenario three, disqualified because they should have taken player two's ball instead of player three's. Scenario four, our team should have been disqualified as we let them play on without calling them on the rules.

[Dotty]

I'd go scenario three, as the ball was in play and hitting the ball again implied that his team chose to play that ball.

Your team could be disqualified, if you agreed to waive a rule of golf. (Rule 1-3.)

[golfbound]

quick question 2 players yesterday landed in the same bunker and both balls rolled into the same foot print about 3cm deep in the sand both balls sitting against each other what happens here?

[Lagerlover]

I'd go scenario three, as the ball was in play and hitting the ball again implied that his team chose to play that ball.

Your team could be disqualified, if you agreed to waive a rule of golf. (Rule 1-3.)

Same... I can't even remember the last time I watched someone have an air swing.

[3Puttpete]

Same... I can't even remember the last time I watched someone have an air swing.

I didn't need an out of body experience to watch someone recently

[Dotty]

quick question 2 players yesterday landed in the same bunker and both balls rolled into the same foot print about 3cm deep in the sand both balls sitting against each other what happens here?

Mark and pickup one ball. (Do not clean it, including putting it in your pocket.)
Play the other.
Fix up the bunker, so it mimics the original lie.
Replace the picked-up ball and play it.

[aussieashley]

quick question 2 players yesterday landed in the same bunker and both balls rolled into the same foot print about 3cm deep in the sand both balls sitting against each other what happens here?

I guess furtherest from the hole plays first and I think if another ball interferes it can be marked and moved (but not cleaned?).
Then I think you're supposed to try and re-create the original lie as best you can and place the other ball back in its place.
Check out rule 22-2 Ball interfering with play and 20-3 Lifting, dropping and placing

[aussieashley]

Haha, and Dotty beat me by 2mins

[Dotty]

Haha, and Dotty beat me by 2mins

But you provided the details, where he can get the info himself.

[golfbound]

thanks heaps guys

[MegaWatty]

Mark and pickup one ball. (Do not clean it, including putting it in your pocket.)
Play the other.
Fix up the bunker, so it mimics the original lie.
Replace the picked-up ball and play it.

Incorrect.

Player behind should have hit his ball as hard as possible with the other ball touching it, and all players should have had a massive giggle as the back players ball ballooned up and jizzed back an enormous amount.

Enjoy trying it if you haven't already.

[BenM]

We did that during some practice a couple of weeks ago. Great fun seeing how much you can get it to spin.

[Dotty]

Incorrect.

Player behind should have hit his ball as hard as possible with the other ball touching it, and all players should have had a massive giggle as the back players ball ballooned up and jizzed back an enormous amount.

Enjoy trying it if you haven't already.

Send it into Funniest Home Videos and you could win a JVC Home Entertainment Centre or a year's supply of Allen's lollies.

[MegaWatty]

Send it into Funniest Home Videos and you could win a JVC Home Entertainment Centre or a year's supply of Allen's lollies.

I always liked how you could win a JVC video camera because you probably already had one or if you had a funny video and didn't have one then you couldn't win one.

[TheNuclearOne]

Mark and pickup one ball. (Do not clean it, including putting it in your pocket.)
Play the other.
Fix up the bunker, so it mimics the original lie.
Replace the picked-up ball and play it.

What happens with the marking of the ball as if they are touching each other the divot will take away the marker?

[Steve]

Nearest point, reconstructed as it was

[3Puttpete]

Use 3 or 4 markers a metre apart with the spot in the middle

[Dotty]

What happens with the marking of the ball as if they are touching each other the divot will take away the marker?

Same as moving a marker on the green out of the way, if it interferes with another players line.

And remembering to move it back.

[TheNuclearOne]

Cheers.

[BenM]

So yesterday was an interesting day with regarding to rules.. not one, but three separate discussions about rulings, where I believe I'm right and my opponent was wrong. I don't think that it affected the result of the match in any way, but it did leave a bit of a sour taste in my mouth.

Some background: as you might've seen on the news, Tassie was hit by some pretty wild weather this week, high wins and heavy rain. Our course was pretty significantly affected, so much so they closed the course on Friday, mainly because of some 120+ downed trees. They'll be cleaning them up for weeks but they did manage to get them off most of the fairways and get the golf course to a state where it was playable, however they implemented a local rule saying that all areas of downed trees/debris due to the storm were to be treated as GUR.

Scenario 1: on our second hole, opponent has pulled his drive and it's sitting some metres behind a downed tree. He claims he should get relief from this as it's in his line of play. I say no, if it's treated as GUR, you don't get relief if it's on your line of play, only stance or swing. He's adamant that he's right, rings the pro shop, and the pro shop tells him he gets relief??!! (My playing partner and I both took advantage of this ruling later in the round too... I think it's a fair ruling under the circumstances, but I don't believe it is correct under the rules of golf).

Scenario 2: on our 7th hole, opponent pushes his drive wide right, into the general direction of a large downed gum tree in the right rough. There is obviously a fair amount of bushy tree canopy lying at ground level, as a result we can't find the ball - we're pretty sure it's in there somewhere but not sure where (we didn't see it go in for sure). He says he should get a free drop as it's lost in GUR, I say no, as far as I know there's no provision in the rules for that, it's no different to any other lost ball. He rings the pro shop again. Pro shop tells him he gets a free drop. WTF?!!

Scenario 3: on our 12th hole (and the match was virtually lost to us by then), opponent takes his preferred lie (that's another local rule that's running at the moment) and places the ball on a mound of grass to give himself a good lie for his chip. The ball settles there then rolls off the mound before he has addressed it. He says to me that he should get to replace the ball. I say no, if a ball is at rest and moves of it's own accord you have to play it as it lies. He is adamant I'm wrong so proceeds to hit 2 balls (one placed on the original spot, one where the other ball rolled to). He bladed both of them over the green anyway and his partner's score won the hole, but I am sure that he is wrong. I check the rules on my rules of golf app and it clearly states that it should be played as it lies. What irks me about this one is that after the round in the bar, he then went to one of the other members (who I think is a former director) who has recently done a rules course who also said that he should replace the ball. I wasn't privy to the conversation - so there is a chance I've misunderstood exactly when the ball moved, or what he told the guy, but if my understanding is correct and the ball was in play, if it moves by itself then that's stiff bickies about his lie, he has to play it where it is.

Anyone have any thoughts? Specifically I am wondering if there is some way the club could've instituted a local rule about the GUR and line of play (though the only local rule they advertised with regard to this was to treat the downed trees as GUR). Also, I am not sure that the club pro should be the person responsible for arbiting on rules disputes (though he should know the rules). I am not sure he's a member of the match committee though he certainly checks the cards and inputs the data into the system.