You are playing hole #13, stroke play. Both carts are parked beside the green. Your ball is in the trees out to the right but you have a clear path for a pitch to the green. You line up your shot, take a practice swing and then … OH, NO!!! You shank your ball right into your golf cart. It bounces off and lands in the rough.
What would you do?
A. The cart is not yours. You are riding with someone else in their cart so there is no penalty. You count the stroke that hit the cart and then play your ball as it lies.
B. You take a 1 stroke penalty and play the ball as it lies because your ball hit your own equipment.
B is correct. You are sharing a cart with the cart’s owner. Open your Rules of Golf book to the section called Definitions. Look at Equipment. It says:
Equipment
Note 2: When a golf cart is shared by two or more players, the cart and everything in it are deemed to be the equipment of one of the players sharing the cart.
If the cart is being moved by one of the players (or the partner of one of the players) sharing it, the cart and everything in it are deemed to be that player's equipment. Otherwise, the cart and everything in it are deemed to be the equipment of the player sharing the cart whose ball (or whose partner's ball) is involved.
So the cart is deemed to be your equipment and according to Rule 19-2 you will be penalized 1 stroke.
Rule 19 Ball is motion deflected or stopped
19-2. By Player, Partner, Caddie or Equipment
If a player's ball is accidentally deflected or stopped by himself, his partner or either of their caddies or equipment, the player incurs a penalty of one stroke. (New in 2008) The ball must be played as it lies,
REMEMBER: If your ball strikes your golf cart, or one that you are sharing with another player, you are penalized one stroke and must play the ball as it lies.
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