2010 #10 Erasure Rule

THE SCENE:

You are playing hole #2 on the Challenger course. Your drive is long enough but you pushed it to the right and it lands and rolls onto the cart path. You know that you get free relief from the cart path so you measure and find your nearest point of relief. It’s on the side nearest the hole, thank goodness. The only problem is that you are going to have to drop on the side of a hill.

So, you drop your ball and it rolls towards the hole. You shake your head, lift the ball and re-drop it. Again it rolls closer to the hole. You mouth a mild expletive and drop it yet again.

At that point one of the other players says, “Wrong! You know you can’t drop your ball 3 times. You have to place it! One stroke penalty.” You know she is right about dropping 3 times.

BUT WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

A. Take a one stroke penalty and place the ball where it first touched the ground the last time it was dropped.

B. Pretend you did not drop your ball the 3rd time and now place it where the ball first struck the ground when it was dropped the 2nd time.

B IS CORRECT

Rule 20-2 C vii says

A dropped ball must be re-dropped, without penalty, if it rolls and comes to rest nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief. It goes on to say that if, when re-dropped, it rolls into the same position, it must be placed as near as possible to the spot where it first struck a part of the course when re-dropped.

So, if instead of placing it, you drop the ball a third time, Rule 20-6 (the erasure rule) allows you to pretend you didn’t drop it the third time. You can lift the ball without penalty and then proceed according to the rules. This is true any time you incorrectly substitute a ball, or incorrectly drop or place a ball.

See Rule

20-6. Lifting Ball Incorrectly Substituted, Dropped or Placed

A ball incorrectly substituted, dropped or placed in a wrong place or otherwise not in accordance with the Rules but not played may be lifted, without penalty, and the player must then proceed correctly.

So, if you know the rules you won’t be penalized for dropping your ball a third time. But make sure you don’t do anything else before you lift it and place it properly.

Here is a decision that explains why:

20-2c/2  Ball Dropped Third Time When Placement Required After Second Drop Q. A player dropped his ball twice under a Rule and each time the ball rolled nearer the hole. He then dropped the ball a third time instead of placing it as required by Rule 20-2c. What is the ruling? A. Before playing a stroke, the player may lift the ball and place it as prescribed in Rule 20-2c, without penalty (Rule 20-6). If he fails to do so and plays the ball, he incurs a penalty of loss of hole in match play or two strokes in stroke play for a breach of Rule 20-2c. REMEMBER: The Rules can help you, especially the Erasure Rule.

2010 #4 Dangerous Situations

THE SCENE:
Your drive on hole #3 lands in the fairway near the water. As you walk towards your ball you see an alligator lying near it.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
A. Take an unplayable lie (a one-stroke penalty) and drop a ball well behind the alligator and your ball.
B. Determine a spot, no nearer the hole, that is not dangerous. Drop a ball within one club length of that spot. No penalty.

B IS CORRECT. It is considered unreasonable to make a player play from a dangerous position. So you get free relief.

See Decision #1-4/10 (newly modified in 2010).

Decision: 1-4/10 Dangerous Situation; Rattlesnake or Bees Interfere with Play

Q. A player's ball comes to rest in a situation dangerous to the player, e.g., near a live rattlesnake or a bees' nest. Does the player have any options in addition to playing the ball as it lies or, if applicable, proceeding under Rule 26 or 28?

A. Yes. It is unreasonable to expect the player to play from such a dangerous situation and unfair to require the player to incur a penalty under Rule 26 (Water Hazards) or Rule 28 (Ball Unplayable).

If the ball lay through the green, the player may, without penalty, drop a ball within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest spot not nearer the hole that is not dangerous and is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.

REMEMBER: You get free relief from dangerous situations like alligators, bee nests and snakes.

2009 #2 Don’t Know What to Do? Play a 2nd Ball.

THE SCENE:
You are playing in a stroke play event. Your first shot on hole #2 finds the bunker. But even worse, your second shot goes out of bounds. You are under the impression that you can take a penalty stroke and drop within 2 club lengths of where the ball went out of bounds. So you find your ball, drop it and take your stance. Then Mary says, “Wait! You can’t do that. You are out of bounds. You have to go back to the bunker.” You look back at the bunker. That is a long way.

What would you do?

A. You decide to play your dropped ball. When you get in, you will tell the Committee. If there is a penalty you will add it to your score.
B. You announce your intention to play a 2nd ball and that you want your first ball to count - if it is legal. After hitting the dropped ball you play another ball from the bunker. You play both balls into the hole. When you get in, you report what you have done to the Committee.


B is correct.
The Committee will tell you that Mary was right. If your ball is out of bounds you must hit another ball from where you hit before. Therefore your score will be that of your 2nd ball, the one you hit from the bunker.

If you chose A. the Committee would have disqualified you. You played from a wrong place (20-7). You committed a serious breech (you gained significant advantage in distance), and you failed to correct your error.

Look at the following rule:

20-7. Playing from Wrong Place
 b. Match Play
If a player makes a stroke from a wrong place, he loses the hole.
 c. Stroke Play
If a competitor makes a stroke from a wrong place, he incurs a penalty of two strokes under the applicable Rule. He must play out the hole with the ball played from the wrong place, without correcting his error, provided he has not committed a serious breach (see Note 1).
If a competitor becomes aware that he has played from a wrong place and believes that he may have committed a serious breach, he must, before making a stroke on the next teeing ground, play out the hole with a second ball played in accordance with the Rules. If the hole being played is the last hole of the round, he must declare, before leaving the putting green, that he will play out the hole with a second ball played in accordance with the Rules.
If the competitor has played a second ball, he must report the facts to the Committee before returning his score card; if he fails to do so, he is disqualified. The Committee must determine whether the competitor has committed a serious breach of the applicable Rule. If he has, the score with the second ball counts and the competitor must add two penalty strokes to his score with that ball. If the competitor has committed a serious breach and has failed to correct it as outlined above, he is disqualified.
Note 1: A competitor is deemed to have committed a serious breach of the applicable Rule if the Committee considers he has gained a significant advantage as a result of playing from a wrong place.

REMEMBER: In a stroke-play event, any time that you are in doubt as to how you should proceed, play 2 balls and let the Committee decide.

2008 #18 Niners’ Water Holes

THE SCENE:
You are playing #7, a par-three hole, over a water hazard. You club tops your ball and sends it bouncing towards the green. But it stops short of the water. You walk to your ball and hit it again. This time it splashes into the water hazard. With a penalty stroke for the water hazard you are now lying 3.

What Would You do?

A)  You would climb back in your cart, drive to the green and play from the Niners’ ball drop, lying 5, hitting 6.

B)  You lie only 3. You could be on in 4 so you hit another ball. If that ball goes into the water, too, you would add a penalty stroke to your score and cross over. You would be lying 6, hitting 7. 


(You hit your ball 3 times = 3 strokes; 
 

         2 balls in the water = 2 penalty strokes; 
 

                  To cross over = 1 penalty stroke.
                             Total = 6 (lying 6, hitting 7)
Both A & B are correct

To speed up play, the Niners have a special non-tournament rule for water holes:

If you have not gotten across the water after two tries, drop a ball on the other side, lying 5, hitting 6. (2 shots plus penalty strokes, plus one for the carry over the water.)

This means that if you are not across the water hazard after hitting the ball two times (whether the ball went into the water or not), you can cross to the green side of the hazard and play from the Niners’ ball drop, lying 5, hitting 6.
So, A) is correct.

However, you don’t have to cross over then. If your ball didn’t go into the water, your score is still low. You may want to hit again. If you do hit another ball, and if you still are not across the water, you can count all of your strokes, add a penalty stroke and cross over.
So, B) is also correct.

No matter how few times you hit the ball, if you cross over using this rule, your minimum score always would be lying 5, hitting 6..

REMEMBER: If, after 2 tries. you have not gotten across the water, take advantage of this special rule to speed up play. Cross over and drop a ball. You will be lying 5, hitting 6.

2007 #10 Measuring relief for an Unplayable Lie

THE SCENE:
A player’s ball lay in the rough between an out-of-bounds fence and a cart path. She backed up against the fence, trying to take her stance, but the ball was just too close. It was between her feet. She couldn’t hit it, so she deemed it unplayable. She took a penalty stroke, lifted the ball, walked across the cart path and dropped it on the adjacent fairway.

One of the other players said, “Hey, you can’t do that! You have to drop your ball within two club lengths.”

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

A. You would say, “It was lying between the fence and the cart path in an unplayable lie. I don’t want to drop it on the cart path so I’m dropping it on the fairway.”
B. You would walk back to your cart, pull out your driver, walk back and measure two club lengths from where your ball lay.

B IS CORRECT
There are only three options for an unplayable lie.

Hit from where you hit before; Go back as far as you wish on a line from the flag through the ball; Drop within 2 club lengths, no closer to the hole.

See
Rule #28 Unplayable Ball

If the player deems his ball to be unplayable, he must, under penalty of one stroke:
a. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or
b. Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped; or
c. Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.

Since what you really want to do is to drop your ball on the fairway, neither a nor b would help you to do that. But c might. This option allows you to drop your ball within 2 club lengths of where the ball lies, no closer to the hole. You are allowed to use any club in your bag to measure it.

When dropping two club lengths from where the unplayable ball lies, it is permissible to use a long club such as a driver or a long putter for measuring those two club lengths. If that doesn’t get you to the fairway, you might consider dropping the ball on the cart path, itself. The ball might roll or bounce to the fairway side. (Of course you have to make sure it doesn’t roll more than two club lengths from where it was dropped. If it does, re-drop it.) And, if the ball stops on the cart path, or close enough to it so that when you take your stance, your feet are on the cart path, the player is allowed free relief from there. The nearest point of relief might be on the fairway side of the cart path.

REMEMBER: When you have an unplayable lie, you can use any club in your bag to measure two club lengths. Then drop within those two club lengths to take your relief.

2007 #9 Ball Lying Against Rake

THE SCENE:
You are playing a par 3 hole. You hit a good drive. Your ball stops just short of the green. It’s in the rough, beside the bunker. When you arrive you find that your ball is lying against a rake. You know the rake is a moveable obstruction and that you are allowed to remove it. So you lift the rake. But your ball rolls down into the hazard.

What would you do?
A. You must replace the ball. There is no penalty because lifting the rake caused the ball to move.
B. Gravity caused your ball to roll all the way down into the hazard. So, you must play it from there..

A is correct. If removing a moveable obstruction causes your ball to move you must replace it. There is no penalty.

Open your Rules of Golf book to rule #24-1:
24-1 Movable Obstruction
A player may take relief without penalty from a movable obstruction as follows: 
(a) If the ball does not lie in or on the obstruction, the obstruction may be removed. If the ball moves, it must be replaced, and there is no penalty provided that the movement of the ball is directly attributable to the removal of the obstruction.

A suggestion: This is not required, but I would suggest that before lifting the rake you mark your ball. Then, if your ball moves, there will be no doubt that you know exactly where to replace it. (If there is doubt as to its location you’d have to drop the ball. (Rule 20-3c))

REMEMBER: If you find your ball lying against a rake, there is no problem. You can lift the rake. And if your ball moves, replace it. There is no penalty.

2006 #15 Burrowing Animal Hole

THE SCENE:
You are playing the 18th hole. You hit your second shot over the hill and lose sight of it but you know it was on the right side of the fairway. You just hope it didn’t bounce down into the trees. You drive your golf cart down to the cart path. There is no sign of your ball. You climb out and walk down into the trees, searching under the huge rocks, inside the grate and finally you see it. It’s in a small hole. It’s a hole made by some animal, probably a mole or groundhog and your ball is down inside it. You can see it and it has your mark on it.

What would you do?
A. That area is not a hazard. You have to play the ball as it lies. But you can’t because it’s down in the hole. So you declare your ball unplayable, take a penalty stroke and drop within 2 club lengths.
B. The hole was made by a burrowing animal so you get free relief. You lift your ball, find your nearest point of relief and drop within one club-length, no closer to the hole.

B is correct.
The definition of Abnormal Ground Condition is:

Abnormal Ground Conditions


An “abnormal ground condition” is any casual water, ground under repair or hole, cast or runway on the course made by a burrowing animal, a reptile or a bird.

So what is a burrowing animal? The definition is:

Burrowing Animal


A “burrowing animal” is an animal that makes a hole for habitation or shelter, such as a rabbit, mole, groundhog, gopher or salamander.

So, your ball is in a hole made by a burrowing animal, which means it’s in an Abnormal Ground Condition. And you can drop within 1 club-length of your nearest point of relief. See the rule:

25-1 Abnormal Ground Conditions
a. Interference


Interference by an abnormal ground condition occurs when a ball lies in or touches the condition or when the condition interferes with the player's stance or the area of his intended swing.

b. Relief


Except when the ball is in a water hazard, a player may take relief from interference by an abnormal ground condition as follows: 


(i) Through the Green: If the ball lies through the green, the player must lift the ball and drop it without penalty within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief.

REMEMBER: If you find your ball in a burrowing animal hole anywhere on the course except in a water hazard, you get FREE relief.

2004 #10 How to Take Free Relief

THE SCENE:
The recent storm created casual water and ground under repair throughout our course. Both of these situations as well as others such as your ball lying on a cart path or a sprinkler head provide free relief. But how do you take free relief? It would certainly speed up play if everyone knew exactly what to do.

To take free relief you do 3 things.

1. Find your nearest point of relief
2. Create a drop area
3. Drop your ball properly

Find your nearest point of relief
What is your nearest point of relief?
It is the spot where your ball would lie if you moved it just enough so that there was no longer any interference. It can’t be closer to the hole, in a hazard or on the putting green.

The easiest and quickest way to find your nearest point of relief it to grab the club you intend to use to make the shot; take your stance and ground your club as if you were going to hit your ball as it lies right now. Then, without changing your posture, move forward, back or sideways, (no closer to the hole) just enough so that there is no longer any interference. You are not standing in it. Your club is not touching it and it wouldn’t interfere with your swing. This might be only 2 inches! Then, the place where your club is grounded is your nearest point of relief. Place a tee in the ground to mark it.

Create a Drop Area
Many of you think that is where you should hit from. Not so. This is a rule to help you. You drop within a club length of your nearest point of relief. Take any club in your bag and measure one club length (no closer to the hole) from the tee you placed in the ground. Pretend your club is making the wing of a snow angel – swing it around on the ground creating an arc the length of your club and no closer to the hole. This might be a half circle. That entire area is your drop area but not in a hazard or on the putting green. When you get the hang of this you can just estimate the drop area. You don’t have to place a tee in the ground.

Drop Your Ball Properly
Hold a ball at arm’s length, shoulder height and drop it straight down into the drop area. If it rolls more than 2 club lengths from where it strikes the ground (use the club you measured with) you must drop again. This time, watch where the ball hits the ground. If it again rolls more than 2 club lengths, place the ball on the spot where it hit the ground.

REMEMBER: Taking free relief is as easy as 1-2-3. Practice it so you can do it quickly.