2005 #2 Cart Runs Over Ball

THE SCENE:
You are playing hole #11. Your drive landed in the trees between hole #11 and hole #13. You can’t see your ball in the rough so you drive around through the trees while your partner searches on foot. Suddenly your partner holds up her hand and yells, “Wait!” You stop the cart but it’s too late. You have already run over your ball. The ball was pushed straight down into the ground.

What would you do?
A. There is no penalty because you moved your ball while you were searching for it.
B.  There is no penalty because you couldn’t see your ball. You play it as an embedded ball.
C. Take a one stroke penalty because your equipment caused your ball to move. Then place your ball in a similar lie.

C is correct. Look at Rule #18-2

Rule 18 Ball at Rest Moved
18-2. By Player, Partner, Caddie or Equipment
a. General
When a player’s ball is in play, if:
the player, his partner or either of their caddies lifts or moves it, touches it purposely (except with a club in the act of addressing it) or causes it to move except as permitted by a Rule, or
equipment of the player or his partner causes the ball to move,  the player incurs a penalty of one stroke. If the ball is moved, it must be replaced

Since your equipment caused your ball to move, you incur a penalty of one stroke. Since the original lie of your ball was altered, you must place it in the most similar lie, within one club length. See 20-3b below:

Rule 20-3b. Lie of Ball to Be Placed or Replaced Altered
If the original lie of a ball to be placed or replaced has been altered:
(i) except in a hazard, the ball must be placed in the nearest lie most similar to the original lie that is not more than one club-length from the original lie, not nearer the hole and not in a hazard;

REMEMBER: If you run over your own ball with your golf cart, take a one stroke penalty and replace the ball. If the lie has been changed, place the ball in a similar lie.

2005 #1 What if your ball hits your golf cart?

THE SCENE:
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.