How do you know when to take one or two club lengths as part of your relief?
Careful, you will be penalized two strokes if you drop incorrectly.
[toggle title_open=”Hide Answer” title_closed=”Show Answer” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default”]One club for non-penalty situations where you are given free relief such as relief from a staked tree.
Two clubs for penalty situations such as dropping from a water hazard.
So…
1 club = relief (no-penalty) situation
2 clubs = penalty situation[/toggle]
At a short hole, Player A’s tee shot may be out of bounds or lost, so he plays a provisional ball, which he holes. Player A does not wish to look for his original ball. Player B who is Player A’s opponent or a fellow-competitor, goes to look for the original ball.
When does the provisional ball become the ball in play?
[toggle hide=yes border=yes style=grey title_open=Hide-Answer title_closed=Show-Answer]
In equity (Rule 1-4), the provisional ball becomes the ball in play as soon as Player A picks it out of the hole, provided his original ball has not already been found in bounds within five minutes of Player B starting to search for it.
[quote]Rule 1-4. Points Not Covered by Rules – If any point in dispute is not covered by the Rules, the decision should be made in accordance with equity.[/quote]
This scenario is an example of a situation that is not covered by any specific golf rule. Instead it is covered by what’s known as “equity” which simply means how the Ruling Committee – who made up the official Rules of Golf – would have ruled in the spirit of the game.
[/toggle]
Is it possible to penalize both Player A and Player B on the same shot?
Can you think of a situation where this is possible?
It can happen during a situation where Player A asks for advice and Player B answers.
If Player A asks – they are penalized 2 strokes.
If Player B answers – they are also penalized 2 strokes.
Here's a twist. According to Decision 8-1/25: In singles match play, if Player A asks for advice from Player B, it is irrelevant whether Player B gives advice because Player A lost the hole as soon as he asked.
A right-handed player's ball is so close to a boundary fence on the left of a hole that the player, in order to play towards the hole, must play left-handed.
In playing a left-handed stroke, the player's backswing would be interfered with by an immovable obstruction.
Is the player entitled to relief from the obstruction?
The proper procedure is for the player to take relief for a left-handed stroke in accordance with Rule 24-2b(i).
The player may then use a normal right-handed swing for his next stroke. If the obstruction interferes with the swing or stance for the right-handed stroke, the player may take relief for the right-handed stroke in accordance with Rule 24-2b(i).
This rule appeared on USGA's website.
