Golf Rule via Fred December 14th 2017

14/12/2017: In the hazard or not, Oh what a tangles web we weave, recently when given a scenario from the days competition a player teed off on the 17^th at Clays and his ball entered the pond, each member in the group witnessing the splash.  The player walked forward and dropped a ball into play and played into the green, as the group approached the green the players’ original ball was found outside the hazard having done a Barnes Wallace.

My instinct advise was the player incurred a penalty when proceeding to the pond and dropping a ball under rule 26.1 but was mindful I now had a problem because of the wording in rule -26 which makes a reference to “virtual certainty” so I have carried out some research as follows:-

1.      You must know or be virtually certain your ball has entered a hazard, in order to apply rule 26.1.

2.      You cannot assume your lost ball is in the hazard; rule 27 applies (stroke and distance)

a.      A question: - Playing toward a hazard you are virtually certain your ball entered the hazard, using rule 26.1a which permits use of rule 27.1 you drop another ball into play from where you last played (stroke and distance) and continue play, you find your 1^st ball outside the hazard; your correct procedure to complete the hole is?

b.      A question: - Playing toward a hazard and being virtually certain your ball entered the hazard, you walk forward and under rule 26.1 drop a ball behind the pond and play toward the green, you find your first ball outside the hazard; your correct procedure to complete the hole is?

c.       A question: - Playing toward a hazard it is not clear where your ball came to rest, for example playing our 16^th and your ball goes off line into the right-hand tree area, unable to find your ball you assume it came to rest within the hazard.  You drop a ball next to the hazard on the green side of the 17^th under rule 26.1 and continue play of the 16^th. You hole out in 5 strokes, what is your score for the hole?

In question (a); you have placed another ball into play using rule 27.1 the original ball is now by definition lost. Continue play with the substitute ball under penalty of 1 stroke described by 27.1

In question (b); you have moved forward to the hazard and as you were virtually certain the ball had entered the hazard you correctly made use of rule 26.1b and dropped a substitute ball into play, your first ball is now out of play. Continue with the substitute ball even if your partner finds it outside the hazard before you play the substitute ball your first ball remains out of play.

Why is this you may ask; - As you were virtually certain your ball was in the hazard you correctly dropped the substitute ball into play. At this stage you must still play the dropped ball and accept the appropriate penalty.

In question (c); you assumed your ball had entered the hazard, however in this situation the only rule available to you is rule 27.1

Playing from the pond under this rule is a 1 stroke penalty, however rule 27.1 is stroke and distance consiquently you have played from the wrong place and incurred an additional 2 stroke penalty, (Loss of the hole in Match-play) and could be considered for disqualification should the committee believe your breach to a serious one. Your score for the hole would be your 5 strokes plus 1 plus 2 =8

The terminology “virtually certain” reflects greatly on the correct procedure and penalty

Sheriff on rules.