was it the right call?

**golfchief** · May 26, 2008

In my match Monday the guy I was playing made a call of unplayable and replayed for the original spot. Now to set this up for you. 18th hole dog leg left with woods on the left. ball is on the tee and he pulls shot into the woods, ball hits a tree and bounces out fifty yards behind the tees and twenty yards left of the tee box. He called it unplayable and said it's his option to replay the shot from the original spot. rule 20.5 (from the tee),even though the original spot is actually closer to the hole. Just wanted to know if that is the correct call even if the ball is being moved closer to the hole? Had no outcome to the match as I had to give five shots and beat him by ten shots.

***iacas*** · May 26, 2008

Perfectly legit. Good on that guy for knowing the rules - he proved that knowing the rules can benefit you, too.

If the rules cared about being closer to the hole in such a case, they'd say so. Instead, it's pretty clear: the player may deem his ball unplayable (so long as it's not in a hazard, OB, etc.) and may elect to re-play the shot.

And I think you meant it had no effect on the outcome.

**golfchief** · May 26, 2008

Thanks for the reply.

**michaeljames92** · May 26, 2008

what does calling it unplayable mean? ive actually never heard of it.

**mikelz** · May 26, 2008

what does calling it unplayable mean? ive actually never heard of it.

It means pretty much what it says.

You can declare your ball unplayable if there's no advantage in trying to hit it or you can't hit it at all. I won't explain much more because Iacas pretty much said it already.

**Dent** · May 26, 2008

what does calling it unplayable mean? ive actually never heard of it.

To give an example,

If your ball lands to rest near a fence and is dead right on the fence, that would be an unplayable.

**TCCcaddie** · May 26, 2008

You can take an unplayable at anytime. Its a one stroke penalty so you should not take it unless you are sure that you cannot play the ball. If your stance, swing or anything else is interfered with enough to the point that you feel that you are unable to play the ball is when you should take an unplayable and move the ball to within the specifications set by the rules.

**Alex B** · May 27, 2008

Gary McCord gave a good example of this in a rules segment during coverage of a PGA Tour Event. For the purposes of this segment, he hit a three foot putt clear off the green and down a steep slope; the ball nestled some 50 yards from the hole. McCord noted that he had the right to take an unplayable lie and replay his short putt (which he made). If the first putt which he knocked off the green was stroke 1, McCord made a 3 with his clever unplayable; he would have had to get up and down from 50 yards to equal this same 3. This is obviously an extreme example, but it shows that one can take an unplayable and replay one's ball even if it is closer to the hole.

**bcp** · May 27, 2008

In the OP's scenario, this was certainly legal as many of pointed out; however, was it the right call? We may need more info. Did he have a shot to get back into the fairway? If so, then my opinion is that is almost always the best option rather than taking an unplayable and penalty stroke. The question to ask is will you be in better position after two shots from the current lie or after re-hitting from the original spot. You will be laying three either way. Also, was he able to tee it up when replaying from the original spot?

**martin00015** · May 31, 2008

Also, was he able to tee it up when replaying from the original spot?

Yes, any ball replayed from the teeing ground may be teed.

**mikelz** · May 31, 2008

To give an example,

That sounds like an immovable obstruction unless it's also the course boundary.

If it's just a decorative fence (around a tee box, flowers or something like a pump), drop 1 club no nearer the hole. No penalty. If the fence is the boundary, you wouldn't have an unplayable lie. You would be OB. In that case, grab a ball and head back to the tee if you did not have the foresight to hit a provisional.

**sacm3bill** · June 1, 2008

If it's just a decorative fence (around a tee box, flowers or something like a pump), drop 1 club no nearer the hole. No penalty.

Specifically, one club length from the nearest point of relief (as opposed to one club length from where the ball lies).

If the fence is the boundary, you wouldn't have an unplayable lie. You would be OB.

Well, only if it's on the other side of the fence. If it's on the inside - and therefore in bounds - you can certainly call an unplayable.

In that case, grab a ball and head back to the tee if you did not have the foresight to hit a provisional.

Actually, given the pace of play issues today, if it isn't a tournament situation please drop in the general area and add 2 strokes. No, it's not legal but it's a common practice and the groups behind you will really appreciate it.

- Bill

**mikelz** · June 2, 2008

Hi, Bill. Thanks for writing.

Specifically, one club length from the nearest point of relief (as opposed to one club length from where the ball lies).

I didn't feel like writing the hole procedure for taking free relief but thanks for elaborating.

Well, only if it's on the other side of the fence. If it's on the inside - and therefore in bounds - you can certainly call an unplayable.

Hell, yes. I declare my ball unplayable often enough to know. The question was whether or not a ball "dead against" a fence constitutes an unplayable lie. I wanted to clarify his options. I guess that wasn't really clear. The purpose of the fence had a lot to do with his options. This is probably too much information but I'll bore you all with it anyway. The boundary fence (or stake) itself is out of bounds unless changed by local rule. (I hate doing this but here are my "cites" anyway) http://www.usga.org/playing/rules/bo...ml#OutofBounds http://www.usga.org/playing/rules/bo....html#33-2a/15

Actually, given the pace of play issues today, if it isn't a tournament situation please drop in the general area and add 2 strokes. No, it's not legal but it's a common practice and the groups behind you will really appreciate it.

That practice makes me crazier than I already am. I don't remember a round of golf without some foursome bets going on since I was in high school. I'm probably also playing in a pot game. I'm not going to get that ruling from the guys I play and I'm not going to give it to anyone either - a player has to defend the field against rules violations. Even better than "drop one where it should be" is what I like to call "Hand Grenade" golf : A putt is good if the shrapnel from a grenade exploding at the hole would reach the ball. Yep, those people run up my butt all day too. Man up, golfers.

- Bill

Well, we got a little bit off-topic there but it was a good excuse for me to vent about how the game is played. IMHO, people who expect to play a weekend round in 4 hours could maybe adjust their expectations. IMHO, marriage causes many people to perceive that there is a pace of play problem.

"We teed off at 6:55 in the morning and got around in three hours and fifteen minutes!" "What did you shoot?" "The important thing is my wife didn't shoot me."

**swingsmooth** · June 2, 2008

You can take an unplayable at anytime. Its a one stroke penalty so you should not take it unless you are sure that you cannot play the ball. If your stance, swing or anything else is interfered with enough to the point that you feel that you are unable to play the ball is when you should take an unplayable and move the ball to within the specifications set by the rules.

It's stroke and distance, right? Gotta play from where you originally hit from.

**beisenhauer** · June 2, 2008

I've been playing in a league this season, which is my first regular exposure to a competitive situation in a very long time (since high school). I'm appalled at how many people don't know the unplayable lie rule, and the options that go with it.

Here they are (all under 1 stroke penalty):

1) Drop within 2 club lengths, not nearer the hole. Note that you can measure with any club in your bag; you can get two driver-lengths even if your next shot will be played with a sand wedge.

2) Replay the shot from the original location, effectively the stroke-and-distance penalty.

3) Drop as far back as you want along a line from the flag through the ball, again, not nearer the hole. This is particularly useful when you're under a tree with a clearing behind you. Go back 10 yards, 15, whatever it takes that you can get a clear shot over the trees. Or drop at your favorite yardage.

#3 seems to be the most misunderstood: I've heard at least two people insist that they can drop along a line back to the tee.

**mikelz** · June 2, 2008

It's stroke and distance, right? Gotta play from where you originally hit from.

There are two other options for an unplayable lie (bunkers don't count):

1. Under penalty of one shot, drop the ball within (no nearer the hole)two club lengths of where the ball lies. (So, if you put it at the base of a pine tree cut about 6 inches off the ground with a radius of 12 feet that one won't work.) 2. Under penalty of one stroke, drop the ball on an extension of the line that extends from the hole through where the ball lies. You can't do that and be nearer the hole. You can go as far back as you like. (However, that line may run right into a 10 acre lake behind the tree you were under so that wouldn't work either.) Stroke and distance is always there for when the first two won't help.

**sacm3bill** · June 2, 2008

There are two other options for an unplayable lie (bunkers don't count)

They most certainly do. You can declare your ball unplayable anywhere on the course except in a water hazard. All 3 options as listed in beisenhauer's post can be used. The only difference when in a bunker is, if you use any option other than replaying from the original spot, the drop must be kept in the bunker.

**mikelz** · June 2, 2008

It's stroke and distance, right? Gotta play from where you originally hit from.

They most certainly do. You can declare your ball unplayable anywhere on the course except in a water hazard. All 3 options as listed in beisenhauer's post can be used. The only difference when in a bunker is, if you use any option other than replaying from the original spot, the drop must be kept in the bunker.

that's exactly why I said bunkers don't count - the rule is applied differently and I chose not to address that

beisenhauer's post was written while I was writing mine or I wouldn't have written mine

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