Don't you hate bad luck?

**JimmyDoesGolf** · October 31, 2008

Hi all,

I've been playing golf for about 8 months now, and thought I'd share a story about a recent tournament. Up until now, I'd been shooting pretty bad scores, but recently my game had been improving loads.

I went out in the this tournament and had a fantastic start, 4 bogeys in a row, and a par (well, good for me at least). On the 6th, I hit what I thought was a good drive, but when I reached where the ball landed it was no where to be seen. I reluctantly went back and played another, which I smashed OOB out of anger, and then played a crappy low drive down the fairway. When I reached that drive, I played my shot. Whilst walking forward I happened to notice a ball caught in a tuft of grass just off the fairway. Lo and behold it was my original ball. No one in my game however knew whether I could play it or not, as Id gone back and played another, so instead I played both balls out, and took down both scores for later.

Working on the assumption that my first ball counted, I had a fantastic front nine, shooting 8 over, and a fairly average back 9 with 13 over. When I got to the 18th, I realised the clubhouse leader was on net 69, and thought I'd absolutely thrashed it. That was until I got inside to hand in my card and checked out the rule. Turns out, cause I didnt find it and had to go back to play another I couldn't play the first ball, meaning I had 5 off the tee, giving me an 11 on that hole. So, what could have been me winning by 4 strokes ended with me losing by 1, and it all came down to not seeing a ball just 2 or 3 inches off the fairway.

Fortunately, as it is I still finally broke 100, and beat my handicap, so I'm happy in that respect. Shame about that bloody hole though.

Hopefully, considering what I could have scored, my handicap will now come plummeting down.

Thanks for taking the time to read my woeful tale

James

**Shindig** · November 1, 2008

Working on the assumption that my first ball counted, I had a fantastic front nine, shooting 8 over, and a fairly average back 9 with 13 over. When I got to the 18th, I realised the clubhouse leader was on net 69, and thought I'd absolutely thrashed it. That was until I got inside to hand in my card and checked out the rule. Turns out, cause I didnt find it and had to go back to play another I couldn't play the first ball, meaning I had 5 off the tee, giving me an 11 on that hole. So, what could have been me winning by 4 strokes ended with me losing by 1, and it all came down to not seeing a ball just 2 or 3 inches off the fairway.

Amazing how much better you played when you didn't know your real score

Something to keep in mind if you're tempted to add up your score on a tee box. Seriously, congratulations. Two penalties and you still broke 100 under tournament pressure. That's fantastic! Well done.

**zeg** · November 1, 2008

Congrats. Tough break, though...

I hate bad luck, too. But this week when I watched my pulled tee shot drift over into the trees outside the rough, only to walk up and find my ball miraculously back on the fairway, I was reminded that things sometimes bounce your way too.

What is the saying.. when it takes a bad bounce, it's bad luck.. when it takes a good bounce, that's just how you meant to play it?

**Fat Slice** · November 1, 2008

I reluctantly went back and played another, which I smashed OOB out of anger

THAT's what cost you the victory, not the lost first ball!

Keep your cool! one thing I learned about tournament play is that I should never sweat a bad shot or some bad luck because it gets spread around and when you have a good shot or some good luck some other guy is having trouble. Play every shot as if you're still in it. OK, so in this situation, you have five minutes to look for your ball. Use them up and use them wisely (if it's tournament play). Start with keeping a really good eye on your ball off the tee. Make note of the line and distance and some reference points. When you get down there if you can't find it right away, don't let anyone rush you off finding your ball. I did that my last tournament, cost me three strokes I figure, and cost ME the victory. So I learned something that day myself. Congrats on a great score under pressure.

**Jay-Bird** · November 1, 2008

Tough break. I wouldn't necessarily chalk it up to bad luck though.

I don't mean to be a dick, but you should have known the rule. Or atleast been able to get a ruling.

I am amazed that most golfers don't know basic rules. Why does't anyone carry a rule book anymore? Ten years ago when you'd buy a dozen Titleist balatas there would be a free USGA rule book inside. Why don't they do that any more?

I keep one in my bag at all times, and I keep one in the bathroom. It's more interesting to read and re-read than the newspaper. It's comforting knowing the rule, or having the rule book to turn to, if a questionable situation arizes. Rule books are super cheap. You can order one from the USGA website.

**JimmyDoesGolf** · November 1, 2008

I am amazed that most golfers don't know basic rules.

You say this, but I had to ask 2 pro's and the full rulebook to get a final answer. Each of the pro's gave me a different answer, and it took 5 minutes of searching the rules to get the exact ruling, so I hardly think its common knowledge.

Besides, I'd hardly say it was lack of knowledge of the rules that lost me 5 strokes, more not looking behind an odd tuft of grass. Even if I had known the rules it would hardly have made a difference by that point.

**zeg** · November 1, 2008

Umm, it sounds like he did the right thing -- the rules let you play two balls when you're uncertain of the proper procedure, and it sounds like that's exactly what he did. I'd say the rule he was uncertain of, while not quite obscure, is hardly one of the common ones to use. None of us know all the rules, not even rules officials.. there are too many. It sounds like he knew the critical one -- what to do when you don't know what to do.

**Jay-Bird** · November 1, 2008

Did you look for 5 minutes?
Did you announce your second tee shot as a provisional? Did you play the provisional past the spot where you found the original?
Did you announce the first ball as lost?

After five minutes of looking to no avail, it's lost.

The original ball was considered lost when you went back to play another tee shot. For the second tee ball to be considered a provisional, you must announce it as such, AND play it immediately after the first tee shot in question.

**JimmyDoesGolf** · November 1, 2008

I am perfectly aware of all of that. We did look for 5 minutes, at which point I went back to play another. The first ball is was deemed lost as soon as I played my second tee shot, because I had to return to the tee to play it. Had I played another whilst at the tee and declared it as a provisional, then it would have been fine.

I did not play a provisional ball because I saw the ball come down thought it would be easily findable. I cannot think of anyone who would have played a provisional having hit that drive. Turns out it was easily findable, and we just happened to miss it whilst searching.

As I said, the problem was nothing to do with not knowing the rules, merely the fact that none of us saw the ball. My only misconception over the rule at the time was the even if I went back I could still play a provisional, and I announced it as such when I went back. I did not find out until later that I could not play a provisional in that situation.

**zeg** · November 1, 2008

Did you look for 5 minutes?

None of that is required. A ball is lost as soon as you decide it's lost, or after

up to 5 minutes of searching. There was no provisional involved, so no need to declare one. And there's no need to declare the ball lost. It became a lost ball the instant he hit the replacement ball from the tee.

**st0wgolf08** · November 1, 2008

I have no bad feelings toward bad luck, because with my playing level, I know after a bad shot, that just puts me 1 closer to hitting a good shot.

***iacas*** · November 2, 2008

The original ball was considered lost when you went back to play another tee shot. For the second tee ball to be considered a provisional, you must announce it as such, AND play it immediately after the first tee shot in question.

Yep - you have to play it as soon as possible and before you or anyone else goes to look for the ball.

A ball is lost as soon as you decide it's lost, or after

Not true. You cannot declare a ball lost.

Source: USGA Rules A ball is deemed "lost" if: a. It is not found or identified as his by the player within five minutes after the player's side or his or their caddies have begun to search for it; or b. The player has made a stroke at a provisional ball from the place where the original ball is likely to be or from a point nearer the hole than that place (see Rule 27-2b); or c. The player has put another ball into play under penalty of stroke and distance (see Rule 27-1a); or d. The player has put another ball into play because it is known or virtually certain that the ball, which has not been found, has been moved by an outside agency (see Rule 18-1), is in an obstruction (see Rule 24-3), is in an abnormal ground condition (see Rule 25-1c) or is in a water hazard (see Rule 26-1); or e. The player has made a stroke at a substituted ball.

You can't declare your ball lost. If the opponents find it before you've put another ball into play, your ball isn't lost. You can declare it unplayable and go back and basically take the same penalty... making this more of a semantics argument than anything, but you can't declare your ball lost.

**zeg** · November 2, 2008

Correct, and I was careful not to use the word "declare." I just meant that you don't actually have any obligation to actually look for your ball before playing the rule that applies for a lost ball. As you say, semantics.

**mirv** · November 3, 2008

my bad luck tends to be on the more ridiculous side. example - in a tournament just a few weeks ago, i was facing a 170 yard par 3. perfectly flat fairway area, big green and pin was front and center on it. i hit a 4 iron into the wind, which i guess was stronger than i'd thought it to be, because the ball came down probably 12 feet short of the green, right in front of the pin, which would have been fine except it hit a water sprinkler coming down, bounced about 30 feet back up into the air, and ended up 20 feet behind the green in some super thick rough. if it had just fallen short of the green, i'd probably have been sitting on the fringe right in front of the cup and easily saved par, but as it was ... bogey.

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Don't you hate bad luck?

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