Amazingly bad shot - what do rules say?

I hit a horrible drive today with my 3w, a hard worm burning hook that hit the far side of the cart path, flew high (and far) in the air, landed on the previous holes green, slowly rolled right up to the cup, hit the pin and dropped.  My buddies told me to play it as a lost ball (penalty) and hit another off the tee.  I thought I should get to hit the ball dropped just off the green without penalty, but they disagreed.   Were either of us right?

You get free relief.

In fact its the only place on the golf course where you must take relief unless there is a local rule in place for sensitive areas.

Rule 25-1b Abnormal Ground Conditions

b. Relief

On the Putting Green : If the ball lies on the putting green , the player must lift the ball and place it, without penalty, at the nearest point of relief that is not in a hazard or, if complete relief is impossible, at the nearest position to where it lay that affords maximum available relief from the condition, but not nearer the hole and not in a hazard . The nearest point of relief or maximum available relief may be off the putting green .

The wrong rule has been quoted above but the basic answer is correct.

Wrong Putting Green

A “ wrong putting green ” is any putting green other than that of the hole being played. Unless otherwise prescribed by the Committee , this term includes a practice putting green or pitching green on the course .

25-3 . Wrong Putting Green

a . Interference

Interference by a wrong putting green occurs when a ball is on the wrong putting green .

Interference to a player’s stance or the area of his intended swing is not, of itself, interference under this Rule.

b . Relief

If a player’s ball lies on a wrong putting green , he must not play the ball as it lies. He must take relief, without penalty, as follows:

The player must lift the ball and drop it within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief . The nearest point of relief must not be in a hazard or on a putting green . When dropping the ball within one club-length of the nearest point of relief , the ball must first strike a part of the course at a spot that avoids interference by the wrong putting green and is not in a hazard and not on a putting green . The ball may be cleaned when lifted under this Rule.

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE:

Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.

The Abnormal Ground Condition rule would apply if you holed a shot on a "double green", (a large green that had pins for two holes) where your ball went into the wrong hole. Also, I believe the PGA Championship uses a course where one of the greens is shared as the practice green.  In these cases, if your ball goes into the wrong hole, the hole is classified as a hole made by a greens keeper and Rule 25 (AGC) applies.

The main distinction between the two rules in the above scenarios is with a wrong putting green, you must take relief off the green, with a wrong hole on the same green, your nearest point of relief is most likely still on the green.

Thanks, that's what I thought, but they argued that because it was in the cup it was treated like an out of bounds or lost ball and required me to re-tee and 1 stroke penalty.

Where do people come up with this stuff?

They just make it up as they go and since many people don't bother to check out what they are told (applies to more than golf) they in turn pass it along.  It has always amazed me just how gullible & trusting a lot of people seem to be.  Kudos to the OP for seeking information on what is real.

So if the ball is dropped and first strikes a point not in a hazard and not on a putting green but then rolls into a hazard, are you: -

a) in the hazard

b) entitled to redrop

c) in the hazard if it has rolled less than 2 club length, but entitled to redrop if it has rolled 2 club lengths or more

d) none of the above

My instincts say c, can anyone confirm?

You must redrop. See Rule 20-2c.

http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Rule-20/#20-2

Thanks to all that responded.  I'm not a rules expert by any means but being a member of TST has certainly improved my knowledge and understanding of the rules.  Not only did they steal a stroke from me, but they made me buy them a round for the hole in 1, some friends huh?

Learning the rules by word of mouth is perhaps the best way to receive and pass on bad information.  I can't count the number of times I've been told some rule by someone who was absolutely certain in his rightness, despite the fact that he was not even close to the rule book.  There are so many popular misconceptions about how to take relief from any and all relief situations (including some where relief is not even indicated ), that the odds are better that you will be told wrong than that you will be told right.  This is the best reason I know to carry that little book in my bag at all times.

I actually had my USGA rule book on me, but if you see my other thread on pace of play, you'll better understand why I was told that would take too long and be a waste of time since they knew the rule.