edwjmcgrath

Ok, I'll give you a quick summary. The first rule of golf is "Play the course as you find it." Spikemarks, divots, leaves, trees are all part of the natural environment of a golf course and everyone has the same chance of being helped or harmed by them. Every square inch around every hole has spike marks on it. If you allowed people to press down anything they thought was a spike mark, people would be pressing down a path from their ball to the hole on every putt. If you think the spike damage exceeds the normal and really constitutes GUR then that's a different story. In match play, you could ask your opponent and you both agree that it qualifies then you may repair it. In stroke play, take a picture and play two balls (one with the repair made) and ask for a ruling. And yes, there is a rule to stop someone from leaving spike marks around the hole to gain an advantage. 2PS/Loss of Hole or DQ for a serious violation. 1-2 . Exerting Influence On Movement Of Ball Or Altering Physical Conditions A player must not... alter physical conditions with the intent of affecting the playing of a hole.

The committee has lots of leeway to judge that a player has proceeded under 3-3 (if not, playing two balls is a penalty under either practice or delay). It's clear enough that he intended to play under 3-3. Having failed to declare which ball he wishes to count, the original ball counts IF(!!!) it is played according to the rules. Since he played that ball from a wrong place, it was NOT played according to the rules. Since the original ball is not played according to the rules, then the other ball counts if the rules allow the procedure adopted for that ball (they do). 4 is the correct score.

Repair of Hole Plugs, Ball Marks and Other Damage The player may repair an old hole plug or damage to the putting green caused by the impact of a ball, whether or not the player’s ball lies on the putting green .

If what you are saying that his club touched the grass lip of the bunker during his swing, then no penalty since it's not part of the bunker.

The OP doesn't make it clear whether this was match or stroke play. In match play, if you tee off on the next hole before making a claim, it's too late. If you're not sure, you've got to make a claim.

Only if they lie. The rules assume no one lies.

Since not everyone has the rules of golf bookmarked, here's 13-4a (edited to only include the relevant parts): 13-4 . Ball In Hazard; Prohibited Actions ..., before making a stroke at a ball that is in a hazard ...the player must not: a. Test the condition of the hazard or any similar hazard ;

I would guess that this is a wetlands area with tall weeds. That's pretty common.

Touching the ground with a club while the club is in your hand is grounding. If you toss it in the hazard, that's not grounding as long as it's not in your hand when it touches the ground.

Without a local rule, that ball was in bounds. However, when I wrote our local rules I added a statement that said if a ball crosses the road and ends up on the other side, it is out of bounds. That's pretty typical.

The NPR is the point where the ball lies nearest to the original point when you take full relief for your lie, stance, and swing. So if the ball is in the middle of the path, the NPR is always to the left if you are right handed. If the ball is on the right of the path, the NPR will always be on the right. If there is a hedge, tree, big drop off, rocks, you name it, at the Nearest Point of Relief, it still is the NPR. You can't pick the nearest point where you would rather drop it. That's why I always recommend that you determine the NPR before you lift. You may find that playing off the cart path doesn't look so bad after all.

Yes, it's possible to have a drop zone to be used when your ball is in the hazard. You drop there instead of behind the hazard hitting 3. However, it is not a legal drop zone if it does not force you to cross at least part of the hazard: 33-8/2 Local Rule Allows Drop on Green Side of Water Hazard When Ball Fails to Clear Hazard Q. The design of a hole is such that a player must hit the ball about 100 yards in order to carry a water hazard. A Local Rule has been adopted to assist players who cannot drive over the hazard by allowing them to drop a ball, under penalty of two strokes, in a dropping zone that is located across the hazard. Is such a Local Rule authorized? A. No. Such a Local Rule substantially alters Rule 26-1b as it allows the player to drop a ball on a part of the course (i.e., on the green side of the water hazard) that the Rule would not have permitted him to reach. Furthermore, the penalty for taking relief under the water hazard Rule (Rule 26) is one stroke, and may not be increased to two strokes by a Committee through a Local Rule – see Rule 33-8b .

Just tell the club ahead of time that you're going out to practice and aren't playing a round by the rules. They can't force you to post if you don't have a score.

Most of my partners and fellow competitors are animals.

Just like brushing loose impediments off the green with your hand, it's intent based. If you're obviously rubbing to test the grain of the green, it's a penalty. If you're obviously just removing the junk on the green or the ball, no penalty.