Chapman Golf

[leslie kaplan]

After teeing off, player A hits his partners ball, as required in the Chapman format.  His partner, player B, hits an opponetns ball, instead of hitting is partners ball.

What's the penalty to the A and B tteam?

 

[Asheville]

See R6.3c for wrong ball. (You use the term opponent which suggests match play.) The penalty for playing a wrong ball in match play is loss of hole.

https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules/rules-2019/rules-of-golf/rules-and-interpretations.html#!ruletype=fr&section=definitions&subrulenum=72

https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules/rules-2019/rules-of-golf/rules-and-interpretations.html#!ruletype=fr&section=rule&rulenum=6&subrulenum=3

 

[DaveP043]

3 hours ago, Asheville said:

See R6.3c for wrong ball. (You use the term opponent which suggests match play.) The penalty for playing a wrong ball in match play is loss of hole.

https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules/rules-2019/rules-of-golf/rules-and-interpretations.html#!ruletype=fr&section=definitions&subrulenum=72

https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules/rules-2019/rules-of-golf/rules-and-interpretations.html#!ruletype=fr&section=rule&rulenum=6&subrulenum=3

 

You would be absolutely right in foursome play.  However, 23.8.a suggests that in fourball play, the General Penalty applies only to the player who has committed the infraction.  The "innocent" partner can continue play.  The Chapman format is something of a hybrid between fourball (better ball) and foursome (alternate shot), which makes me a little unsure of the ruling in this case.  If the infraction was in the "fourball" portion of play, the infraction might disqualify the ball B was required to play (A's original tee ball), leaving B's original tee ball, which A properly played a second shot at, still in play.  Seeing as how the rules don't mention the Chapman format, I think this would need to be defined by the Committee.

[Rulesman]

Chapman, also known as Pinehurst or Greensome, is a format not recognised by the Rules of Golf but rather oddly, is in the Handicapping System.

IMO it is closer to a Foursome in that alternate balls are used during the hole and therefore if one player and a player is out, the team cannot continue the hole.

[DaveP043]

2 hours ago, Rulesman said:

Chapman, also known as Pinehurst or Greensome, is a format not recognised by the Rules of Golf but rather oddly, is in the Handicapping System.

IMO it is closer to a Foursome in that alternate balls are used during the hole and therefore if one player and a player is out, the team cannot continue the hole.

I can absolutely understand this viewpoint, as well as the one I outlined previously.  This is the reason the rules should be determined by the Committee for an un-recognized format.  If I'm in the group where this happens, and I'm not certain of the rule, my partner and I will continue to play the hole out and seek guidance.  I'd actually suggest that Team C/D request a ruling in a timely manner in general accordance with 20.1b(2).  It the penalty is indeed the General Penalty (Loss of hole) applied to the team and not to the individual, the hole is over before anyone hits another shot.  If the ruling is as I suggested above, we've kept ourselves in the hole.