Did we come up with the correct ruling?

[Q.Q.Quillume]

Today's match: about 30 players - playing best net ball - each player antes $3 - roughly 12 low net scores will win a little cash.

The incident: On hole #6 Player A drives his ball. Player B drives his ball to within a two or three feet of Player A's ball but a little behind and a little to the right of Player A's ball.

Player A asks Player B if B wants A to mark his ball. B said mark it if you want to. A said, "No, you have to decide whether you want me to mark it, I don't get to decide that." B said not to mark it.

B hits his ball but on his follow through his club also hit's A's ball and knocks it about 20 yards.

The ruling: Although we thought B should get a penalty stroke, we weren't sure and weren't able to determine with certainty whether the rule we found was, in fact, the applicable rule in this situation. We thought, but were not certain, Rule 18-4 would apply so we didn't assess a penalty stroke to B and had A replace his ball as close as possible to its originial position and play it from there. We also decided if Player B was in contention for a monetary prize we would try to find the Head Pro, the Director of Golf, or an Assistant Pro for a ruling but Player B ended up with a net 85 and was not in contention for a prize so we didn't bother to get a ruling by a rules expert and as luck would have it none of the golf pros were in the pro shop when we finished our round.

Rule 18. Ball at Rest Moved

18-4. By Fellow-Competitor, Caddie or Equipment in Stroke Play

If a fellow-competitor , his caddie or his equipment moves the player's ball, touches it or causes it to move, there is no penalty. If the ball is moved, it must be replaced.

[iacas]

I'm just trying to figure out how someone hit a ball with their club when it's two or three feet from HIS ball. What kind of follow-through is that?

Rule 18-4 seems like the right one, so, you answered your own question, I believe.

[Q.Q.Quillume]

I'm just trying to figure out how someone hit a ball with their club when it's two or three feet from HIS ball. What kind of follow-through is that?...

Amazing, but true. Somehow his follow through stayed real low and he kind of pulled the club through a little to the left. Obviously since Player B told Player A not to mark his ball he never thought A's ball was in the way at all. And I don't think any of the other players did either, we just thought it was a "mental" obstacle . . . very strange.

[Fourputt]

Today's match:

You handled it correctly.

Had it been match play, B would have incurred a one stroke penalty. I was about to post it in that way until you described your "match", which wasn't a match at all. It was a stroke competition. It may sound like I'm being picky, but in a rules situation, the form of play often makes a huge difference in the treatment of the situation.

[Q.Q.Quillume]

You handled it correctly.

You're right; it wasn't a "match" at all. Sometimes I fail to say what I really mean!

Thanks for the info re: match play - I play in two different match play leagues (one a "summer" league and one a "winter" league) and one never knows when this knowledge will save the day.

[907golfer12]

Amazing, but true. Somehow his follow through stayed real low and he kind of pulled the club through a little to the left. Obviously since Player B told Player A not to mark his ball he never thought A's ball was in the way at all. And I don't think any of the other players did either, we just thought it was a "mental" obstacle . . . very strange.

Wait! I'm confused. Player B hit his ball and on his low and left follow through he hit the ball that was behind his to the right about 3 feet? Haha, like I said I am confused. Also if Player A was behind Player B shouldn't he have hit first?

Anyways on topic, like others said I think you had the correct ruling in this situation.