I have a couple rules questions

[shortstop20]

I've been reading up on the rules a little bit since I started taking the game seriously this year. But I still need a little more time with it.

Today on the third hole I hit my 2nd shot about 3 ft. from a post next to the 8th tee box(the post shows hole number, distance, par #, hazards, a map of the hole basically). It is fixed into the ground so I can't move it. It wasn't effecting my stance but it was effecting my swing, I couldn't take a long enough backswing to play my shot.

I dropped my ball about one and a half club lengths away from where my ball was before but no closer to the hole, without penalty. Did I make the correct call according to the rules?

On the 9th hole I hit my first shot and it went into some trees and appeared to go OB, so I played a provisional ball. After hitting my provisional ball I went to find my original ball and it was indeed still in bounds. I then played my original ball, hit it on the green, picked up my provisional ball, two putted and gave myself a 4 for the hole(no penalty). Did I make the correct call? I played alone today, but let's say I was playing with a group and I want to hit a provisional ball like in this case. Am I required to say out loud to my playing partners, "I am playing a provisional ball"? I assume so.

Thanks,

Joel

[Fourputt]

I've been reading up on the rules a little bit since I started taking the game seriously this year. But I still need a little more time with it.

1st situation: Not enough information. You might have played from a correct place and you might not have. Since you didn't follow the procedure for taking relief from an immovable obstruction, I don't know if you dropped correctly or not. The correct procedure is as follows:

You locate the nearest point to where your ball lies that gives you complete relief from the obstruction, not closer to the hole. You locate this point by taking your stance with the club you would have used in the original lie if the obstruction was not there. Use a tee to mark the point where the ball would lie. Then you can measure a one clublength arc from that point that is not nearer the hole and not back into interference with that obstruction. You must drop within the area of that arc. There is normally only one point on the course that is the nearest point of relief. Do not move your ball until you have determined the drop area, as sometimes the drop point is worse than the original lie, and if you lift the ball and then change your mind, it's a one stroke penalty to replace it. Sometimes it isn't necessary to follow all of the steps if the relief area is fairly obvious. But if there is any room for doubt as to the NPR, then it might be necessary to take your stance in 2 or 3 places and measure from the ball to the marker to determine the correct spot. In the case of taking relief from ground under repair I've seen a situation where there were 3 possible points that were nearly the same distance (within a foot of length, but separated by about 15 feet) from the ball, but only one of them was correct, and either of the other 2 would have been a wrong place, costing a 2 stroke penalty. In the second scenario you were correct. And yes if you are playing with others, at least one of them must be aware of your intentions. It's easiest to just say that you are playing a provisional ball as that removes any possible doubt. To just say "I'm hitting another one" could be interpreted as taking a stroke and distance penalty, so be clear with your intentions.

[heyscuba]

Also,... if you hit the provisional and don't hit it far you should keep playing it till you get up to the point where the other ball might be found,... this is to keep play moving,... if you find your original ball scoop up the provisional and play on,...