Rule Questions

[Diggitydog]

First Question:
Player A hits a tee shot and thinks it could be lost. He hits a provisional and it follows the first one and Player A has to hit a 2nd provisional. Player A can only find the second provisional is he now shooting 6 when he arrives at his second provisional?

Second Question:
Can a player ground their club if the ball is inside the hazard but still playable? Does grounding the club mean even touching one long blade of grass?

Third Question:
A buddy was telling me that he was watching the rules on TGC. On there they stated that if a player hits a provisional it has to be the same brand of ball. Example would be he's originally playing a ProV1 and he wants to hit a Nike Platinum for his second shot. Can anybody confirm this and if so, does that apply to regular USGA rules?

[iacas]

Player A hits a tee shot and thinks it could be lost. He hits a provisional and it follows the first one and Player A has to hit a 2nd provisional. Player A can only find the second provisional is he now shooting 6 when he arrives at his second provisional?

Yep. If he found his third ball, he lay five hitting six.

Can a player ground their club if the ball is inside the hazard but still playable? Does grounding the club mean even touching one long blade of grass?

Grounding the club means touching the ground. It doesn't mean touching things sticking up out of the ground. In a bunker, the ground is the sand. In a water hazard (the edges specifically) with long grass, the ground is the dirt, not the things sticking up.

A buddy was telling me that he was watching the rules on TGC. On there they stated that if a player hits a provisional it has to be the same brand of ball. Example would be he's originally playing a ProV1 and he wants to hit a Nike Platinum for his second shot. Can anybody confirm this and if so, does that apply to regular USGA rules?

It's called the "one ball rule" and it's a local rule that the USGA allows tournaments to impose (see

appendix 1, part c ). It's unlikely that, except in high-level amateur and pro events, such a local rule is in place.

[Finn07]

I had a question about rules as well. Say a player is in a pot bunker at the British Open or Open as its now called. And as hes going in the bunker he trips and falls, grounding the club in the sand. Whats the ruling?

[iacas]

I had a question about rules as well. Say a player is in a pot bunker at the British Open or Open as its now called. And as hes going in the bunker he trips and falls, grounding the club in the sand. Whats the ruling?

You can ground a club in the sand if it's to (attempt to) prevent yourself from falling. The rules of golf never put safety behind any other rule. You're even allowed a free drop if your ball is near a beehive.

[Wood]

You can ground a club in the sand if it's to (attempt to) prevent yourself from falling. The rules of golf never put safety behind any other rule. You're even allowed a free drop if your ball is near a beehive.

I've played in South Carolina, and seen a gator in the pond near my ball. Do i get a drop?

[Diggitydog]

Thanks for the clarifications iacas.

On the bunker theme, I have wondered about accidental grounding, not to prevent a fall but say you have the club in your hand and go to pick up the rake and as you bend down your club touches the sand. Penalty?

[sioutdoors]

typically you have already hit the ball out of the bunker before you go for the rake. I would think since the ball was played then if your club goes in the sand it wouldn't be a penalty

[Diggitydog]

Certainly 999 times out of 1000 that is the case, but maybe the rake was right beside you and it was more convenient to pick it up before hitting your ball.

Absolutely it's not a penalty to touch the sand AFTER your ball has been played from the bunker.

Still needing an answer to the original question. Thanks for the post though sioutdoors.

[Rafcin]

I've played in South Carolina, and seen a gator in the pond near my ball. Do i get a drop?

from USGA "Decisions on Rules" :

Decision 1-4/10. That Decision concerns the player who encounters a dangerous situation which is both totally out of his control and unrelated to conditions normally encountered on the course. Additionally, it presupposes that the player's ball is in a playable position. If this were not the case, the player would have to proceed under the unplayable ball Rule incurring a penalty of one stroke, rather than obtaining free relief as prescribed by the Decision. Note the key element is, that the ball is playable (if it's 2 feet under water, even if it rests on gator's tail - you'll be assesed stroke for unplayable lie )

[Rafcin]

Thanks for the clarifications iacas.

I remember last year when John Daly dropped his wedge in the bunker - no penalty.

I believe the exact wording is "if accidental grounding happen without intention of testing the surface there is no penalty".

[Diggitydog]

Thanks Rafcin