Ruling: Unplayable Lie

[Dr_Fu_Manchu]

I have a playing partner who sliced his ball into the woods on the right with no out of bounds markers. We found the ball but there was no way he could hit it back into the fairway. Of course he could have tried but who knows how many strokes it would have taken because of the thick rough and trees. So he deemed it unplayable.

He insisted that he could take stroke and distance, playing his 3rd. However, I thought he had to replay it from that tee box (where he should have hit a provisional). Where he was now laying 3.

Who was right?

What if there were OB stakes, then what?

[enduro]

Sounds like a great time to use the foot wedge.

[iacas]

I have a playing partner who sliced his ball into the woods on the right with no out of bounds markers. We found the ball but there was no way he could hit it back into the fairway. Of course he could have tried but who knows how many strokes it would have taken because of the thick rough and trees. So he deemed it unplayable.

Stroke and distance IS hitting it again (his third) from the tee.

One stroke (initial stroke), penalty for unplayable, ball is sitting on the tee lying two and hitting three.

[Dr_Fu_Manchu]

Stroke and distance IS hitting it again (his third) from the tee.

I guess I could have explained it better. He played his shot as a straight line out to the rough of the fairway, playing his 3rd. So, he should have played it from the tee, as I thought, correct?

If not that doesn't seem like much of a penalty considering his ball was 10 yards in the deep rough and couldn't get it out. Should he have been able to get it out with the luckiest shot in the world he would be laying 2, playing 3. So, why bother even attempt to get a ball out of a tough spot if you can simply call it unplayable and act like its a lateral hazard?

[enduro]

I guess I could have explained it better. He played his shot as a straight line out to the rough of the fairway, playing his 3rd. So, he should have played it from the tee, as I thought, correct?

You can call any shot unplayable actually as long as it isn't in water or some kind of lateral hazard. You have 3 options then: play the ball form the same spot (re-tee), drop 2 club lengths from where the ball was found to be unplayable or drawing a line backwards in line with the ball and the flag, drop anywhere on that line...even in the fairway.

You will incur a 1 stroke penalty or lose the hole in match play. Only the golfer can determine if the ball is unplayable. You could call a ball unplayable in the middle of the fairway and just take a stroke penalty and follow the drop rules above. But that would be questionable and stupid.

[sacm3bill]

You can call any shot unplayable actually...

True.

You will incur a 1 stroke penalty...

True.

...or lose the hole in match play.

Absolutely false. Please don't post authoritatively on the rules of golf - you aren't familiar enough with them.

[enduro]

True.

Ahh sorry, I meant to say if you do it wrong you lose the hole and get a 2 stroke penalty in stroke.

Something got messed up in editing.

[sacm3bill]

Ahh sorry, I meant to say if you do it wrong you lose the hole and get a 2 stroke penalty in stroke.

No prob, sorry for my tone.