Ball Totally Covered with Huge Clumps of Dirt

[mdl]

Playing partner this weekend was getting a bit frustrated, started just gripping and ripping, hoping to hit a few satisfying bombs and forgetting about scoring.  On one of these shots with a 3w off the deck, he rips at it and smashs the top of the ball.  Ball is driven into the ground, pops up and forward maybe 2 feet, and comes to rest almost 100% covered in dirt.  The volume of dirt was literally at least as much volume as the ball.  Totally unplayable.  It would have taken probably 2 or 3 strokes just to get enough dirt off the ball that it would go even vaguely where it's supposed to.

We were on 15 or so and he's an infrequent player not keeping an index or anything and he'd already cleared 100 and pretty much stopped keeping score, so he just counted it as a stroke, picked it up, cleaned it off, and tried to hit a good 3w shot.  My question is, what's the real ruling here?  I know mud on the ball doesn't make it unfit and provide a free drop after cleaning.  If you declare an unplayable lie and take a +1 penalty and a drop, are you allowed to replace or clean the ball?  Is there any option but just continuing to strike the ball until enough dirt is smacked off that it will go anywhere?

[zeg]

When taking an unplayable, you may clean the ball before dropping.  That'd probably be the most sensible option here.

[B-Con]

If you declare your ball unplayable, then you are allowed to lift the ball, clean it or substitute it, and drop within two club lengths no closer to the hole. Rule 28: [quote=Rule 28][b]The player may deem his ball unplayable at any place on the course, except when the ball is in a water hazard.[/b] The player is the sole judge as to whether his ball is unplayable. If the player deems his ball to be unplayable, he must, [b]under penalty of one stroke[/b]: a. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or b. Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped; or c. Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole. If the unplayable ball is in a bunker, the player may proceed under Clause a, b or c. If he elects to proceed under Clause b or c, a ball must be dropped in the bunker. [b]When proceeding under this Rule, the player may lift and clean his ball or substitute a ball.[/b][/quote] Bolded parts are mine, to show the relevant sections. This is confirmed by Rule 21: [quote=Rule 21]A ball on the putting green may be cleaned when lifted under Rule 16-1b. [b]Elsewhere[/b], a ball may be cleaned when lifted, except when it has been lifted: a. To determine if it is unfit for play (Rule 5-3); b. For identification (Rule 12-2), in which case it may be cleaned only to the extent necessary for identification; or c. Because it is assisting or interfering with play (Rule 22). [/quote] Basically, the spirit of Rule 28 (drop with penalty) is to give golfers an "out" should they encounter a crappy situation they have to hit from. Ball half stuck somewhere? Hate the tree root? Hate the mud on the ball? Etc. Just take a stroke penalty, move the ball, clean it, and keep playing.

[inthehole]

Its been such a wet summer here in the N/E - I expect to hit a muddy ball from the fairway - really doens't affect the ball flight as much as I initially thought it would.

Just to clarify ... a plugged ball is a different scenario - I believe I read that a plugged ball can be dropped at no penalty, correct ?

[Ignorant]

Originally Posted by inthehole

Its been such a wet summer here in the N/E - I expect to hit a muddy ball from the fairway - really doens't affect the ball flight as much as I initially thought it would.

Just to clarify ... a plugged ball is a different scenario - I believe I read that a plugged ball can be dropped at no penalty, correct ?

Yes, see R25-2 Embedded ball.

As far as the original issue is concerned, propably a better option than taking the unplayable in this particular situation would be just picking the ball up, cleaning it and replacing it. This would be 1 penalty (R18-2a) but replacing might be a better option than dropping, depending on the course conditions.

[mdl]

Thanks for the extra reference Ignorant.  In this particular situation, it wasn't actually a course condition problem. There'd been some rain recently and the fairways definitely weren't the dry to bordering on hard pan I'm used to in southern California, but the course was actually in quite nice condition.  The player in question is just huge with very strong forearms and super high swing speed.  The previous frustrated 3w he hit two holes before carried ~255, dead on target, and the 3w in question is very crappy and very old.  With a brand new 3w and an even decent ball I wouldn't be surprised if he was capable of carrying a 3w up in the 265-270 range.  Of course, that kind of carry would also come with this kind of shot!  With that kind of swing speed he managed to get his hands way in front and smash very steeply down on top of the ball into softish fairway.

[zeg]

Interesting find, Ignorant.  Seems kind of sleazy to me, though.  (However I wouldn't fault anyone for taking advantage of this, particularly since it's clearly permitted under Decision 18-2a/13.)

[Ignorant]

Originally Posted by zeg

Interesting find, Ignorant.  Seems kind of sleazy to me, though.  (However I wouldn't fault anyone for taking advantage of this, particularly since it's clearly permitted under Decision 18-2a/13.)

This is the way we use Rules to our own benefit...

[zeg]

Originally Posted by Ignorant

This is the way we use Rules to our own benefit...

Of course.  It just seems like it ought to be improper to intentionally break a rule (meaning both through a deliberate action and with knowledge of the rule) to gain a benefit.  Obviously, writing a rule to enforce my feeling on this issue would be impractical, though.

It'd make me a bit more comfortable if there were an additional explicitly mentioned option to lift, clean, and replace under a 1-stroke penalty.  I really don't like the idea of procedures that one arrives at by studying the rules while thinking, "What else can I get away with?"

But, like I said, the rules do permit this, so in the rare event that it is the best option, one would be foolish not to exercise it.

[Ignorant]

Originally Posted by zeg

Of course.  It just seems like it ought to be improper to intentionally break a rule (meaning both through a deliberate action and with knowledge of the rule) to gain a benefit.  Obviously, writing a rule to enforce my feeling on this issue would be impractical, though.

It'd make me a bit more comfortable if there were an additional explicitly mentioned option to lift, clean, and replace under a 1-stroke penalty.  I really don't like the idea of procedures that one arrives at by studying the rules while thinking, "What else can I get away with?"

But, like I said, the rules do permit this, so in the rare event that it is the best option, one would be foolish not to exercise it.

In this particular case do pay attention to the wording of R18-2a:

When a player’s ball is in play, if:
(i) the player, his partner or either of their caddies lifts or moves it,
touches it purposely (except with a club in the act of addressing it)
or causes it to move except as permitted by a Rule, or...

I would say that there you have your LCP-rule with one penalty and no problems with your conscience

I always encourage people to learn the Rules by claiming that good knowledge would save at least one shot per round on the average. One particularly good example is lateral water hazard rule. Most people do not know the option 26-1c(ii) where one is allowed to drop the ball on the other side of the hazard equidistant from the hole. Depending on the location of that hazard one could be dropping on light rough or even fairway instead of heavy rough or tall grass. Could mean saving a par instead of a frustrating double or triple...