Most Broken Rule in Golf

[rusek]

Unless of course an area in the rough is marked as ground under repair. Good courses will do this. Also, to me this rule is another one as playing outside the rules. Again, I play in New Freakin Hampshire and in April/May the ball will embed all over the place.

Ground under repair is a completely different thing. An embedded ball may be cleaned and must be dropped as close as possible to the original spot. A ball landing in ground under repair may be lifted and must be dropped outside of the GUR area.

There could also be standing water in the rough, which allow an embedded ball to be dropped, but this wasn't a variable proposed earlier. Of course local rules/winter rules could come into affect when playing, but those weren't mentioned in the original post.

[Golfer7945]

Playing the ball as it lies. I can go on and on about the times that I see guys kick their ball out from behind a tree, or fluff up their lie, or pick their ball out of a divot hole. I'm guilty of it sometimes, too, although less so nowadays.

Errgh It really gripes me when folks replace lost balls and fail to score the penalty shot or shots.

[Golfer7945]

I pushed a drive into the rough between fairways and heading to the ball and saw a guy bend over and pick up a ball and keep right on walking.Never found my ball and a few minutes later I walked out onto his green where he and 3 others were putting and suggested he had picked up my ball. He denied it and since I knew what pocket he put it in I asked him politely to empty a particular pocket. He refused then complied. Got my ball back, shamed the idiot! dayll

I am so happy to read that you approached a fellow and actually got your ball back... I had a situation where I hit a perfect drive to less than 100 yards from the green.. a fellow from the group on the green walked back into the fairway and picked up my ball from the fairway ( I yelled and waved furiously but he ignored me picked up my Pro V1 with my mark on it and walked back to the green) I approached him on the tee box at the next hole and the golfer denied picking up my ball. I called the marshall and reported the incident and when I finished the round my ball was waiting for me in the pro shop.

[lamebums]

Errgh It really gripes me when folks replace lost balls and fail to score the penalty shot or shots.

Well, I hate losing a ball just as much as the next guy - what people usually don't get is it's stroke

and distance . Sometimes I'll hit a provisional if I think my ball's lost, when I play it though, I know I'm hitting 4, not 3. Then again, I see how it's easy to cheat about losing a ball - losing a ball is a quick ticket to a triple bogey.

[Golfer7945]

WRONG.

Darn not knowing the rules has cost me tons of strokes... I have been hacking out of our rain soaked fairways and fringes a lot and counting every stroke... It happened to me and to my playing partners several times today... imbedded balls near the fringe and in the fairway... It is really wet here in Shreveport right now... Thanks for writing about the lift clean and place rule

[Golfer7945]

Darn not knowing the rules has cost me tons of strokes... I have been hacking out of our rain soaked fairways and fringes a lot and counting every stroke... It happened to me and to my playing partners several times today... imbedded balls near the fringe and in the fairway... It is really wet here in Shreveport right now... Thanks for writing about the lift clean and place rule

BTW. I define embedded as when the only the top of the ball is visible... is that correct?

[lamebums]

BTW. I define embedded as when the only the top of the ball is visible... is that correct?

If it's a ball that plugged in the fairway, I consider embedded to be any more than a quarter, or so, of the ball. What you're describing is when you're in danger of losing the ball in the fairway.

[sanforce]

I'd have to admit that I currently will move my ball if it is a bad lie (behind a tree, ect.) But, I would never turn in a score card to get my handicap if I had done this in a round. I am simply doing it to get better.

[rusek]

BTW. I define embedded as when the only the top of the ball is visible... is that correct?

The ball is embedded when it comes to rest within its own pitch mark.

[bcp]

The most broken rule is playing it as it lies from my perspective...

[Chilidipper]

Dropped ball rule, grounding rule/moving the ball when addressing, and fluffing the ball. People who do those types of things are cheating.

[KIDDEREK]

WOW. It seems like you need to be lawyer to interpret these rules.

I was wondering if someone can help me with some of my questions:

1. I hit a ball from the tee and see it to the end. When I get to the spot, I can't, for the life of me, find the ball. For sake of pace of play (I play in crowded courses), I can't reasonably go back and re-hit. I drop as close to the area as I thought it landed and incur a 2 stroke penalty. 1 for lost ball and 1 for distance. Is this correct?

2. I hit a ball into the water (from tee or regular shot). I take a 1 stroke penalty and re-hit from original spot or closest (but not closer to hole) to where the ball went into the water. Is this correct?

3. This situation, I didn't know what to do: My friend hit a ball into a rough area where the ground was nearly all stone and surrounded by trees. It was obvious he could not hit the ball w/o damage to his clubs. He moved the ball just outside of it, and closer to the hole, with a 1 stroke penalty. Is this correct? I am assuming it should be a 2 stroke b/c he dropped a ball and also received distance help.

Thanks folks!!!

[iacas]

1. I hit a ball from the tee and see it to the end. When I get to the spot, I can't, for the life of me, find the ball. For sake of pace of play (I play in crowded courses), I can't reasonably go back and re-hit. I drop as close to the area as I thought it landed and incur a 2 stroke penalty. 1 for lost ball and 1 for distance. Is this correct?

No. You've now played a ball from the wrong place. Stroke and distance means you MUST go back and re-hit. You can't just assume your third stroke would have put the ball where you see fit to drop it. You could have topped it, hit it in the water, hit it OB, or done any number of other things. If you drop a ball after losing one, that's simply not in the rules of golf.

2. I hit a ball into the water (from tee or regular shot). I take a 1 stroke penalty and re-hit from original spot or closest (but not closer to hole) to where the ball went into the water. Is this correct?

Within two club lengths. You have other options, too, like playing from any spot on the line where it entered the hazard and the hole (backwards, obviously, away from the hole).

3. This situation, I didn't know what to do: My friend hit a ball into a rough area where the ground was nearly all stone and surrounded by trees. It was obvious he could not hit the ball w/o damage to his clubs. He moved the ball just outside of it, and closer to the hole, with a 1 stroke penalty. Is this correct? I am assuming it should be a 2 stroke b/c he dropped a ball and also received distance help.

Look up "unplayable." Or watch this animation:

http://www.usga.org/playing/rules/an...layable_h.html

[KIDDEREK]

No. You've now played a ball from the wrong place. Stroke and distance means you MUST go back and re-hit. You can't just assume your third stroke would have put the ball where you see fit to drop it. You could have topped it, hit it in the water, hit it OB, or done any number of other things. If you drop a ball after losing one, that's simply not in the rules of golf.

Re: Lost Ball

Where I play, going back to the original spot to re-hit is just not an option. There are too many people waiting to tee off behind me. I understand that dropping the ball does not conform to the official rules, but what would be the conventional penalty and course of action for someone learning to play. I can't be the only person who loses balls and plays in crowded courses? Can I? btw, the animation is awesome! Thanks for the link!

[iacas]

Re: Lost Ball

You asked what the ruling was. I told you. I didn't say you MUST go back, I just told you the rules say you MUST. Play a provisional next time.

[KIDDEREK]

You asked what the ruling was. I told you. I didn't say you MUST go back, I just told you the rules say you MUST. Play a provisional next time.

Right. All I'm asking is what do you guys do when this occurs. Forget provisional. I see the ball all the way through and can't find it once I get there. For example, if someone took the ball or it's hidden under leaves.

In that case, if re-hitting is not an option, what is the conventional penalty for dropping ball near location of lost ball?

[lamebums]

If you were playing in an official event, you would have to go back and re-tee, reguardless how many people are waiting behind you. If I lose a ball where I obviously know where it went, I drop another and hit 4 from there, to keep the pace of play going.

[KIDDEREK]

If you were playing in an official event, you would have to go back and re-tee, reguardless how many people are waiting behind you. If I lose a ball where I obviously know where it went, I drop another and hit 4 from there, to keep the pace of play going.

Hit 4 means that stroke coming up after dropping would be your 4th stroke? Sorry, I really am a rookie.