Beginner rule questions

[zombywoof]

Say I hit my ball into some rough near the green, and after a bit of searching find a ball I assume is mine (though I fail to check) and hit it up onto the green.

What happens when I discover the ball isn't mine (stroke play):

Upon first encountering it on the green?

After putting it one or more times on the green?

After holing out?

After teeing off on the next hole?

(My understanding is that in a tournament situation at some point you are DQ'd, right? - fair enough - but how would you score it for your own purposes in casual play?)

[zeg]

Rule 15-3b covers this for stroke play.

Strokes on the wrong ball do not count, so it does not matter how long it takes to discover that you have the wrong ball. You incur a 2-stroke penalty and must find and play your correct ball (or play under lost ball rule if you can't) before you tee off on the next tee. You're correct in that if you tee off on the next hole (or leave the putting green on the last hole), you are DQ.

If I were playing casually, I'd probably just take the 2 strokes and move on with my life. I might not even do that if I were certain that I'd played from about the right place.

http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Rule-15/

[Dormie1360]

Originally Posted by zeg

If I were playing casually, I'd probably just take the 2 strokes and move on with my life.

[Johanna]

I think he meant his wife!

[firecracker]

If you post a score for handicap purposes, assuming you decide not to look for your original ball, I think you use the rule for an incomplete hole: strokes taken plus estimated number of strokes to complete the hole, subject to ESC max.  For example if the missing ball is shot # 2 on a par 4, you have taken 2 shots, plus 2 penalty strokes for playing the wrong ball plus a penalty stroke for the lost ball that you would have taken for the long walk back to re-hit shot # 2.  Say you think you'll take 3 more strokes to hole out - you post an 8 unless ESC makes you post a lower score. I think!

[RemyM]

Originally Posted by firecracker

If you post a score for handicap purposes, assuming you decide not to look for your original ball, I think you use the rule for an incomplete hole: strokes taken plus estimated number of strokes to complete the hole, subject to ESC max.  For example if the missing ball is shot # 2 on a par 4, you have taken 2 shots, plus 2 penalty strokes for playing the wrong ball plus a penalty stroke for the lost ball that you would have taken for the long walk back to re-hit shot # 2.  Say you think you'll take 3 more strokes to hole out - you post an 8 unless ESC makes you post a lower score. I think!

Actually, by not going back to the point you last played from for a lost ball or a ball out of bounds this part of the handicap manual applies.

If a player does not play a hole or plays it other than under the principles of the Rules of Golf (except for preferred lies ), the score recorded for that hole for handicap purposes must be par plus any handicap strokes the player is entitled to receive on that hole. This hole score, when recorded, should be preceded by an "X."

This way you don't get rewarded with a higher handicap by not playing by the rules.  Most likely score is more for conceded putts and picking up on the green if you can't improve on your partner's score. A proper handicap is supposed to reflect your low score potential, not your high score potential, that's why it uses your best 10 of 20 scores and then reduces that by 4%.

[zeg]

Originally Posted by RemyM

Actually, by not going back to the point you last played from for a lost ball or a ball out of bounds this part of the handicap manual applies.

If a player does not play a hole or plays it other than under the principles of the Rules of Golf (except for preferred lies), the score recorded for that hole for handicap purposes must be par plus any handicap strokes the player is entitled to receive on that hole. This hole score, when recorded, should be preceded by an "X."

This way you don't get rewarded with a higher handicap by not playing by the rules.  Most likely score is more for conceded putts and picking up on the green if you can't improve on your partner's score. A proper handicap is supposed to reflect your low score potential, not your high score potential, that's why it uses your best 10 of 20 scores and then reduces that by 4%.

I don't know for sure, but I don't agree with your assessment. Note that it says, "...under the principles of the Rules of Golf..." not, "...under the Rules of Golf..." The distinction is important. You can break a rule but still play by the principles of the Rules. Breaking the principles is something more severe---e.g., playing two balls for the duration of the hole, etc.

It's true that the system does not want to reward breaking the rules, but at the same time it wants to be fair and accurate. If you've already taken five strokes by the rules before you abandon the hole and just play it out for fun, you're not gaining a benefit when you take your most likely score. In fact, you probably still get a better score than you'd earn because you take away the chance of botching one of your "likely" strokes.