Placing ball on a sloping green

[MadDad]

Hi,

I was recently playing golf after some serious rain. #8 is a short par 3 with a severely sloping green at the front. I hit a high 9 iron into the green and it landed smack in the middle of the slope but as the green was so wet the ball simply buried itself in the green and remained on the slope.

The two photos shows how deep the ball divot was and how much the green sloped.

I marked and lifted the ball to (a) clean it and (b) repair the ball divot but I couldn't place it again. The incline of the slope was such that I couldn't replace it. Every time I tried the ball would roll down the slope off the green.

What is the correct ruling in such a situation? Do I have to play the ball from where it stops rolling?

Thanks.

[iacas]

I marked and lifted the ball to (a) clean it and (b) repair the ball divot but I couldn't place it again. The incline of the slope was such that I couldn't replace it. Every time I tried the ball would roll down the slope off the green.  What is the correct ruling in such a situation? Do I have to play the ball from where it stops rolling? Thanks.

See rule 20-3d.

[Fourputt]

Hi,

I was recently playing golf after some serious rain. #8 is a short par 3 with a severely sloping green at the front. I hit a high 9 iron into the green and it landed smack in the middle of the slope but as the green was so wet the ball simply buried itself in the green and remained on the slope.

The two photos shows how deep the ball divot was and how much the green sloped.

I marked and lifted the ball to (a) clean it and (b) repair the ball divot but I couldn't place it again. The incline of the slope was such that I couldn't replace it. Every time I tried the ball would roll down the slope off the green.

What is the correct ruling in such a situation? Do I have to play the ball from where it stops rolling?

Thanks.

Place the ball at the nearest spot where it will remain at rest, not closer to the hole than where it originally lay.

[MadDad]

Thanks.

So in my case it would most likely mean placing the ball at the bottom of the slope against the fringe of the green which would stop it rolling back further.

[David in FL]

Thanks.

So in my case it would most likely mean placing the ball at the bottom of the slope against the fringe of the green which would stop it rolling back further.

Maybe....but " nearest spot" means just that.  It could be to either side a bit, or even higher up on the slope, as long as it's not closer to the hole.

Welcome to the site, glad you checked in.  Stick around!

[iacas]

Maybe....but " nearest spot" means just that.  It could be to either side a bit, or even higher up on the slope, as long as it's not closer to the hole.

It could also mean in the fairway or rough as you know.

[MadDad]

Interesting. I didn't even consider moving it up the hill. With the green not being round that is indeed an option as the ball would not be closer to the hole It just seems a bit strange that I would get an easier put (flat) instead of having to contest the slope. It's not often the rules work in my favour but in this case it seems they could have done.

[Fourputt]

Interesting. I didn't even consider moving it up the hill. With the green not being round that is indeed an option as the ball would not be closer to the hole It just seems a bit strange that I would get an easier put (flat) instead of having to contest the slope. It's not often the rules work in my favour but in this case it seems they could have done.

The rules aren't there to punish you - all they are for is to tell us how the game is played.  They can help ones score every bit as much as hurt when followed properly.

[turtleback]

The rules aren't there to punish you - all they are for is to tell us how the game is played.  They can help ones score every bit as much as hurt when followed properly.

The only time I will make any kind of unsolicited rules comment when playing casually or with strangers is when someone is in a situation where the rules will help them but they do not know that.

[MadDad]

The rules aren't there to punish you - all they are for is to tell us how the game is played.  They can help ones score every bit as much as hurt when followed properly.

I realise that but I would suggest that for the rules to be an aid you have to know them partically well. Being the typical weekend warrior my rule knowledge is probably not as good as it should be and it feels like I'm being "awarded" a penalty stroke every time the rule book is drawn .

[David in FL]

I realise that but I would suggest that for the rules to be an aid you have to know them partically well. Being the typical weekend warrior my rule knowledge is probably not as good as it should be and it feels like I'm being "awarded" a penalty stroke every time the rule book is drawn .

A very good reason to dig into it a bit.

[Zeph]

The rules aren't there to punish you - all they are for is to tell us how the game is played.  They can help ones score every bit as much as hurt when followed properly.

Hitting the green and having to place the ball in the rough does seem unfair though.

[David in FL]

Hitting the green and having to place the ball in the rough does seem unfair though.

Have you ever had an approach land in the rough and run/bounce/roll through and eventually end up on the green?  Was that "unfair"?

Honestly though, it's unlikely that the nearest point where the ball would stay at rest would be in the rough.  If there's any fringe at all, it would be hard to imagine not being able to place the ball on the very edge of the green......

[iacas]

Hitting the green and having to place the ball in the rough does seem unfair though.

Nah.

Plus, sometimes you get to move the ball onto the fringe and out of the rough (like if a sprinkler head is under your foot).

[Zeph]

Have you ever had an approach land in the rough and run/bounce/roll through and eventually end up on the green?  Was that "unfair"?

No, because the ball ended up there.

Of course the plugged ball might help you. If the slope is that severe, you could risk the ball rolling off the green if it didn't plug. If the closest place is off the slope, but still on the green, and even on the same level as the flag, the fact that the ball plugged helped you quite a lot.

[Asheville]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

The rules aren't there to punish you - all they are for is to tell us how the game is played.  They can help ones score every bit as much as hurt when followed properly.

Hitting the green and having to place the ball in the rough does seem unfair though.

A player is not obliged to take relief from an embedded ball.

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

The rules aren't there to punish you - all they are for is to tell us how the game is played.  They can help ones score every bit as much as hurt when followed properly.

Hitting the green and having to place the ball in the rough does seem unfair though.

Then hitting a tree 30 yards from the green and having the ball deflect onto the green should also seem unfair.  Nothing about the game of golf is fair or unfair - the only guarantee is that in all cases it will be equitable - like situations will be treated in the same manner for all players.

[Zeph]

Then hitting a tree 30 yards from the green and having the ball deflect onto the green should also seem unfair.  Nothing about the game of golf is fair or unfair - the only guarantee is that in all cases it will be equitable - like situations will be treated in the same manner for all players.

The difference is where the ball ended up, not what it hit on the way. The ball stopped at the green and sat still there, but suddenly you can't hit it from the green anymore.

As I pointed out above, this can help you, probably more often than not.