lost ball and dropping a ball question

[ColinL]

You only have to hit another ball off the tee if it goes out of bounds. OB is marked with white posts. Anything that's not marked as OB is simply a bad lie or hazard. Do you not just take a drop where the ball entered the hazard, woods, etc in this case? Not stating any of this as fact, just trying to understand this rule better myself.

Many a score would I have rescued if you could just drop a ball where it entered the woods!

In terms of the Rules, if  your ball is  OOB, or is lost (with certain exceptions noted below) you must put another ball into play from where you played your last stroke. Stroke and distance -  as simple as that (Rule 27-1).  Probably the first rule I learned as a wee boy.

The exceptions are where your ball is lost  in a water hazard, in an abnormal ground condition (e.g. GUR), or in an obstruction and also if it has been taken away by an outside agency.  These situations are dealt with under different rules.

Whatever you do in a casual game, it seems to be very important to be aware where what you do  is not according to the Rules, and to know what the correct procedure is according to the Rules.

[Fourputt]

You only have to hit another ball off the tee if it goes out of bounds. OB is marked with white posts. Anything that's not marked as OB is simply a bad lie or hazard. Do you not just take a drop where the ball entered the hazard, woods, etc in this case? Not stating any of this as fact, just trying to understand this rule better myself.

Not true.  If your ball heads toward a place where it might not be found, like woods or deep native grass, then you should play a provisional ball from the original spot before you go forward to search.  Woods and other such parts of the course not marked as water hazards are treated the same as out of bounds.  When a ball is out of bounds or lost outside of a water hazard, the penalty is stroke and distance.

[danL]

Great thanks for the help. So let me see if I have it right. If the ball goes into a hazard or is unplayable (but visible) you can drop next to the hazard. If you do not know exactly where your ball ended up then you must take 3rd shot from the tee. Correct?

[Lihu]

Great thanks for the help. So let me see if I have it right. If the ball goes into a hazard or is unplayable (but visible) you can drop next to the hazard. If you do not know exactly where your ball ended up then you must take 3rd shot from the tee. Correct?

That sounds correct. You need to know where it went into the hazard for the drop.

[Donny Smithern]

Great thanks for the help. So let me see if I have it right. If the ball goes into a hazard or is unplayable (but visible) you can drop next to the hazard. If you do not know exactly where your ball ended up then you must take 3rd shot from the tee. Correct?

Like I said earlier I am no rules expert.  In fact when I started playing again last year for the first time in 15 years or so I deciced to keep a handicap and accordingly, learn the "real" rules of golf.

I know other books have been mentioned but I picked up "Golf Rules Illustrated'  from the USGA - http://www.amazon.com/Rules-Illustrated-United-States-Association/dp/0600623432/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid;=1426956281&sr;=8-1&keywords;=golf+rules+illustrated

It has helped me a bit, and while I always knew I wasn't playing USGA rules for my casual rounds in the past, I am actually a bit embarrassed of how ignorant of the rules I actually was.

[Shindig]

It has helped me a bit, and while I always knew I wasn't playing USGA rules for my casual rounds in the past, I am actually a bit embarrassed of how ignorant of the rules I actually was.

Check out also the Tufts "Principles of the Rules of Golf" book. It's inexpensive from the USGA and has helped me understand the rules better: it explains why the rules are what they are, and what connections exist to help you figure out what the rule is likely to be if you don't remember for certain. Also, don't be embarrassed. The folks who don't follow the rules (for whatever reason) don't know, so you can't be embarrassed with regards to them. And those of us who do our best to know and follow the rules understand your past and respect your decision to learn the rules -- we're happy you joined us. I guess what I'm saying is don't be embarrassed for your past relationship with the rules; be proud of your current and upcoming relationship with them.

[DrvFrShow]

Heck, if I'm playing a practice round I'm not going to enter, and I know that from the start - like I'm playing in a non-prime time w/ no one behind me, playing two balls, trying stuff I have no business trying just to see what would happen with one of them, I'm not playing by ROG. I'm practicing. It's like being on the driving range except moving around on the course. I'm not even keeping score. ...

* swinging out of my socks to see if I can clear the water hazard on 16 only to find out... nope. Play your 3H and lay up.

There are a couple courses in the area that have local rules regarding woods - One stroke and drop at point of entry OR stroke and distance. It's too dangerous to try to hit out of them. Plus you'll never find your ball.

[Rulesman]

Great thanks for the help. So let me see if I have it right. If the ball goes into a hazard or is unplayable (but visible) you can drop next to the hazard. If you do not know exactly where your ball ended up then you must take 3rd shot from the tee. Correct?

What do you understand by the word 'hazard'?

The only hazards on a golf course are bunkers and water hazards.

Woods, dense bushes, long grass and ravines (without water) are not hazards.

A “ bunker ’’ is a hazard consisting of a prepared area of ground, often a hollow, from which turf or soil has been removed and replaced with sand or the like.

A “ water hazard ’’ is any sea, lake, pond, river, ditch, surface drainage ditch or other open water course (whether or not containing water) and anything of a similar nature on the course .

[danL]

Sorry I was referring to the unplayable lie as a hazard too. I know it isn't an actual hazard and probably should have used different wording.

[turtleback]

Heck, if I'm playing a practice round I'm not going to enter, and I know that from the start - like I'm playing in a non-prime time w/ no one behind me, playing two balls, trying stuff I have no business trying just to see what would happen with one of them, I'm not playing by ROG. I'm practicing. It's like being on the driving range except moving around on the course. I'm not even keeping score. ...

* swinging out of my socks to see if I can clear the water hazard on 16 only to find out... nope. Play your 3H and lay up.

There are a couple courses in the area that have local rules regarding woods - One stroke and drop at point of entry OR stroke and distance. It's too dangerous to try to hit out of them. Plus you'll never find your ball.

Understand, however, that those local rules are NOT authorized by the USGA.

Yeah, one of the important things, when discussing the rules, is to be careful to use defined terms within the meaning of their specific golf-rules definition, not general meanings.

[DrvFrShow]

Yeah, I know they're not authorized, but they are enforced by the marshals for pace of play. Ball in woods? Take stroke and distance and figure your ball is lost. If we play that course the driver stays home and I hit my 5 iron off the tee. So the long par 5 becomes a 7? At least the ball stays in play. They need to do some course maintenance like a couple of other courses did and remove about 400 trees.

[David in FL]

Yeah, I know they're not authorized, but they are enforced by the marshals for pace of play. Ball in woods? Take stroke and distance and figure your ball is lost. If we play that course the driver stays home and I hit my 5 iron off the tee. So the long par 5 becomes a 7? At least the ball stays in play. They need to do some course maintenance like a couple of other courses did and remove about 400 trees.

Still BS. Pace of play doesn't suffer at all as long as you play a provisional as appropriate......