Asheville

Agreed, Fred. However, this is Rules 101. 🙂

This may be a RTFQ for you. It's asking about actions OFF the green. If I've misdiagnosed your reply, dig into Rule 15.1b. Take a look at Q2 again. In R15.1, you'll read "Without penalty, a player may remove a loose impediment anywhere on or off the course . . . " There are few things I despise in life, but the "auto-merge" on this site is high on the list! SEE WHAT I MEAN, THE MONSTER CONTINUES TO OBFUSCATE THE MEANINGS OF OUR REPLIES! GRRRRR

What May be Moved? 1) Which of the following are not loose impediments? A. Banana peels B. Worm casts and ant hills C. Spider webs D. Dew and frost 2) Loose impediments may not be moved in the: A. Fairways and rough B. Penalty areas C. Bunkers D. None of the above 3) The player needs to be careful in moving loose impediments near their ball off the putting green, because there will be a penalty if moving them causes the ball to move. True or false? A. True B. False Some tough ones are in store for tomorrow.

I agree Fred. Sometimes "we" know what "we" mean, but fail to articulate it properly. Thanks for your input. By mid-afternoon, I wasn't really happy with #7 either.

One last one (I think) in this section: 7) If a player knows or believes that another player has breached or might have breached the Rules and that the other player does not recognize or is ignoring this, the player should tell the other player, the player’s marker, a referee or the Committee. Which of the following are correct? A. This only applies to match play. B. In match play, a player may silently disregard a breach of the Rules by their opponent. C. This only applies to stroke play. D. In stroke play, a player may silently disregard a breach of the Rules by another player. 8 Which of the following are true? A. In stroke play, if you don’t know the Rule or procedure, to cover yourself, play a second ball. B. In stroke play, if you don’t know the Rule or procedure, you and your opponent may agree on a course of action so long as you don’t knowingly agree to ignore a Rule or a penalty. C. Both A and B are permitted. D. Neither A or B are true. 9) Which of the following are true? A. In match play, if you don’t know the Rule or procedure, to cover yourself, play a second ball. B. In match play, if you don’t know the Rule or procedure, you and your opponent may agree on a course of action so long as you don’t knowingly agree to ignore a Rule or a penalty. C. Both A and B are permitted. D. Neither A or B are true.

Erik, how do I avoid the merging of replies. Is there some time limit?

I agree, Fred, that there seems to be no objection to B. I find 20.1c(3)/3 – Player May Lift Original Ball and Drop, Place or Replace It When Playing Two Balls, very interesting, too. Perhaps, the wiley player, finding his ball with a big lump of mud on it in an unmarked GUR could gain a small benefit. You pose an interesting question. I'm not certain that "informing the Committee" need wait until after the round, say in the scoring area before the scorecard has been returned. I recall, a few years ago, clearing up a 3-3 during play. I was a referee and member of the Committee on the course when a player stopped me and we settled it there and then. (Hope that was alright! We're way past the statute of limitations for that one anyway.)

4) Speaking of playing a “second ball.” What’s the procedure? A. Before making a stroke at either ball, announce your intention to play a second ball and select which one you wish to count? B. Hole out both balls? C. Inform the Committee? D. All of the above? 5) In a question in a previous thread, a player was unsure what to do when their ball was moved on the putting green. Now, you might not always be sure either, so what is your “insurance policy”? Sure, know EXACTLY how to play a second ball! How did these players do when playing a second ball? A. Unsure of the procedure, tapped in the putt then announced that he’d better play a second ball just in case and did so. Later he informed the Committee. B. Announced his intent to play a second ball and chose one to score with, then tapped in the short one, retrieved it from the hole and replaced the same ball on the other spot and putted out. Later he informed the Committee. C. Announced his intent to play a second ball and chose one to score with. He then placed another ball on the correct spot for the longer putt and putted out. He then tapped in the original ball. Later he informed the Committee. 6) Without saying anything to anyone, a player’s ball comes to rest in an unplayable spot in an area that they believe should be ground under repair, but is not marked. Uncertain what to do and willing to accept the one-stroke penalty if it is not ground under repair, the player decides to use one ball and drop it in the relief area allowed for taking relief from ground under repair and simultaneously in part of the relief area allowed for taking unplayable ball relief for one penalty stroke. A. Allowed? B. Not allowed?

Rules Issues During Competition 1) Don, Mike, and Chuck were paired together in a stroke play event. Don’s tee shot ended up in a spot which, though unmarked, looked to him like it might qualify for relief as ground under repair. Mike agreed, but Chuck argued against it. Since the vote was 2 to 1, over Chuck’s objection, Don took relief and they played on. After the round in the scoring area, Chuck told the Committee member what Don had done. The Committee said what? A. “Don, you’re fine since two of the three of you agreed with your course of action.” B. “Don, add two penalty strokes to your score for taking relief when the Rules didn’t allow for it. C. “Don and Mike, you are both DQ for agreeing to waive a Rule of Golf.” D. None of the above. 2) In Curly and Moe’s usual game all putts “inside the leather” are automatic gimmies. They both happen to be in the same group on Saturday’s play of the club championship, an individual stroke play event. Hoping to speed up the round, though they know better they agree beforehand to apply their “gimmes” rule to today’s play. On the first green Larry, another player in the group learns of their agreement and insists that Curly and Moe abandon their plan and hole out everything. Which of the following statements are correct? A. Larry saved the day, had he not intervened Curly and Moe would be DQ. B. The Committee learns what happened on the first green and DQs Curly and Moe. C. The Committee learns what happened on the first green, but they decide that DQ is too harsh and merely apply the general penalty to both Curly and Moe for the first hole. D. None of the above. 3) In a stroke-play competition, Anne is unsure if the relief area for ground under repair is one club-length or two. Beth, who is Anne’s marker and also a player in the competition, advises Anne that it is two club-lengths and the Anne takes relief by dropping a ball almost two club-lengths from the nearest point of complete relief. Later in the round the Committee becomes aware of this. What is the Committee’s ruling? A. Both are DQ for agreeing to waive a Rule. B. Anne receives a two-stroke penalty for playing from a wrong place. C. Anne receives a two-stroke penalty for playing from a wrong place and Beth is DQ for accidentally giving incorrect information on the Rules. D. None of the above.

4) In the rough, on my way to search for my tee shot, I spotted a ball which I didn't think was mine since mine should have been a lot further along. But, who'd pass up a shiny new TopFlite, so I picked it up and as I was putting it in by bag, I saw that it had my mark on it and therefore must be my ball. A. Honest mistake, put it back and play on; no penalty. B. Honest mistake, put it back and play on; one stroke penalty. C. Honest mistake, but since I don't know exactly where it was, I'll have to go back to the tee. 5) My tee shot stopped at the crest of a hill in the right edge of the fairway. Before my very eyes a fox ran out of the woods, picked up my ball and took off with it, never to be seen again. A. Estimate the spot and place another ball there; no penalty. B. Estimate the spot and drop another ball there; no penalty. C. Since I don't know exactly where my ball was, I'll have to go back to the tee and replay the shot. 6) My tee shot flew over the crest of a hill headed for the right edge of the fairway. No problem, I think. However, we cannot find my ball anywhere! Last year a fox stole my ball on this very hole, so that's what must have happened this time. A. Estimate the spot and place another ball there; no penalty. B. Estimate the spot and drop another ball there; no penalty. C. Since I really don't know exactly what happened, I'll have to go back to the tee and replay the shot.

Fred, thanks for asking about the hidden thing. 🙂

Hey, my golf ball moved! What must I do? 1) On the fairway, in the process of moving a pine cone my ball moved half an inch. A. A pine cone has no business being in the fairway. Replace the ball; no penalty. B. Replace the ball and add one penalty stroke. C. Play it from its new position and add one penalty stroke. D. As no one else saw the ball move, who am I to judge? 2) On the putting green, as I walked onto the green to mark my ball, the dang thing just took off and rolled 10 feet further from the hole. A. I’m entitled to the position my ball was in before it moved on its own, I’m replacing the ball. B. Hard cheese, next time I’ll walk faster. I’ll have to play it from its new location. C. I’ll ask the other guys what they think I should do and abide by the consensus. 3) On the putting green, after I had marked, lifted, cleaned and replaced my ball, the dang thing just took off and rolled 10 feet further from the hole. A. I’m entitled to the position my ball was in before it moved on its own, I’m replacing the ball. B. Since I had already picked up my ball-marker, I’ll have to play it from its new location. C. I’ll ask the other guys what they think I should do and abide by the consensus.

A rut made by a tractor is always ground under repair because it is a hole made by the maintenance staff whether or not it is marked as ground under repair. A. True B. False

A player hit their tee shot towards a road defined as out of bounds. The player then properly plays a provisional ball. After searching for 1 minute, the player is unable to find the original ball and therefore plays the provisional ball from a location nearer the hole than where the original ball was estimated to be. While walking towards the hole the player then finds the original ball on the course much closer to the hole than expected. The player must: A. Continue play with the provisional ball. B. Continue play with the original ball. C. Continue play with the original ball only if it was found within 3 minutes.

In stroke play, a player is virtually certain that their tee shot has come to rest in a yellow penalty area. The player properly drops another ball back-on-the-line under the penalty area relief Rule 17. Before playing the dropped ball and within 3 minutes the player finds the original ball outside the penalty area. Which is correct? A. The original ball is out of play; the player must proceed with the dropped ball with 1 penalty stroke. B. The player must abandon the dropped ball and continue play with the original ball. C. The player may play the original ball or the dropped ball with 1 penalty stroke.