Asheville

If the ball which ended up OB was played from the teeing ground, the only remedy is to play another from anywhere on that teeing ground. The ball may be teed up for the player's third stroke.

It's fine that the Rule has been quoted, however, what we care about is not that the ball bounced from in bounds to out of bounds. That's not relevant. What matters is where the ball comes to rest.

27-1 . Stroke And Distance; Ball Out Of Bounds; Ball Not Found Within Five Minutes a . Proceeding Under Stroke and Distance At any time, a player may, under penalty of one stroke , play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5 ), i.e., proceed under penalty of stroke and distance. Except as otherwise provided in the Rules , if a player makes a stroke at a ball from the spot at which the original ball was last played, he is deemed to have proceeded under penalty of stroke and distance . b . Ball Out of Bounds If a ball is out of bounds , the player must play a ball, under penalty of one stroke , as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5 ).

The boys above have it right. I'll add only that when you're faced with a tricky NPR, don't lift your ball until you know exactly what you intend to do with it.

You're most welcome. We each learned something new this morning. For me, I now know what an Egyptian Goose is. I've been to Egypt many times, but don't recall having seen one ... guess I'll have to visit Texas to see this creature.

First, let's decide what "Egyptian goose shit" is: Loose Impediments “ Loose impediments ’’ are natural objects, including: stones, leaves, twigs, branches and the like, dung, and worms, insects and the like, and the casts and heaps made by them, provided they are not: fixed or growing, solidly embedded, or adhering to the ball. So, if it's a loose impediment, what is our remedy? See Rule 23. Fair enough, though some impracticalities may still exist.

The player is obligated to attempt to identify a found ball. A related decision says: 27/13 Refusal to Identify Ball Q. A player purposely refuses to identify a ball as his. What can the opponent or a fellow-competitor do in such a case? A. An opponent or fellow-competitor has the right to be satisfied about the identification of a player's ball. If a player has dishonestly not identified his ball, the opponent or fellow-competitor may refer the dispute to the Committee (Rule 34-3 ). In such a case, the Committee would be justified in imposing a penalty of disqualification under Rule 33-7 .

I would first look at the Definition of Water Hazard. Then, I'd look in Rule 26, Water Hazards. Following that, I'd look in the Decisions pertaining to Rule 26. At some point, I'd expect to be sent to Rule 33, The Committee, for additional information. I might eventually conclude that, in the absence of a line, the hazard is defined by the stakes and in the absence of stakes the water hazard would still exist and that I must determine the natural boundaries of the hazard and proceed accordingly.

Rule 27-2c says, in part: c . When Provisional Ball to be Abandoned If the original ball is neither lost nor out of bounds , the player must abandon the provisional ball and continue playing the original ball ....