JOBS

If you hit the ball after it has been dropped the second ball is definitely in play!! No matter what.., unless your original is in the hole. If you have not hit the dropped ball and your original ball was never OB or in a Penalty area you may correct the drop.Rule 14.5. If you were in a penalty area, drop a ball and then find your original ball you may not play your original. I studied the KVC rule and spoke with the Pro where I play. He said it is all about KVC and to memorize when you can and when you cannot make a correction. Every ball dropped in golf is dropped with the i intent to play that ball (or you would never drop a ball). That's why there is only at the appropriate time an opportunity to correct an incorrect drop when it is dropped for the wrong reason, but if you hit that ball then you own that ball all the way into the green where upon missing the opportunity to make the correction. Game over. That is how it was explained to me. Hope that makes sense.

Thank you.

I think the KVC issue is a new one for me. I did what I thought you are suppose to do when you hit into a water hazard. Upon dropping under those circumstances anyone's dropped ball would be considered dropped with the intent to hit? Why else would you drop it? You have to drop as those are the rules, which would force intent if that makes sense. You don't have a choice if you intend to finish out the hole. It appears as if this is all decided prior to reaching the Penalty Area so there is no question about the substitute ball. I thought KVC meant after reading these posts that you are certain that upon approaching the hazard you know without a doubt that your ball landed in the hazard, therefore, it is absolutely logical that any ball dropped has to be used as the substitute ball. No exceptions and hit with intent with the penalty. Sorry for babbling.

Thank you and yes that actually does make complete sense. I dropped the ball because we didn't see it where we thought it had landed..., then as I posted earlier I looked behind me about 15 ft. before ever striking the dropped (substitute ball). We had to do something based upon approaching and not seeing it. No we never saw a splash etc. but when we got there what else were we to think. I also knew that I did not hit the ball over the hazard. I just don't have that shot in my bag. The conclusion was when we got up there that the ball had rolled in. Bad bounce or something. We knew at the time given our options that we were S.O.L.. Ball is in the water you take your medicine and you drop. So we dropped and then saw the original. Truthfully, we never really over analyzed the shot on the way up to it. So based on the KVC issue we had to think it went it in. It's kind of like the which comes first the chicken or the egg. The Ball wasn't there, near water, logical conclusion is that the ball rolled in and we didn't see it happen. Disappointing but it happens. I guess my point is that of course when we dropped we thought we had to hit the dropped ball or why else would we have dropped it. So I believe it's hard to say that there wasn't intent to hit the ball once it was dropped. We didn't see my original. However, when I saw my ball I realized that we had taken an unnecessary drop if that makes sense and proceeded to not to hit the dropped ball. Thank you Dave.

Thank you all for the clarification. Although, I am still more than ever confused now between rules 14.4 and 14.5. Rule 14.4 talks about the Original Ball being out of play which technically my ball was never out of play upon finding it. I do believe 100% if I had struck the dropped ball that was the ball I needed to play in regardless of finding my original ball afterwards. The intent then would have been to play ball the dropped ball all the way in. So I guess I feel that there is much left to the interpretation as to why either one of us would think the way we do. Thanks again for all of your thoughts.

"when it is in play when a stroke has been made at it). Regardless of the original being found". I agree 100% when a stoke has been made at it. That is the ball you play in and I believe with the penalty as well. No stroke was made to the substituted ball prior to the original ball being located

I do not think so. So long as it was believed to have gone in the water and then found it is my understanding that you must play the original ball. The original ball that is found may very well be in the hazard in a different location from where I originally dropped from or may be deemed unplayable also requiring a different drop zone from the ball that was first dropped. By playing the first ball dropped rather than the original ball under those circumstances sets the player up for an easier penalty shot also from the wrong location. That is why you go back to the original played when found.

To be clear: The dropped ball was not a provisional ball. It was for a water hazard shot. Before hitting the penalty ball I looked all around to be sure we couldn't find my ball and about 15ft back I saw my ball. It was playable and was well within the 3 minute time zone. There never would have been any need to drop a ball if we had walked up to the original ball. It was just buried in the ruff so spotting it was made more difficult, which is why we all thought it had gone in the water. There never would have been a need for any penalty shot. It was not OB, it was not in the hard zone. It was just buried.

To be clear: The dropped ball was not a provisional ball. It was for a water hazard shot. Before hitting the penalty ball I looked all around to be sure we couldn't find my ball and about 15ft back I saw my ball. It was playable and was well within the 3 minute time zone. There never would have been any need to drop a ball if we had walked up to the original ball. It was just buried in the ruff so spotting it was made more difficult, which is why we all thought it had gone in the water. There never would have been a need for any penalty shot. The ball was not OB nor was it in the hazard zone. It was just buried and close to the water.

Fowlers' situation was not the same as mine I believe? His dropped ball created another penalty upon his drop having already identified his original ball that landed in the water? My original ball was playable and would never have been a penalty shot. If I had landed in the water then I would have hit my dropped ball and played it all the way in to the hole. I found my original ball before hitting the dropped ball and well within 3 minutes of looking. Frankly , it was a fluke that I actually found my original ball and was glad that I had not hit the dropped ball or that would have been my ball with the penalty attached.

I dropped the ball by the drop area where it presumably went in the water. I then found my original ball never stoking the dropped ball. Yes, Dave that is what occurred. I would have simply played the drop ball if we never found my original ball thereby taking the penalty stroke per usual for any water hazard.

Can I get clarification on this rule please. I dropped a ball when I believed my original ball landed in the water and then before hitting my dropped ball I found original ball and proceeded to continue to play with my original ball. Upon finding original ball I played it where it lied into the green. My opponent said that it was a penalty to not play my second ball because I dropped it.., i said if I had hit the dropped ball thenI would have had to play it in, but because I found my original ball was obligated to continue with the original. Clarification please.