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Changes in the rules

IrishGolfer

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Sep 1, 2004
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I was playing my second on a par 5 the other day in a match. I addressed the ball, hadn't touched it but ball moved about 9", it was on a slope. I called a penalty on myself and played on. New rules suggest that it is now no longer a penalty, that you play next shot from where it lies. Apparently it is not just on the putting green. It is a little unclear and confusing with the R&A, has the USGA changed the rule as well?
 

Augster

Rules Nerd
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Mar 9, 2005
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You will still be deemed to have caused it to move.

It has to be KNOWN or VIRTUALLY CERTAIN (KVC) that you DID NOT move it.

If you are in long grass and it moves down the slope after you address it, it'll be a REALLY hard sell to say you didn't have ANYTHING to do with it moving. Again, it'll have to be KVC that you DIDN'T move it.

Example: You address the ball on said slope. While addressing it you decide you will try a different shot. You walk to your bag that is 5 paces away, deliberate over which club for 20 seconds then pull your new club. At that time, while you are well away from the ball, the ball rolls the 9" down the slope.

Under that situation, it definitely isn't KNOWN that you had nothing to do with the ball rolling as you had moved some grass near the ball when you addressed it. But you could say you are VIRTUALLY CERTAIN that you had nothing to do with it as so much time had passed and you were no where near the ball when it started rolling.

On a putting green, not on a slope, if you address it, and see the wind wobbling it, then eventually moving it, there won't be a penalty. You can still be deemed to have moved the ball on the putting green once slope is involved. Example: Uphill putt, you address the ball and ground your putter. With the wind and the addressing, it starts to wobble. You pull your putter up, and the wind blows it down the slope. You can't be KVC that you DIDN'T cause it to move.

When the ball blows up a slope or sideways, you can almost always be KVC that it was the wind and not your actions that caused it to move.

The changes will mostly be on the putting green as that is where the wind could affect a ball by moving it as the grass is so short. I've never had the wind blow my ball in a fairway.
 
OP
IrishGolfer

IrishGolfer

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You will still be deemed to have caused it to move.

If you are in long grass and it moves down the slope after you address it, it'll be a REALLY hard sell to say you didn't have ANYTHING to do with it moving. Again, it'll have to be KVC that you DIDN'T move it.

I agree with this. Here's what happened. We have a rule in the winter to drop off fairways into the semi-rough (to protect the fairways). You can place it, not drop it, up to four paces into the semi. Sounds great but one of the problems is that you are often at a disadvantage as you are moving to a slope, with the ball above or below your feet. In this case my lie was on an upslope on quite a bare bit of grass. It was very windy.

So I placed my ball, and went to address it with a fairway wood. I always address a few inches behind the ball and I am certain that I made no contact with the ball. There was no grass to speak off that could have acted as a cushion to cause it to move. So I'm about to start my takeaway and the ball starts trickling down the slope about 9-12". I'm convinced that the wind moved it. I immediately back off the shot. My partner was waiting for me to hit and he saw it move too. So after a quick chat with my partner to confirm what happened I call a penalty on myself of 1 shot, but I then play the ball from where it came to rest. Should I have replaced it?

Anyway I birdied the hole but called it as a par, to include the penalty. 2 holes later I got whacked on the head and we cancelled the game, these guys were 2 up with 4 to play. So we rescheduled to play the match yesterday. Instead of just playing the last four holes, the guys offered us a full rematch. One of them had checked the rule and said that I should not have been penalised, so that the score should have only been 1 up with four to play.

Anyways we stuffed the guys yesterday in a rematch and I now feel bad / embarassed about the outcome. Hmm.
 

wirehair

Life's too short to drink cheap wine.
Apr 29, 2005
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So if I understand this, you were two (mebbe one) down when you were whacked in the head. Then on a rematch, since you were so greviously injured, you whupped 'em like red-headed stepkids.

Inquiring minds want to know, Did your partner crack your noggin with a 9 iron, or is it KNOWN or VIRTUALLY CERTAIN (KVC) that it was a ball moving?
 

Augster

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Mar 9, 2005
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If you take the penalty, the ball must be replaced.

If you don't take the penalty, you play it as it lies at it's new resting spot.

When you are deemed to have caused it to move, you take the penalty and replace it. Since you didn't replace it, you played from wrong place. The penalty for such in match play is loss of hole.
 
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IrishGolfer

IrishGolfer

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So if I understand this, you were two (mebbe one) down when you were whacked in the head. Then on a rematch, since you were so greviously injured, you whupped 'em like red-headed stepkids.

Inquiring minds want to know, Did your partner crack your noggin with a 9 iron, or is it KNOWN or VIRTUALLY CERTAIN (KVC) that it was a ball moving?

He thanked me for "taking one for the team"! And given that I now have Callaway 3 tatooed on my forehead, one can assume it was a ball in motion. I just knew or was virtually certain that we would beat them in a rematch. In fairness to them they were real gents. I had already conceded the match. They called and offered us a rematch after the concession. :emot-angel:

Yes, I am THAT red-headed step-kid!

If you take the penalty, the ball must be replaced.

If you don't take the penalty, you play it as it lies at it's new resting spot.

When you are deemed to have caused it to move, you take the penalty and replace it. Since you didn't replace it, you played from wrong place. The penalty for such in match play is loss of hole.

Yip, you are 100% correct. We played it that I lost the hole anyway, hence 2 down.

I guess my overall point is to play competitive golf, it really helps to know the rules, especially with the recent sweeping changes.
 

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