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Rules Question

Irish

Well-Known Member
May 9, 2007
688
0
So I'm playing in my strokeplay comp at the home course...

I blade a wedge on the 4th way past the hole. Thinking its gone I drop a ball as a provisional and play it onto the green. So I look for my first ball and find it...its up against a fence at the very back of the green (completely unplayable) so I deem it unplayable and as per rules try to find somewhere not closer to the hole within two clublengths where I can take my penalty drop....

Of course being up against a fence and being at the furthest point of the fence from the hole there was nowhere within two clublengths that was further from the hole that wasn't also up against the fence...

now because the ball wasn't lost I figured I couldn't play my provisional ball and had to go back again to the fairway and play another wedge in, I ended up with a quad and lost the comp by 3 strokes . Is my interpretation of the unplayable ruling correct. Once you deem your ball unplayable are the only options available to either take relief within two club lenghts no closer to the hole or go back and play the shot again...I think I'm correct in stating that I can't use my provisional ball in this situation??
 

IrishGolfer

Fac ut gaudeam
Supporting Member
Sep 1, 2004
6,542
4,976
I'll bet you were fun to play behind. YAWN!!!

tbh I am not sure. I think you did the right thing. I would be curious to see what the ruling is here. The easy way round it is not to go looking for your original ball, just declare it lost and move on.
 

Pa Jayhawk

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2005
7,196
62
Country
United States United States
You are correct that you cannot play the provisional. However you were entitled to relief from the fence without penalty assuming the fence was not part of an Out of Bounds mark or out of bounds. Also assuming it was not your only obstruction.
 
OP
Irish

Irish

Well-Known Member
May 9, 2007
688
0
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #4
You are correct that you cannot play the provisional. However you were entitled to relief from the fence without penalty assuming the fence was not part of an Out of Bounds mark or out of bounds. Also assuming it was not your only obstruction.

i'm always unsure of that one...there are no out of bounds stakes on that fence however I believe outside of it is out of bounds as there is a holiday village in behind it :) so I think its an integral part of the course and no relief is available...
 

Fourputt

Littleton, Colorado
Sep 5, 2006
973
0
Assuming that the fence was a boundary fence, then you did the only thing you could do. Option b under Rule 28 (Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped) was not an option as it would have taken you off the course. Since apparently option c (2 clublengths) would also have left the course at any point which was not closer to to the hole, then option a (stroke and distance) was the only alternative.

In any event, taking stroke and distance is always an option under Rule 28, so even though it isn't always the best choice, it can never be incorrect.
 

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