2 balls in bunker

[Dellboy]

Right then, yesterday I hit my ball into the green side bunker, then so did my pp. as his ball was further from the hole (about 3/4 inch) I marked my ball and he played his shot.

He then raked the bunker putting back to the same condition as he found it for me to play my ball, but he then said I had to drop it and could not place, I thought I could place. So took his word and dropped in to very soft sand and in plugged.

As it happened, more luck than judgment, I came out in one and was closer to the flag than he was, and I won the hole, but did I have to drop, sounds a bit unfair to me or could I have placed.

Yes I know I should carry a rule book but just got a new bag and not sorted it all out yet.

Cheers

Dellboy

P.S just an after thought, could I have played two balls, one placed and one dropped and checked afterwards??

 

[woody69]

You didn't have to drop. You have to create the original lie as near as possible to what it was. Why did your opponent believe you should be punished because he had the luck of being slightly further from the hole?

Covered in rule 20-3b

b. Lie of Ball to be Placed or Replaced Altered

If the original lie of a ball to be placed or replaced has been altered:

(i) except in a hazard, the ball must be placed in the nearest lie most similar to the original lie that is not more than one club-length from the original lie, not nearer the hole and not in a hazard;
(ii) in a water hazard, the ball must be placed in accordance with Clause (i) above, except that the ball must be placed in the water hazard;
(iii) in a bunker, the original lie must be re-created as nearly as possible and the ball must be placed in that lie.

Yes you could have played 2 balls and recorded both outcomes and clarified after according to rule 3-3

 

[Colin L]

Del, you finish off by saying that you fortunately won the hole which means it must have been match play. In which case, you could not play a second ball. Rule 3-3 applies to stroke play only. You need to look at Rule 2-5 for the procedure when there is doubt or a dispute in match play. Briefly, you should have done as you thought you should, by placing the ball in a recreated lie. If your opponent didn't like that, he could make a claim before the start of the next hole and the Committee would have to rule on who was right and adjust the state of the match accordingly.

 

[Dellboy]

Woody69 Thanks for that, I thought I was right but not having the rules to hand I couldn't say for sure, did think it was odd i was going to be punished for something like that.

Colin L Yes it was match play, got to say I didn't know you were not to play two balls, have done it in the past, but not any more. As it turns out I won 4-3 and it didn't ruin the match so all ended well.

Rule book now back in bag :thup:

 

[Colin L]

I hope before you put it back in the bag you had a look through Rule 2-5, especially Note 2.

 

[woody69]

Del, you finish off by saying that you fortunately won the hole which means it must have been match play. In which case, you could not play a second ball. Rule 3-3 applies to stroke play only. You need to look at Rule 2-5 for the procedure when there is doubt or a dispute in match play. Briefly, you should have done as you thought you should, by placing the ball in a recreated lie. If your opponent didn't like that, he could make a claim before the start of the next hole and the Committee would have to rule on who was right and adjust the state of the match accordingly.

Thanks for the correction.