Another Rules Question

[CarpeDiem]

On the 2nd tee in todays monthly medal, one of my partner swung his club and on his downswing the ball fell of he and he simply hit the tee with the ball rolling about 3 inches to the side. After a discussion of the rules the rest of us declared that it counted as a shot and that he should play his ball as it lies, however he would be playing his second. My question is, were we right is the ruleing or was the correct action taken?

 

[time_vans]

correct when addressing the ball on the tee, and accidently knocking it off the tee, the ball can be replaced with no penalty but if a shot was attempted ie a swing then it counts as one shot and the ball should be played from where it lies.

 

[Sneds]

So even though the wind or whatever blew his ball off the tee, because he had started his swing it counted as a shot?

Doesn't seem very fair

 

[DCB]

Rule 18 relates to the Ball at Rest Moved. 18-2b gives the following
"b. Ball Moving After Address
If a player’s ball in play moves after he has addressed it (other than as a result of a stroke), the player is deemed to have moved the ball and incurs a penalty of one stroke.The ball must be replaced, unless the movement of the ball occurs after the player has begun the stroke or the
backward movement of the club for the stroke and the stroke is made."

So in the case described by the OP the stroke was completed and the ball is deemed to be in play.

Best book you can get for all sorts of occassions like this is the Decisions On The Rules of Golf. Very interesting reading, you can and will learn a lot from reading this book.

Have a read of some of the rather obsure decisions, would you know what to do if your clubhead broke off during a backswing ?

What happens if you continue with the swing and miss the ball because the head of the club went into orbit on the backswing?

oh the joys of the rules.

 

[RGuk]

It's not quite as straightforward as the rules suggest....then again, it probably is!


In most peoples opinion (probably) the moment when you have finally "addressed" the ball is not a guaranteed thing. If you are fiddling around and knock it off, you just replace it. If you are definitely "set" and ready to go, it's a penalty. The only sure sign you have 100% addressed the ball is when you have started your swing!! I'd have thought.
In this case, it's clear cut, 100% sure.


Didn't Tiger stop mid-swing once.....but he wasn't deemed to have missed the ball.....BUT if by some freaky force, his ball had toppled off the tee, I'm sure he'd have incurred a penalty EVEN THOUGH HE STOPPED HIS SWING. If you've addressed it, started your swing and it falls off, I'm afraid it's always "one".

If you started your backswing, stopped at the top and said something like (whoops, sorry chaps) and then the ball fell off, that'd be an interesting call. You can "un-address" a ball i.m.o. look at players on the tour who are set and ready, then the wind blows or something and they step away and re-start? The reason why they (and me, and others, no doubt) make a deliberate move away is to make it clear you have un-addressed?? Like with putting I guess, if you ground the club and the ball moves, it's a penalty. If you step away and then the ball runs off down the hill???

I'm just winding....

In reality, I don't think we get it wrong!!

 

[Imurg]

When you're on the tee isn't it a matter of whether you are attemting to play the ball? In Tiger's case he pulled out mid-swing - similar to a bowler in cricket can stop his run up or the batsman can move away before the ball is bowled. I pulled out of a drive today when someone made some noise coming round a bush. If you don't make a full attempt to play the ball then it doesn't count - I think!!

Only off the tee though.Once the ball is off the tee then its a penalty once you've addressed it.

I would probably have gone on the safe side and said the shot counted.

Are the rules too complicated?? I know there are only 32( I think) but there must be millions of decisions that make it almost impossible to gat it right sometimes

 

[DCB]

Yes, Rule 14 would cover the intentional stopping of the swing before the ball is struck.

 

[viscount17]

not sure if the rules are too complicated or just (touches forelock and bows toward R&A) badly written.

 

[RGuk]

I don't find the rules too taxing.....
I do find them written in a "strange" manner though!!

It's the practical application that counts and both the R&A and golf magazines (incl. GM) have tried exceptionally hard i.m.o. to help understand the most common situations.

If I was looking at the booklet and practical rules, I'd be tempted to put a FAQ at the back of the book that defines "what" to do without using all the golf terminology. Even social hackers could look up "my ball is in a pond" ! and get an a) or b) or c) answer.
I'll see if I can think of a few.

Then again the quick guide might do this....I've just never read it, so I wouldn't know...

 

[Herbie]

I think there are some simpler rules and simpler explanations of many existing rules but they are unlikely to change as it would put rule creators complicators and adjusters out of business lol.