Dropping out of unplayable lie

[cliveb]

In a mixed greensomes match yesterday, I duffed a shot and it ended up in thick undergrowth a few inches from the edge of the first cut. When we got to the ball, my wife decided it was unplayable and elected to drop it within two club lengths back out into the first cut. Unfortunately, the ground was sloping and so after dropping the ball it just rolled straight back into the undergrowth. Our opponents said she could re-drop it, so that's what she did.

I have two questions:

1. I'm pretty sure that if you're dropping from an unplayable lie and the ball rolls back into it, that's just tough and you are NOT allowed to re-drop - unless you want to take yet another penalty stroke, of course. Can someone confirm that is the case? (As it happens we ended up losing the hole anyway, so the outcome was not changed).

2. If you're considering whether to take such a drop, are you allowed to drop a different ball to test whether it's likely to just roll back where it came from - and if it does, elect not to take a drop and just attempt to slash it out?

 

[duncan mackie]

1. yes - you are correct. Unless the drop is technically incorrect in some way you don't get another go 'free' (there's a lot to rule 20 and it's various clauses!)
2. no

 

[North Mimms]

I think your generous opponents were thinking of taking a drop to obtain relief from eg an obstruction or GUR.

My unofficial rule is, If you're going to take a drop, make sure it's a good un! It's always worth checking what the options or likely outcome of a drop is, before you lift the ball

 

[cliveb]

Thanks very much for the replies.

I think your generous opponents were thinking of taking a drop to obtain relief from eg an obstruction or GUR.

I think our generous (and very friendly) opponents might simply have reckoned that we were stuffed and they were going to win the hole anyway!