Hitting a chip with your practice swing by mistake

[Italian outcast]

Hi all - as in the title another happening from last nights Italian 9-hole golf comp

Last night a PP (at a par-4) - playing his 2nd from 5 yards off the green - hit his ball by mistake during his practice swing

• He immediately stated this (and tbh honest it seemed obvious he had done so)

He wondered if the rule was that he could replace without penalty

• I said that he could replace but I thought it was a 1-shot penalty - I also said that it was possible that he could play it as it lies

He thought - and was looking for a free replacement - and so he did two things (after marking where his initial pre-practice ball lay)
1. He played it from where it lay after the mistaken chip - and marked his ball on the green
2. He replaced it as it originally was and re-chipped - and again marked his ball on the green.

Then he putted out both balls.

• For scenario 1 he had a mare - and 3 putted for a 6
• He then 2-putted the scenario 2 ball - for a 4 (assuming a free replacement without any penalty)

After the round we checked with the course marshall who stated there was a 1-shot penalty for the 'replacement' so he got marked as a 5

So all well and correct (?) ..but the point is
1. In general - unless you were severely damaged by the practice shot outcome - in this case he was not (it was 1 yard just off the green) - would you not just play it as it lies (I assume that is allowed) - Thoughts?
2. As the 2 balls were on similar lines at the final putts - He effectively was getting a few additional 'shot experiences' when putting - that may just be as it is - but it could have influenced his Scenario 2 (and competition counting) outcome

- is there such a thing as practicing on the hole before a competition?

Needless to say my Italian is becoming quite a challenge in the various tricky moments

Sadly - being Scottish - it is assumed I was born and raised in the R&A clubhouse

ME = 4 pars, 2 bogeys and 3 NRs = 18

 

[doublebogey7]

1. No theres was no stroke made at the ball and the player had moved the ball so the ball must be replaced on it's original spot under a 1 shot penalty.
2. That is just the way it is, he was not practising but playing 2 balls under the rules.

 

[*TQ*]

I raised this point on another thread earlier this week; could an unscrupulous golfer use the 'two balls' rule to his advantage? Making up some form of free relief for example but saying "but I'm not sure so I'll play two balls and get a decision afterwards", move ball back six inches, putt, then play original ball knowing the decision will be that the original ball should be played but now you have a read on the putt?

 

[williamalex1]

Hi all - as in the title another happening from last nights Italian 9-hole golf comp

Last night a PP (at a par-4) - playing his 2nd from 5 yards off the green - hit his ball by mistake during his practice swing

• He immediately stated this (and tbh honest it seemed obvious he had done so)

He wondered if the rule was that he could replace without penalty

• I said that he could replace but I thought it was a 1-shot penalty - I also said that it was possible that he could play it as it lies

He thought - and was looking for a free replacement - and so he did two things (after marking where his initial pre-practice ball lay)
1. He played it from where it lay after the mistaken chip - and marked his ball on the green
2. He replaced it as it originally was and re-chipped - and again marked his ball on the green.

Then he putted out both balls.

• For scenario 1 he had a mare - and 3 putted for a 6
• He then 2-putted the scenario 2 ball - for a 4 (assuming a free replacement without any penalty)

After the round we checked with the course marshall who stated there was a 1-shot penalty for the 'replacement' so he got marked as a 5

So all well and correct (?) ..but the point is
1. In general - unless you were severely damaged by the practice shot outcome - in this case he was not (it was 1 yard just off the green) - would you not just play it as it lies (I assume that is allowed) - Thoughts?
2. As the 2 balls were on similar lines at the final putts - He effectively was getting a few additional 'shot experiences' when putting - that may just be as it is - but it could have influenced his Scenario 2 (and competition counting) outcome

- is there such a thing as practicing on the hole before a competition?

Needless to say my Italian is becoming quite a challenge in the various tricky moments

Sadly - being Scottish - it is assumed I was born and raised in the R&A clubhouse

ME = 4 pars, 2 bogeys and 3 NRs = 18

See Rule 9.4b , a 1 stroke penalty and ball must be replaced. Exception 4 anywhere except on putting green.

I think the same exception applies if the ball is on the tee, not yet in play. The experts will be along shortly.
Best buy yourself a rule book mate

 

[Italian outcast]

See Rule 9.4b , a 1 stroke penalty and ball must be replaced. Exception 4 anywhere except on putting green.

I think the same exception applies if the ball is on the tee, not yet in play. The experts will be along shortly.
Best buy yourself a rule book mate

Whit? - you saying a Bellshill old lag disnae know the rules -- Learned them at may fathers knee in case i embarrassed him

 

[williamalex1]

Whit? - you saying a Bellshill old lag disnae know the rules -- Learned them at may fathers knee in case i embarrassed him

Ian my old son, I'm afraid they're all different numbers nowadays, i use to know quite a few of by heart, but i need to check the book now .
Let me ken when you're coming back and fancy a game mate

 

[Colin L]

Let's look at what the conclusion of his playing two balls will be. See Rule 20.1c(3) for details of the procedure. He should have announced to his marker or another player which of the two balls under this Rule was to count. If, as seems to be the case here, he did not, the first ball he played will count if the Rules allowed it to be played. In this situation the first ball was played from where it was accidentally moved to which the Rules do not allow and so the second ball played will count - if the Rules allowed. Since he had replaced this ball and played from the correct place it was within the Rules and so the second ball score is taken.

@williamalex1
Rule 9 applies only to a ball in play. You are right that before you start a hole there is no penalty for moving your ball. That, however, is not because of Rule 9, but because your ball is not in play.

 

[rulefan]

I think the same exception applies if the ball is on the tee, not yet in play.

Rule 9 only applies to a ball in play at rest on the course. Before the first stroke from the tee, the ball is not in play.

 

[Italian outcast]

Let's look at what the conclusion of his playing two balls will be. See Rule 20.1c(3) for details of the procedure. He should have announced to his marker or another player which of the two balls under this Rule was to count. If, as seems to be the case here, he did not, the first ball he played will count if the Rules allowed it to be played. In this situation the first ball was played from where it was accidentally moved to which the Rules do not allow and so the second ball played will count - if the Rules allowed. Since he had replaced this ball and played from the correct place it was within the Rules and so the second ball score is taken.

Colin that is in effect what happened - ie., he replaced and played and that was the ball the competition score was taken from - with the penalty added after we discussed after the round (But before card sign-off)

I guess playing the 2 balls as he did was an allowable safety net - though as I said he may have gotten some help on the line/pace of his scoring putts (although personally i wasn't too bothered about that) and wondered

The other point to my query was mainly would some (e.g., on here ) just play on as if the blunder was a duffed shot - and is that actually allowed? i.e., not to tell anyone you hit the ball with your practice swing (that i have certainly done tho not yet in a comp)

 

[garyinderry]

I did this recently. Hit the ball with my putter taking practice strokes from 2 yards off the green.

My mate asked who was going to putt and as I rose to tell him I was going to come onto the green I lifted the putter and hit the ball.

Heart sank as I was near 100% sure it was replace and 1 shot penalty. Checked and sure as a bear it was.

 

[williamalex1]

Let's look at what the conclusion of his playing two balls will be. See Rule 20.1c(3) for details of the procedure. He should have announced to his marker or another player which of the two balls under this Rule was to count. If, as seems to be the case here, he did not, the first ball he played will count if the Rules allowed it to be played. In this situation the first ball was played from where it was accidentally moved to which the Rules do not allow and so the second ball played will count - if the Rules allowed. Since he had replaced this ball and played from the correct place it was within the Rules and so the second ball score is taken.

@williamalex1
Rule 9 applies only to a ball in play. You are right that before you start a hole there is no penalty for moving your ball. That, however, is not because of Rule 9, but because your ball is not in play.

A different rule exception but still an exception

 

[Colin L]

A different rule exception but still an exception

Oh no, it isn't.

 

[williamalex1]

Oh no, it isn't.

Explain please

 

[rulefan]

Explain please

The introduction to rule 9 says it only applies to a ball in play. It isn't an exception to the rule. The rule simply doesn't apply.
In the same way that rule 12 doesn't apply to a ball on the putting green

 

[williamalex1]

The introduction to rule 9 says it only applies to a ball in play. It isn't an exception to the rule. The rule simply doesn't apply.
In the same way that rule 12 doesn't apply to a ball on the putting green

No penalty in either case