Plugged ball .....

[Stegsie]

Morning all. Probably a real easy one for you more knowledgeable gents, but one I was unsure of .....

Whilst playing a par 3 yesterday (on a very wet course!) my tee shot landed on the fringe of the green and was completely plugged. A least 50% of the ball was buried into the fringe, so to take the out with a shot would have resulted in a considerable divot! Seeing as it was just a practise round, on my own, I picked the ball out and repaired the plug.

Was wondering what the official stance would be, though?

 

[Spuddy]

You get a free drop but be careful repairing the pitch mark as that may be deemed to be improving your lie.

edited to add the rules 25-2 and 13-2

 

[pbrown7582]

There are newly produced sketches in the latest mag,show embbed ball rules decision.
If around 1/3 ball below ground level then relief is given but not if ball is buried in grass.

 

[Stegsie]

You get a free drop but be careful repairing the pitch mark as that may be deemed to be improving your lie.

edited to add the rules 25-2 and 13-2

Cheers Spuddy.

 

[Stegsie]

There are newly produced sketches in the latest mag,show embbed ball rules decision.
If around 1/3 ball below ground level then relief is given but not if ball is buried in grass.

OK - great! Cheers for that.

Nice one.

 

[Colin L]

There are newly produced sketches in the latest mag,show embbed ball rules decision.
If around 1/3 ball below ground level then relief is given but not if ball is buried in grass.

I'm not sure where you got 1/3 from. All that is necessary for the ball to be embedded is that it made a pitch mark when it hit the ground; that it is in that pitch mark; and that any part of the ball is below the level of the ground. That could be less than a third.

Also, be aware that the ball might be lying on grass with a part below the level of the ground - it doesn't have to be touching the earth.

See Decision 25-2/0.5
http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Decision-25/#d25-2-0.5

 

[CMAC]

one of the 'bad' rules in golf imo is having to play a plugged ball out the rough- or take a penalty- being in the rough is penalty enough but because there is a wet patch that plugs my ball I get doubly penalised.

 

[rulefan]

one of the 'bad' rules in golf imo is having to play a plugged ball out the rough- or take a penalty- being in the rough is penalty enough but because there is a wet patch that plugs my ball I get doubly penalised.

No problem with the rules, your committee is at liberty to make a local rule to give you relief.

 

[Imurg]

one of the 'bad' rules in golf imo is having to play a plugged ball out the rough- or take a penalty- being in the rough is penalty enough but because there is a wet patch that plugs my ball I get doubly penalised.

Agreed
Sometimes, I believe, there is a Local Rule in place but a lot of the time there isn't.
When we play bounce games and we plug in the rough we just roll it out, no cleaning, no placing...just seems fair(ish)

 

[CMAC]

No problem with the rules, your committee is at liberty to make a local rule to give you relief.

yes I understood that, I feel the rule should be across all courses at all times and not down to a local committee who might not be that up to speed on the day/s

 

[guest100718]

yes I understood that, I feel the rule should be across all courses at all times and not down to a local committee who might not be that up to speed on the day/s

we have it in place throughout the winter.

 

[rulefan]

we have it in place throughout the winter.

There are many courses where it would be inappropriate at any time of the year.

 

[CMAC]

There are many courses where it would be inappropriate at any time of the year.

why?

 

[williamalex1]

why?

My thoughts too .

 

[rulefan]

why?

Because the ground drains or rain runs off so well balls never get plugged except on the green if it has just been watered.

eg the West Lancashire coast

 

[stevie_r]

we have it in place throughout the winter.

We have it in place permanently.

 

[London mike 61]

After all the rain we have had I'm surprised your voice didn't echo in the hole when you took the ball out. Where's my ball all, all..........?

 

[Fyldewhite]

The rule is fine as it is, if you hit it in the rough you get what you get. What next, I hit it in the rough and there was a bush there.....I was doubly penalised? Wet ground is a fact of life on a golf course, you have to learn how to avoid it just like long grass, gorse, trees etc. That said, I certainly agree that committees should implement local rule as appropriate. eg if half the course is a bog etc.

 

[Stegsie]

After all the rain we have had I'm surprised your voice didn't echo in the hole when you took the ball out. Where's my ball all, all..........?

Lol, it almost did!

To be honest I have never seen the course so waterlogged. It's normally vey good in all weathers, and I've never know it to be shut (except for snow). There was a serious amount if water about; greens, fairways the lot.

On a more positive not my Footjoy aquas were dry as a bone at the end of the round. Very impressed with them!

 

[dufferman]

The rule is fine as it is, if you hit it in the rough you get what you get. What next, I hit it in the rough and there was a bush there.....I was doubly penalised? Wet ground is a fact of life on a golf course, you have to learn how to avoid it just like long grass, gorse, trees etc. That said, I certainly agree that committees should implement local rule as appropriate. eg if half the course is a bog etc.

I guess the argument here is you can SEE a bush / tree / pond to avoid it. If I hit a ball just in the rough and it's plugged, the penalty can be more severe than, say, someone who hooks it 30 yards right and ends up on higher ground where water can drain away.

You can't really see boggy ground from 200 odd yards away on the tee.

Just an example but you can see the idea...