Practising on the course

[spongebob59]

At weekends on the roll up stableford comps, its quite normal to play another ball if you lose one during a hole, even if it doesn't count.

So in a formal club comp if you lose a ball and can't find it, are you allowed to 'drop another ball' and play out the hole ?

 

[guest100718]

At weekends on the roll up stableford comps, its quite normal to play another ball if you lose one during a hole, even if it doesn't count.

So in a formal club comp if you lose a ball and can't find it, are you allowed to 'drop another ball' and play out the hole ?

As long as you drop it from where you last hit it.

 

[woody69]

Well you are allowed to drop (as per the appropriate rule depending on how you proceed after losing the ball) and continue the hole and count the score. But if it is purely for practice purposes you would be in breach of 7-2

7-2. During Round

A player must not make a practice stroke during play of a hole.

Between the play of two holes a player must not make a practice stroke, except that he may practice putting or chipping on or near:

a.
the putting green of the hole last played, /p>

b.
any practice putting green, or

c.
the teeing ground of the next hole to be played in the round, provided a practicestroke is not made from a hazard and does not unduly delay play (Rule 6-7).

Strokes made in continuing the play of a hole, the result of which has been decided, are not practice strokes.

 

[woody69]

As long as you drop it from where you last hit it.

As Paddy says, effectively Stroke and Distance rule and adding the penalty shot. You can't hit your ball over in some trees / bush fail to find it, so just drop a ball near said tree/bush and continue.

 

[turkish]

As Paddy says, effectively Stroke and Distance rule and adding the penalty shot. You can't hit your ball over in some trees / bush fail to find it, so just drop a ball near said tree/bush and continue.

I've thought about this before- what if you thin it so leave no divot- go up expecting to find ball ok but don't find it- how could you drop with any certainty in same place(or within 2 clubs lengths) if there are no marks left/markers put down?

Is it just down to judgement and expected to be of sporting nature?

 

[Colin L]

I've thought about this before- what if you thin it so leave no divot- go up expecting to find ball ok but don't find it- how could you drop with any certainty in same place(or within 2 clubs lengths) if there are no marks left/markers put down?

Is it just down to judgement and expected to be of sporting nature?

As you say, you just have to make you best judgment as to where you last played from and drop there. Forget about 2 club lengths - that doesn’t come into it: you are dropping as near as possible to where you last played - even if that is simply your best guess.

 

[turkish]

Thanks Colin no doubt this will happen to me at some point- it's only happened so far in bounce games when even if a decent score i'll just count myself out and practice from where I thought ball would have been

 

[ADB]

As you say, you just have to make you best judgment as to where you last played from and drop there. Forget about 2 club lengths - that doesn’t come into it: you are dropping as near as possible to where you last played - even if that is simply your best guess.

Unless you are Tiger at the Masters...

 

[spongebob59]

Well you are allowed to drop (as per the appropriate rule depending on how you proceed after losing the ball) and continue the hole and count the score. But if it is purely for practice purposes you would be in breach of 7-2

So in stableford , once you can no longer score on a hole , you must pick up ?

 

[woody69]

So in stableford , once you can no longer score on a hole , you must pick up ?

No? How do you come to that conclusion?

 

[spongebob59]

No? How do you come to that conclusion?

Well if you can't score anything else must be practice.

 

[turkish]

In stableford you can continue the hole if you are wanting to keep own personal score. I think if you are chopping it about loads without a chance of scoring though could be seen as bad etiquette as will unnecessarily hold up play.

 

[rulefan]

So in stableford , once you can no longer score on a hole , you must pick up ?

Strokes made in continuing the play of a hole, the result of which has been decided, are not practice strokes.

 

[spongebob59]

Strokes made in continuing the play of a hole, the result of which has been decided, are not practice strokes.

thank you, thats cleared that one up for me.

 

[Old Colner]

Just out of interest, if you are playing Stableford and you hit one only realising it's OOB when you get to your ball, you drop ball on the fairway adjacent and continue the hole not scoring any points of course, now then, have you been practicing or have you played your ball from the wrong place?
Also whilst I have been typing this, does the same apply in 4BBB matchplay?

 

[Fyldewhite]

Just out of interest, if you are playing Stableford and you hit one only realising it's OOB when you get to your ball, you drop ball on the fairway adjacent and continue the hole not scoring any points of course, now then, have you been practicing or have you played your ball from the wrong place?
Also whilst I have been typing this, does the same apply in 4BBB matchplay?

A player could say they are playing from the wrong place.......but they're not are they? They're practicing. Integrity, honesty...all that.

 

[Old Colner]

I fully understand where you are coming from and I am not saying one is right and I understand the enforcement of all the rules not being able to pick and choose but I would really struggle to pull somebody up on this, if they played from adjacent to where their ball was and were unable to score on the hole they would be practicing on the course but if they were to go back to the tee and put another ball in play that would be ok.
Do you see what I am trying to say?

 

[pogle]

I fully understand where you are coming from and I am not saying one is right and I understand the enforcement of all the rules not being able to pick and choose but I would really struggle to pull somebody up on this, if they played from adjacent to where their ball was and were unable to score on the hole they would be practicing on the course but if they were to go back to the tee and put another ball in play that would be ok.
Do you see what I am trying to say?

Decision 7-2/1.7 may help


Q. Rule 7-2 states that strokes played in continuing the play of a hole, the result of which has been decided, are not practice strokes. What is meant by “continuing the play of a hole”?

A. This phrase covers situations in which a player plays the remainder of the hole with one ball in play. Its interpretation is not restricted to continuing the play of the hole in accordance with the Rules and includes, for example, situations where a player plays a ball from a spot close to where his original ball went out of bounds or in the area where it was lost.

In your example in a Stableford competition, there is no breach. In a 4BBB match play competition, you need to ensure your continuation of play doesn't assist your partner. If it does, then team would suffer a loss of hole penalty.

 

[Old Colner]

Thanks for that Pogle,
That does make it clear now and I fully understand the team angle.