Preferred lies, did I cheat ?

[colint]

I was basically accused of cheating yesterday, only in a friendly game and nothing much was made of it but I'd just like a second opinion.

My drive was on the edge of the fairway (on the fairway) and there was a broken, but still attached to the tree, branch, slightly hindering my contact with the ball. Preferred lies were in play, so I marked, lifted the ball and replaced it about 4 inches behind which took the branch of my way.

The accusation was that I used the preferred lies rule, but not for it's intended purpose, and that isn't allowed.

 

[pokerjoke]

I dont think you cheated if you were on the fairway you can mark it and replace within 6" if that takes out the twig then thats your luck.Ive been wrong before though.

 

[Imurg]

Perfectly ok in my view.
You're entitled to pick and place. What are you going to do - move it closer to a tree root?

Well done. use the rules - sometimes they work to your advantage

 

[Dodger]

You preferred your lie..nowt wrong at all.

 

[Yerman]

Definitely not. Using the rules is what the pros do all the time. For example you take relief from a staked tree, but you're now on a cart path so another free relief and you end up four club lengths from where you started, no cheating and no shots used. Your accuser needs to learn the rules and not make up his own interpretation.

 

[Parmo]

I concur. No rule breach and you where well within your rights.

 

[birdieman]

Sue them for defamation. Absolutely within the rules - you're on the fairway so it's your choice.

I had a call made on me last year by this old boy about dropping from a GUR area. I said I found the nearest point of relief from the GUR area, not nearer the hole and dropped within a clublength of it which happened to be to the side, not the back of the GUR area on this occassion. He reckoned it had to be dropped in a straight line back from the flag ball line. I explained that was a penalty drop rule, not a free drop one but he remained unconvinced.

Why won't club golfers just sit down and learn the rules?

 

[drawboy]

Only the same as using your longest club to measure a drop, you are allowed 6 inches any direction no nearer the hole. you played to the rules, well done.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

As long as it was within the 6 inches allowed and you were definitely on the fairway then you're fine. You said in the OP edge of the fairway so do you think the guy was actually questioning the entitlement to the drop itself

 

[colint]

Thanks for the replies.

No Homer, he wasn't questioning whether the ball was on the fairway, he was saying I moved the ball to get away from the branch, not a muddy / bare lie, and that made it illegal.

He's spent 10 minutes before the game telling me how well he was playing, adn then was 3 down after 7 so maybe that clouded his judgement

 

[Ethan]

No cheat, no question. Fortunate side benefit of using a rule legally. Sometimes it works the other way.

 

[Deleted member 1740]

No cheating whatsoever colin, swings and roundabouts prefering your lie.

 

[doc17]

Tell him to get on here and explain himself!!!

 

[ball_basher]

i would think you were well within your right to do this , were you beating the other guy ?

 

[backwoodsman]

Only the same as using your longest club to measure a drop, you are allowed 6 inches any direction no nearer the hole. you played to the rules, well done.

Err... not the same at all. The OP was fine in moving the ball (within the limits of preferred lies that is) but using your longest club isn't (necessarily) permissible. You must measure relief using the club with which you would have played the shot as if relief wasn't necessary. (See the note in the definition of nearest point of relief)

 

[TonyN]

No question about it, You have done nowt wrong. How funny is that though, 'you have preferred your lie for the wrong reason' haha.

 

[Spoff]

Only the same as using your longest club to measure a drop, you are allowed 6 inches any direction no nearer the hole. you played to the rules, well done.

Err... not the same at all. The OP was fine in moving the ball (within the limits of preferred lies that is) but using your longest club isn't (necessarily) permissible. You must measure relief using the club with which you would have played the shot as if relief wasn't necessary. (See the note in the definition of nearest point of relief)

I've never seen a pro use anything but a driver when measuring

 

[USER1999]

Casey took a drop from a fairway drain yesterday, with a driver. He took the head cover off though, as you should. Amazing how many people take a drop after measuring it out with a driver, and a 4 ft high spiderman head cover on the end.

 

[freddielong]

You were right, he was wrong, that simple. You can use prefered lies when they are in play for any reason you want, you an have a perfect lie and still move it if you want, I think you hit the nail on the head when you said it might have been because you were 3 up, I hope you saw it through and gave him a beating.

 

[Sam]

Only the same as using your longest club to measure a drop, you are allowed 6 inches any direction no nearer the hole. you played to the rules, well done.

Or a club length - local rule