Rules: playing a ball from where the last shot was played

[JustOne]

You hit a nice tee shot down the middle but your second ball heads off 100yards into the tree so you decide to play 4. Where do you play from?
Is it exactly where the last ball was even though you've just ripped a divot outta the ground a foot long and an inch deep?


Ball Unplayable (Rule 28)
If your ball is in a water hazard, the unplayable ball Rule does not apply and you must proceed under the water hazard Rule if taking relief.
Elsewhere on the course, if you believe your ball is unplayable, you may under penalty of one stroke:
• play a ball from where the last shot was played , or
• drop a ball any distance behind the point where the ball lay keeping a straight line between the hole, the point where the ball lay and the spot on which the ball is dropped, or
• drop a ball within two club-lengths of where the ball lies not nearer the hole.

 

[bobmac]

You hit a nice tee shot down the middle but your second ball heads off 100yards into the tree so you decide to play 4. Where do you play from?
Is it exactly where the last ball was even though you've just ripped a divot outta the ground a foot long and an inch deep?

You drop your ball within 1 club length of the divot mark, not nearer the hole.
Shame you didn't put your divot back.

 

[golf_bug]

I have had several heated debates about the unplayable ball rule with one of my playing partners. I think you can deem the ball unplayable anywhere on the course, incurring a 1 stroke penalty. He reckons you can only call in unplayable with the consent of your opponent/playing partner i.e. only when it is really in the sh1t. Can someone clarify?

 

[janmolby]

This came up not that long ago, you can call your ball unplayable no matter where it is (except in a water hazard) & without the consent of your partner/opponent, it's your decision & yours alone. The example that was given was that even if it sitting on the edge of the cup you can say it's unplayable & no-one can force you to play it.

Ball Unplayable (Rule 28)
If your ball is in a water hazard, the unplayable ball Rule does not apply and you must proceed under the water hazard Rule if taking relief.
Elsewhere on the course, if you believe your ball is unplayable, you may under penalty of one stroke:
• play a ball from where the last shot was played, or
• drop a ball any distance behind the point where the ball lay keeping a straight line between the hole, the point where the ball lay and the spot on which the ball is dropped, or
• drop a ball within two club-lengths of where the ball lies not nearer the hole.
If your ball is in a bunker you may proceed as above, except that if you are dropping back on a line or within two club-lengths, you must drop in the bunker

 

[viscount17]

Ball Unplayable (Rule 28)
If your ball is in a water hazard, the unplayable ball Rule does not apply and you must proceed under the water hazard Rule if taking relief.
Elsewhere on the course, if you believe your ball is unplayable, you may under penalty of one stroke:
• play a ball from where the last shot was played, or
• drop a ball any distance behind the point where the ball lay keeping a straight line between the hole, the point where the ball lay and the spot on which the ball is dropped, or
• drop a ball within two club-lengths of where the ball lies not nearer the hole.
If your ball is in a bunker you may proceed as above, except that if you are dropping back on a line or within two club-lengths, you must drop in the bunker

interesting, the second seems to negate the first in that the implication is that if you drop within two club lengths then you do not have to maintain a straight line.
so find a point (not nearer) within two club lengths, that gives you a better line and it's legal?

 

[bobmac]

Correct

 

[golf_bug]

This came up not that long ago, you can call your ball unplayable no matter where it is (except in a water hazard) & without the consent of your partner/opponent, it's your decision & yours alone. The example that was given was that even if it sitting on the edge of the cup you can say it's unplayable & no-one can force you to play it.

I thought this was the case. The guy who is arguing with me was saying "well the pro's don't deem it unplayable even when its in horrendous rough". But he hasn't seemed to grasp the point that you drop a shot.

 

[USER1999]

I thought that Ross Fisher did exactly that in the open. Under penalty of one shot, he took a drop out of an unplayable lie in the bundu. Then he hooked it into an equally bad lie on the other side of the fairway, and ended up with an 8.

 

[Ethan]

It is pretty simple really. Options are as described above - replay, drop back as far in a straight line or drop within 2 club lengths. Same for pros and ams. The pros don't deem it unplayable as often, because they don't hit it there as often, and when they do they have a better chance of getting it out, but they certainly do have to take a drop occasionally.

One big mistake that many ams make is to assume that the penalty drop entitles you to drop the ball far enough to let you have a clear swing - it doesn't. If 2 club lengths from the point where the ball lies (not the edge of the crap) is not enough, you may have to take 2 drops to get a clear swing.

 

[golf_bug]

One big mistake that many ams make is to assume that the penalty drop entitles you to drop the ball far enough to let you have a clear swing - it doesn't. If 2 club lengths from the point where the ball lies (not the edge of the crap) is not enough, you may have to take 2 drops to get a clear swing.

unless you go back in a straight line between the ball and the hole....then you can go as far back as you like to get a clear swing?

 

[RGDave]

• drop a ball any distance behind the point where the ball lay keeping a straight line between the hole, the point where the ball lay and the spot on which the ball is dropped,

I have used this one a few times. Let's say you are in trees/hedge l/r of the fairway nearish the green (bad 2nd shot!) and can't find a good penalty drop - pick the ball up (leaving a marker, like a tee) and head back to the fairway of the adjacent hole leaving a good distance to get the ball up and onto the green.

 

[Ethan]

One big mistake that many ams make is to assume that the penalty drop entitles you to drop the ball far enough to let you have a clear swing - it doesn't. If 2 club lengths from the point where the ball lies (not the edge of the crap) is not enough, you may have to take 2 drops to get a clear swing.

unless you go back in a straight line between the ball and the hole....then you can go as far back as you like to get a clear swing?

Indeed, as cited above.

The point I was making was that sometimes a ball is found 10 feet inside a large bush, and the player still drops, to the side, not back in a straight line under penalty, in a nice lie away from the bush, when 2 x 2 club lengths would be needed to get there.

 

[JustOne]

You hit a nice tee shot down the middle but your second ball heads off 100yards into the tree so you decide to play 4. Where do you play from?
Is it exactly where the last ball was even though you've just ripped a divot outta the ground a foot long and an inch deep?

You drop your ball within 1 club length of the divot mark, not nearer the hole.
Shame you didn't put your divot back.

So if your tee shot ends up in some tree roots at the side of the fairway and you carve your second shot into the wilderness you can play another (now your 4th shot) from within one club length - ie: not in the tree roots any more?

 

[backwoodsman]

You hit a nice tee shot down the middle but your second ball heads off 100yards into the tree so you decide to play 4. Where do you play from?
Is it exactly where the last ball was even though you've just ripped a divot outta the ground a foot long and an inch deep?

You drop your ball within 1 club length of the divot mark, not nearer the hole.
Shame you didn't put your divot back.

bobmac: You sure about this? There's no reference in the rules or the decisions (see rules 20-5 and 28) about dropping within one club length. The rules just say you have to drop it in the same place (except if it's the teeing ground where you can play it from anywhere within the teeing grund, and re-tee it). Methinks you just drop it and hope it doesn't stay in the divot.

 

[Region3]

I would've thought there has to be a specific distance (ie 1 club length) otherwise how would you decide if the dropped ball was fair or not?