Texas Scramble Enquiry

[d2cko]

I played in a 3 man scramble earlier this week and on the first, a par 5, we selected our drive and played our second shots. The first lad hooked his into deep rough and we never found it. The second lad topped his about 30 yards and I drilled my 3 wood straight down the middle. The part of the fairway my ball ended up in was blind to us but I knew it was going to be fine so we picked up the topped ball and didn't bother looking for the hooked ball. On arriving at the area that my ball should've been it was nowhere to be seen! It was never found and I ended up walking back up the fairway to drop another ball.

My question is, should all 3 of us have gone back and dropped a ball each or just me?

 

[pbrown7582]

I think you would of all been entitled to walk back and play again.

 

[beggsy]

Yes all walk back under penalty and play the 3 balls again

 

[DCB]

What happened to the ball that only went 30yds ?

I think that only the third player should retake their shot.

 

[rosecott]

I agree with DCB. You abandoned the ball hooked into the rough, you lifted the 30 yard topped ball, so the third ball automatically became the selected ball. Let's say you found the third ball and it was either completely unplayable (i.e. no possibility of 2 clublengths or back in line with flag) or OOB. In that case, only the player who played that ball should play stroke and distance.

 

[Region3]

Everyone is entitled to have a go at the first shot, second shot etc, so why is not everybody entitled to have a go at the 4th shot (back in the fairway after penalty)?

 

[rosecott]

Surely, having selected a ball to continue play and that ball is lost/OOB/unplayable, then whoever played it has to get it back in play before play can proceed.

 

[DCB]

Everyone is entitled to have a go at the first shot, second shot etc, so why is not everybody entitled to have a go at the 4th shot (back in the fairway after penalty)?

At best it could be argued that Player 1 could replay under penalty as his ball was lost (not found). Player 2 found his ball but picked it up so he can't replay. player 3 didn't find his ball, so he had to replay his shot.

Anyway, it's not a proper form of golf so not covered by the RoG it's just a bit of fun really.

 

[rosecott]

Anyway, it's not a proper form of golf so not covered by the RoG it's just a bit of fun really.

Not much fun if your team doesn't have a ball in play!

 

[Colin L]

Surely, having selected a ball to continue play and that ball is lost/OOB/unplayable, then whoever played it has to get it back in play before play can proceed.

Alternatively, you might see it this way:

Each player plays from where the selected ball comes to rest. In this case, one ball lost and the second ball picked up means that the third ball has been selected - no dispute in that. When it is not found, the question is where do the 3 players play their next stroke? It should be from the only spot that can be determined for the selected ball, which is where the previous stroke at that ball was played. The player of the selected ball drops under stroke and distance and his ball is in play. That is where his previous stroke ended up and so it is from there that the game proceeds in the normal way with each player playing his next stroke. The side has incurred a penalty stroke of course.

 

[Region3]

Surely, having selected a ball to continue play and that ball is lost/OOB/unplayable, then whoever played it has to get it back in play before play can proceed.

At best it could be argued that Player 1 could replay under penalty as his ball was lost (not found). Player 2 found his ball but picked it up so he can't replay. player 3 didn't find his ball, so he had to replay his shot.

Anyway, it's not a proper form of golf so not covered by the RoG it's just a bit of fun really.

As DCB says, not covered by the rules of golf, but an interesting question nonetheless.

I would argue (most unlike me!) that if you're saying player X has to get the ball back in play then that is the team's 3rd shot when he drops in the previous spot under penalty, and all can have a go at the 4th shot.
If player X hit power lines and had to replay the 2nd shot then I'd agree with you both.

Hyperfetical situation.
All 3 players tee off. A and B go OOB and C hits into a water hazard. They choose C's ball. Are you suggesting that only player C should be allowed to play the 3rd shot after the penalty drop?

​Edit: Colin beat me to it.

 

[full_throttle]

In the above scenario I would imagine player C drops the ball under penalty then marks it, plays then the remaining team members place/drop and procedd as normal.

 

[rosecott]

I now have to agree with Colin L/Region3/full_throttle - stupid question for a Monday morning!

 

[doublebogey7]

At best it could be argued that Player 1 could replay under penalty as his ball was lost (not found). Player 2 found his ball but picked it up so he can't replay. player 3 didn't find his ball, so he had to replay his shot.

Anyway, it's not a proper form of golf so not covered by the RoG it's just a bit of fun really.

But he is not replaying his shot (we don't do mulligans in this fair Isle) the team is taking stroke and distance, therefore as this is Texas Scramble they must all be entitled to play the fourth shot.

 

[DCB]

I see where you're coming from

 

[d2cko]

Having thought about it, I think that we all should've gone back and played from where I dropped the ball. I spoke to a few of the members and apparently they're having problems with rabbit scrapes down the first fairway so my ball is probably still nestled in a nice little hole about 100 yds from the green!

Gutted!

 

[rosecott]

Having thought about it, I think that we all should've gone back and played from where I dropped the ball. I spoke to a few of the members and apparently they're having problems with rabbit scrapes down the first fairway so my ball is probably still nestled in a nice little hole about 100 yds from the green!

Gutted!

You should have gone to Specsavers and I wouldn't have been so confused on a Monday morning after a hot Sunday afternoon on the golf course.