That's my ball in the water ???

[golfdub]

I played the charity day comp last weekend and I hit my drive towards the river but we all thought the rough would of slowed it down and stopped before the water, after looking for a few minutes I manage to see a ball which is in 2ft of water of the river and I can clearly see my markings on it. So I explain to the group I'm sure that's my ball in the river as they are my markings on that ball and show them another ball from my bag with the same markings and we all decide that is my ball and I take a drop from the water and play on.

Is this the correct rule ?

I'm sure if all the group votes yes to that being my ball then this is the rule.

 

[Val]

If you find it in the water and can identify it then im sure you are right other than that I was certain the ruling was if you couldn't find and identify it then you had to actually see it go in.

Maybe this is another golfing myth i'm unsure?

 

[duncan mackie]

If you find it in the water and can identify it then im sure you are right other than that I was certain the ruling was if you couldn't find and identify it then you had to actually see it go in.

Maybe this is another golfing myth i'm unsure?

not sure it's a myth - sounds more like an 'interpretation' of known, or virtually certain to me. Not an unreasonable one but in itself not a rule.

Golfclub - sounds fine to me. there are decisions which confirm that you don't have to have the ball in your hand to identify it; so the question becomes how certain are you that it was your ball. In this case it sounds as if everyone in the group is 'virtually certain' it's your ball, and that it's in the water, so you proceeded correctly.

Note, just because everyone in the group agrees this doesn't make it right - see how easy myths start! However, in this case the basis for their agreement is sound ie they can see the ball with markings, and then they all agree what they see.

 

[golfdub]

Thanks for the quick response. That's one less thing bugging me

 

[cookelad]

Thanks for the quick response. That's one less thing bugging me

In all honesty I can't see why its been bugging you, you've been more strict with you interpretation of the rule than probably 95% of your competitors would have been! Most would have said "ooh there's a ball! must be mine I'll drop one on this nice piece of freshly cut fairway!"

 

[golfdub]

In all honesty I can't see why its been bugging you, you've been more strict with you interpretation of the rule than probably 95% of your competitors would have been! Most would have said "ooh there's a ball! must be mine I'll drop one on this nice piece of freshly cut fairway!"

Yea I'm a bit weird like that...lol
I don't like feeling that I may have cheated someone a chance of winning ( I didn't win but if I did ) and most of all if this wasn't the rule I feel I'm lying to my self as to what level of golf I can play and I may look like a cock the next time it happens.... Hope that makes sense

 

[cookelad]

Yea I'm a bit weird like that...lol
I don't like feeling that I may have cheated someone a chance of winning ( I didn't win but if I did ) and most of all if this wasn't the rule I feel I'm lying to my self as to what level of golf I can play and I may look like a cock the next time it happens.... Hope that makes sense

Fair enough! In all fairness IMO you couldn't have done much more than you did to prove the ball in the water was yours!

 

[virtuocity]

Fair enough! In all fairness IMO you couldn't have done much more than you did to prove the ball in the water was yours!

And might I just add that Golfdub's honesty and commitment to making sure the correct rules are applied is quite refreshing- hats off to you sir.

 

[Foxholer]

Fair enough! In all fairness IMO you couldn't have done much more than you did to prove the ball in the water was yours!

Correct result, if correct method of getting there was only accidentally used. Correct method was. 1. Ooh, there's a ball in the river, I wonder if that's it? 2. Oh yes, it's got my markings and number - see? 3, Agreement by fellow competitors.

Mutual agreement on its own (as opposed to 'knowing or being virtually certain - the term in The Rules) isn't actually sufficient for those sorts of decision.

I commend you on your attitude. That approach is the proper way to play the game - if not the rest of life!

 

[Doon frae Troon]

One of the most broken rules in golf.
After searching the rough short of the burn/ditch/water hazzard how many golfers say 'well it must have gone in' and drop a ball?

 

[Val]

One of the most broken rules in golf.
After searching the rough short of the burn/ditch/water hazzard how many golfers say 'well it must have gone in' and drop a ball?

Yip, hence why I commented about seeing it actually go in if you can't find or identify it.

 

[bobmac]

I think there has to be some leeway here.
You could hit your shot straight at the green on a strange course, not knowing there's a hidden steam running across the fairway.
When you get down there, there's just a thin collar of short rough on both sides of the stream.
Of course, it could have hit a stone, just below the surface of the water and bounced 50 yards left into the trees but in all probability, it will be in the water and if all your playing partners agree, I would say drop one.

 

[Whereditgo]

I think there has to be some leeway here.
You could hit your shot straight at the green on a strange course, not knowing there's a hidden steam running across the fairway.
When you get down there, there's just a thin collar of short rough on both sides of the stream.
Of course, it could have hit a stone, just below the surface of the water and bounced 50 yards left into the trees but in all probability, it will be in the water and if all your playing partners agree, I would say drop one.

That's all well and good in a bounce game with your mates but not in a competition (whether on a strange course or not) IMO. We have several small streams marked with red stakes running parallel to the fairways on our course and almost all have established trees on the edge and some just light rough. The number of times people want to claim red stakes because they hit towards, or even into, the trees is amazing. They almost always take umbrage when it's suggested that it's not 'virtually certainly' in the hazard.

But if we didn't see it go in and can't find it outside of the hazard doesn't necessarily mean it's not lost outside the hazard!