Unfair penalty?

[delc]

In a match this morning my opponent accidentally played my ball at one hole, which was instant loss of hole. As nobody deliberately plays a 'wrong ball' the penalties in both match play and stroke play seem rather too harsh to me. Wouldn't a one shot penalty and correct your mistake be enough?

 

[Slab]

But isn't it true that (almost) nobody deliberately breaks any rule of golf so we'd need to review all penalty strokes with this in mind...




... unless they already did that assessment when writing up the current penalties

 

[One Planer]

In a match this morning my opponent accidentally played my ball at one hole, which was instant loss of hole. As nobody deliberately plays a 'wrong ball' the penalties in both match play and stroke play seem rather too harsh to me. Wouldn't a one shot penalty and correct your mistake be enough?

Since when has golf ever been fair?

 

[Matty]

There are another 17 holes to rectify his mistake and also to ensure he takes greater care before playing the ball in future. Rule breaches are valuable and hard lessons - but should be well learned.

 

[delc]

There are another 17 holes to rectify his mistake and also to ensure he takes greater care before playing the ball in future. Rule breaches are valuable and hard lessons - but should be well learned.

The wrong ball was played on the 11th hole (where he had a shot) and he was already 4 down. So not that much time to recover! I went on to win the match 6&4 btw.

 

[bladeplayer]

Since when has golf ever been fair?

Very true fair in Equity only ..

 

[Imurg]

Up to a point, in Matchplay anyway, I think Del's right.
If the penalty was a stroke or even 2 it means you could still be in the hole.
Automatic loss of hole does seem a bit draconian when, in a Stableford for example, you could get a penalty and still score on the hole.
Matchplay penalties always seem to be Loss of Hole......

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I have learnt from this forum that any suggestion of a loosening of golf rules can only lead to anarchy and an end to civilisation. Therefore your opponent has to suck it up and accept their punishment. (btw, I agree with you but keep it quiet)

 

[Foxholer]

In a match this morning my opponent accidentally played my ball at one hole, which was instant loss of hole. As nobody deliberately plays a 'wrong ball' the penalties in both match play and stroke play seem rather too harsh to me. Wouldn't a one shot penalty and correct your mistake be enough?

No (imo). While there may be some circumstances where it's a bit difficult, Golf rather stresses that the player needs know what they are doing/be in control of their game/equipment - something about the Military/Legal background perhaps. So while it's probably at the lower end of the 2SP/LofH penalties, it's still proper to be more severe than accidentally moving your ball and other 1SP ones.

 

[dewsweeper]

Golf is a real bitch!!
Fancy having to know your own ball and actually hit it.

If in doubt I believe you can ask to identify your ball,hence why most of us put our own mark on it.
Dewsweeper

 

[HawkeyeMS]

There is absolutely no reason to play the wrong ball that doesn't involve carelessness or stupidity. If you fall foul of this rule then you absolutely deserve the penalty, no matter how harsh.

 

[delc]

There is absolutely no reason to play the wrong ball that doesn't involve carelessness or stupidity. If you fall foul of this rule then you absolutely deserve the penalty, no matter how harsh.

Slightly unfair comment in this case! My drive apparently went somewhat left, whilst his went a bit right. However my ball, with the help of a bounce off a bank, a left to right wind and a cross slope, ended up in the right hand semi-rough, about where he expected his to be. It was only when I found his ball when searching for mine that we realised that he had played the wrong ball. An easy mistake to make in the circumstances, and easy to be wise after the event! :mmm:

 

[Foxholer]

There is absolutely no reason to play the wrong ball that doesn't involve carelessness or stupidity. If you fall foul of this rule then you absolutely deserve the penalty, no matter how harsh.

Slightly unfair comment in this case! My drive apparently went somewhat left, whilst his went a bit right. However my ball, with the help of a bounce off a bank, a left to right wind and a cross slope, ended up in the right hand semi-rough, about where he expected his to be. It was only when I found his ball when searching for mine that we realised that he had played the wrong ball. An easy mistake to make in the circumstances, and easy to be wise after the event! :mmm:

So was he careless not to identify 'his' ball? Or was it 'stupidity'?

Seems to me it was one or the other in this case!

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Slightly unfair comment in this case! My drive apparently went somewhat left, whilst his went a bit right. However my ball, with the help of a bounce off a bank, a left to right wind and a cross slope, ended up in the right hand semi-rough, about where he expected his to be. It was only when I found his ball when searching for mine that we realised that he had played the wrong ball. An easy mistake to make in the circumstances! :mmm:

Not unfair at all. Identifying your ball should be the first thing you do, evdn in the fairway. It takes no time at all and can be often done from a distance if your markings are visible. In the rough, where balls often get lost and left behind it's even more important and the rules allow balls to be lifted and identified. If you walk up to a ball and hit it without identifying it you deserve what you get.

Carelessness or stupidity are the only valid reasons

 

[delc]

So was he careless not to identify 'his' ball? Or was it 'stupidity'?

So have you never played a 'wrong ball' then? :mmm:

 

[Foxholer]

So have you never played a 'wrong ball' then? :mmm:

You haven't answered the question!

And, having played the wrong ball more than once, I will admit my carelessness/stupidity about not identifying it first.

 

[delc]

K

You haven't answered the question!

And, having played the wrong ball more than once, I will admit my carelessness/stupidity about not identifying it first.

To be honest, I felt rather embarrassed about being gifted a hole in this way at a critical stage of the match!

 

[chrisd]

To be fair I can't see why so many infringements in Matchplay have to be instant loss of hole. If I could do it, I would harmonise the rules, where possible, of the two forms of golf so that a player can still be in a hole fighting despite doing something that in stroke play may only be a one shot penalty

 

[bladeplayer]

To be fair I can't see why so many infringements in Matchplay have to be instant loss of hole. If I could do it, I would harmonise the rules, where possible, of the two forms of golf so that a player can still be in a hole fighting despite doing something that in stroke play may only be a one shot penalty

I AGREE with this

You are playing a guy who for some reason has to hit 3 off the tee , u hit a decent drive , but incur a 2 stroke pen & lose the hole , in strokes ye would both be playing 4

 

[Foxholer]

To be fair I can't see why so many infringements in Matchplay have to be instant loss of hole. If I could do it, I would harmonise the rules, where possible, of the two forms of golf so that a player can still be in a hole fighting despite doing something that in stroke play may only be a one shot penalty

Can you actually identify a Rule where a Strokeplay is 1 Shot Penalty, but Matchplay is Loss of Hole? Most of the ones I know (off the top of my head) are indeed harmonised at 1 Shot - eg. Moving a ball; Lifting when not requested...

The 2SP/Loss of Hole is a 'severe' penalty - for an offense deemed severe.