What happens here ?

[Backache]

. Accidentally moving the ball on the tee doesn't count, but accidentally moving your ball on the fairway without even touching it does count. Seems bizarrely inconsistent to me. Should be able to replace it free of penalty either way.

If you 'accidentally' move your ball on the fairway and replace it without penalty you may improve your lie. On the tee you can shift it around anywhere you want and on the green lies barely change.

 

[Captainron]

As I understand it you are exempt from a penalty stroke on the tee box prior to taking your tee shot and green if you did not intentionally make a stroke.

Pretty simple to me

 

[Orikoru]

If you 'accidentally' move your ball on the fairway and replace it without penalty you may improve your lie. On the tee you can shift it around anywhere you want and on the green lies barely change.

That makes a bit of sense I suppose.

 

[rulefan]

If you 'accidentally' move your ball on the fairway and replace it without penalty you may improve your lie. .

Where does it say that?

 

[Orikoru]

Where does it say that?

I feel like you may have misread his post. Maybe replace 'may' with 'might' and read it again? (He didn't mean 'may' in the permission sense)

 

[Swango1980]

Where does it say that?

As Orikoru stated, looks like you have misread the intent of this comment. They didn't mean that you could do this, they meant that IF you could do this, you could improve your lie. As a result, the rules do not allow it. Whereas on the tee there is not the same potential advantage, and therefore you may replace your ball without penalty.

 

[Backache]

Where does it say that?

I feel like you may have misread his post. Maybe replace 'may' with 'might' and read it again? (He didn't mean 'may' in the permission sense)

This
I was replying to an earlier post where there was a question about the rationality of penalising moving the ball accidentally on the tee , green and fairway. I wasn't suggesting that the rules allowed improvement of position but that they could be so abused if replacement was allowed without penalty on the fairway.

 

[clubchamp98]

He deserves a penalty. For taking big divots out the fairway with his practice swings.!

 

[rulefan]

This
I was replying to an earlier post where there was a question about the rationality of penalising moving the ball accidentally on the tee , green and fairway. I wasn't suggesting that the rules allowed improvement of position but that they could be so abused if replacement was allowed without penalty on the fairway.

Ok. I see what you were getting at.

 

[williamalex1]

There was an incident in a big competition many years ago, where a player was penalised when he stood on a partially buried/covered branch that moved his ball , that was laying on it a few yards away.

 

[rulefan]

There was an incident in a big competition many years ago, where a player was penalised when he stood on a partially buried/covered branch that moved his ball , that was laying on it a few yards away.

That's the rule.

 

[backwoodsman]

Well that's another distinction without a difference really. You either meant to hit the ball or you didn't! What difference does it make if it's on the tee or the fairway.

The point is that you can do what you like with a ball that's not yet in play - you can kick it, drop it in the hole, put it in your pocket & dance a tango - or anything else you fancy. But after it's in play, you're stuck with the rules of golf.

 

[Colin L]

There was an incident in a big competition many years ago, where a player was penalised when he stood on a partially buried/covered branch that moved his ball , that was laying on it a few yards away.

Graeme McDowell, if I remember correctly.

 

[williamalex1]

That's the rule.

Yes that's why he was penalised, but i can't recall if he replaced the ball back on the branch or not , if that was part of the rule back then.

 

[williamalex1]

Graeme McDowell, if I remember correctly.

I think it was way before McDowell's time.

 

[Colin L]

I think it was way before McDowell's time.

Him as well then!

 

[WilliamSanders11]

Of course, the game must be seriously played. Otherwise you may be left out of the game. I'm not saying that no one will be getting wrong. But with a little caution, the mistake is less.