What if someone else hits your ball?

[Adrena1in]

Not sure on the ruling here, but the other day I was playing in a 9-hole friendly inter-club ecclectic with three other gents, one of whom is a new member to the club. On the 2nd we all tee'd off, and one of us went in the deep rough, so while looking for it we called through a chap behind us who was on his own.

He tee'd off, (though not from the tee, but from beside it for some reason!), and his ball appeared to go right through the green and into the rough. Off he strolled towards the hole, and one of the chaps I was with joked, "Keep your eyes on your own balls lads, just in case!"

Sure enough, the guy on his own wandered up to the green, picked up a ball he thought was his, then headed over to the third tee and carried on. Turned out he'd picked up one of our balls! The new guy's!

What would the ruling be? Should the new guy have taken another off the tee, or drop a ball down near where it was "stolen" from and play without penalty? As it was just a friendly we all agreed he should do the latter, but not sure what the official rule would be.

 

[Tommo21]

Did you not get the guy to replace the ball?????

 

[Adrena1in]

Did you not get the guy to replace the ball?????

When we caught up with him he'd already hit it off down towards the third...he gave a relacement ball to my playing partner.

 

[backwoodsman]

As far as I can tell the rules aren't clear?

If the ball had been still moving when he picked it up, then Rule 19 is quite clear that a ball "stolen" (ie taken away) can be substituted by another, and that you drop it where the "outside agency" got hold of it (or as close to that spot as you can tell)

But Rule 18 which deals with Ball at Rest, doesn't mention ball being stolen and not returned - and hence doesn't mention whether you can substitute.

In equity, you should be able to substitute.

I await any other advice from others with greater knowledge?

 

[Imurg]

Surely its the same principle as if a fox or a crow steals your ball. You get to drop another as near as possible to the original spot not nearer the hole.
But you have to be sure that its your ball that's picked up. If you just can't find it in the area that someone picked a ball from you can't be sure it was your ball they picked up.

 

[backwoodsman]

Surely its the same principle as if a fox or a crow steals your ball. You get to drop another as near as possible to the original spot not nearer the hole.
But you have to be sure that its your ball that's picked up. If you just can't find it in the area that someone picked a ball from you can't be sure it was your ball they picked up.

But whereabouts in the rules/decisions does it say that? I'm damn sure it does, but hell if can find where

 

[bobmac]

Rule 18/1
If a ball at rest is moved by an outside agency, there is no penalty and the ball must be replaced.

 

[Imurg]

Found this......

18-4. By Fellow-Competitor, Caddie or Equipment in Stroke Play
If a fellow-competitor, his caddie or his equipment moves the player’s ball,
touches it or causes it to move, there is no penalty. If the ball is moved,
it must be replaced.

and this......

18-1. By Outside Agency
If a ball at rest is moved by an outside agency, there is no penalty and
the ball must be replaced.
Note: It is a question of fact whether a ball has been moved by an
outside agency. In order to apply this Rule, it must be known or
virtually certain that an outside agency has moved the ball. In the
absence of such knowledge or certainty, the player must play the ball
as it lies or, if the ball is not found, proceed under Rule 27-1.

 

[Herbie]

If the ball is still available(even if its just been spanked down a fairway) its still available and should be replaced by the person who picked it up.

I think the rules are a little lacking in clarity with this one, and Im not sure if what you did incurs penalty for you?

Who replaced the replacement ball???

 

[Yerman]

I prefer the alternative rule where you replace the ball with a ball from the offending gits underwear.

 

[Herbie]

I prefer the alternative rule where you replace the ball with a ball from the offending gits underwear.

I couldnt agree more, I had a chap do this to me in a comp when I was 4 under h/c on the 14th hole. As he came down his fairway after crossing over and playing my ball(that could be seen clearly where it lay) I walked over to their green and he quickly marked and picked up, then refused to accept what he had done, wouldn't show me the ball in his pocket and got stroppy. I had to play again and was so peeved at this guy that my game went to crap, I should have just thumped him if I had known what was going to happen to my game following, I would have.

 

[backwoodsman]

In the end, I found the clarity .....

As some rightly say above, Rule 18.1 says the ball must be replaced - but in the instance quoted, the ball was gone, gone, gone. So how can you replace it?

And then, the hard copy of rules/decisions comes up trumps when the on-line versions didn't. There's a Note to rule 18 which says "if the ball to be replaced is not immediately recoverable, anoher ball may be substituted." So there you have it.