What's the ruling on this

[gdc]

This happened to me in a comp at the weekend and I got some very mixed ruling opinions later in the bar.
Given me your ruling, but no looking in the rule book or you'll be classed as a cheat.

I hit a shot into a par 4 that has a large step on the green. The Pin was at the bottom of the step and my ball finished about 7 foot past the pin but somehow came to rest halfway up the step in the green.
I marked the ball but when it came to be my turn to putt I couldn't replace the ball without it rolling down the slope. I was playing with someone from the handicap committee who said he believed that the next step was to apply pressure to the ball in order to make it stick. Eventually after a number of attempts I applied enough downward pressure for the ball to hold its position and removed my marker.
I then went through my putting routine and addressed my ball ensuring that my putter was not grounded and clear of the ball and as you might guess the ball then rolled 2 foot down the hill. My playing partners then pointed to where I should replace the ball, but I questioned that I should replace it at all as the ball was now in play and had clearly moved of its own accord.
The handicap guy thought about it and agreed with me so I took my birdie putt from where the ball had finished.

Was I right or was I wrong?

BTW - I knocked the 5 foot birdie putt 3 foot past and just managed to get my par.

 

[Crow]

You should not have applied downward pressure to get the ball to stay, if you couldn't replace it without it rolling away then you sould have found the nearest point where it would remain, not nearer to the hole.

With regard to the ball moving, and you had not addressed it according to the rules, then you did right to play from its new position with no penalty.

 

[Hovisbap]

I may be wrong but I think you should have moved the ball to the nearest place on the green (but no nearer the hole) where it could be "normally placed". I don't think you should have tried to plug it.

 

[pogle]

You are not allowed to push the ball into the green in order to get it to stay in place. You must find the nearest point not nearer the hole where it will remain at rest and play from there. Note : this is the nearest point not the nicest point so if you get a massively breaking putt following this procedure then bad luck.

Had the ball remained in place and moved as you described (without you grounding your club) then your handicap sec is correct and you must play the ball from where it comes to rest.

 

[ColchesterFC]

Genuine question as I don't know the answer to this. Do you have to mark your ball on the green or can you just leave it where it is obviously as long as it isn't interfering with a playing partners line and at what point is the ball considered to be "at rest"? If in the OP gdc had decided not to mark the ball and had left it on the slope and it had then subsequently rolled down the hill while waiting for his/her turn to play what would the ruling be? Would the ball have to be replaced or played as it lay?

 

[Crow]

You don't have to mark your ball.
As for "at rest", I'm not even sure that this is defined in the rules.
If left on the slope and the ball had subsequently rolled down the hill then, as long as you'd not addressed it, you would agian play from the new position without penalty.

 

[louise_a]

Related to this, I was quite surprise to find out that it your ball finished close to the hole and you marked it then replaced it and it rolled into the hole it was deemed to have been holed by your previous stroke.

 

[Crow]

Related to this, I was quite surprise to find out that it your ball finished close to the hole and you marked it then replaced it and it rolled into the hole it was deemed to have been holed by your previous stroke.

In this case you do add a penalty stroke though.

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

I believe no penalty if the ball moved of its own accord, now I will look at the rule book.

 

[rosecott]

In this case you do add a penalty stroke though.

Which rule/decision is that?

 

[Crow]

I believe no penalty if the ball moved of its own accord, now I will look at the rule book.

Which rule/decision is that?

Sounds like I should have checked the rule book before posting.
I was thinking of rule 16-2 - Ball Overhanging Hole; When any part of the ball overhangs the lip of the hole, the player is allowed enough time to reach the hole without unreasonable delay and an additional ten seconds to determine whether the ball is at rest. If by then the ball has not fallen into the hole, it is deemed to be at rest. If the ball subsequently falls into the hole, the player is deemed to have holed out with his last stroke, and must add a penalty stroke to his score for the hole; otherwise, there is no penalty under this Rule.

I assumed this would apply to a ball rolling into the hole after coming to rest elsewhere on the green, I may be wrong though.....

 

[MashieNiblick]

Related to this, I was quite surprise to find out that it your ball finished close to the hole and you marked it then replaced it and it rolled into the hole it was deemed to have been holed by your previous stroke.

In this case you do add a penalty stroke though.

Lots of people are surprised by this. Louise is right, so long as the ball wasn't overhanging the hole when lifted (subject to the provisions of Rule 16-2) and was at rest when replaced.

Decision 20-3d/1 Placed Ball Rolls into Hole

Q. A replaces his ball on the putting green three feet from the hole. As he is about to address the ball, it rolls into the hole. Should the ball be replaced or is A deemed to have holed out with his previous stroke?

A. The answer depends on whether the ball, when replaced, came to rest on the spot on which it was placed before it started rolling. If it did, A is deemed to have holed out with his previous stroke. If not, A is required to replace the ball (Rule 20-3d). However, if the ball had been overhanging the hole when it was lifted, the provisions of Rule 16-2 would override those of Rule 20-3d.

 

[gdc]

Well done pretty much everyone - I'm sure there are some lurkers out there who didn't risk an answer and would have got point b) wrong.

a) You can't apply pressure to make it stop rolling - I did question this as it would be disadvantageous to me to push my ball into a hole on a green.
b) If it is clear that I in no way contributed to the movement of the ball then I play it from where it finishes.

The majority of people got b) wrong in the clubhouse. Most annoying though is I then took 3 holes to find the rulings on my phone dropping 4 shots in the process.

Morale behind the story - Read and learn the bl***y rules Gary and carry a rule book at all times (when on a golf course else that would be sad).

P.S. I notice this post was moved to the 'Rules of Golf' forum. I deliberately posted in the Lounge as I already knew the answer but thought it may be interesting to share this ruling with the wider audience.

 

[rulefan]

P.S. I notice this post was moved to the 'Rules of Golf' forum. I deliberately posted in the Lounge as I already knew the answer but thought it may be interesting to share this ruling with the wider audience.

This where it should be. Confusion reigns otherwise.

 

[duncan mackie]

P.S. I notice this post was moved to the 'Rules of Golf' forum. I deliberately posted in the Lounge as I already knew the answer but thought it may be interesting to share this ruling with the wider audience.

moving on to (c) so what penalty was applied?

 

[Colin L]

T
BTW - I knocked the 5 foot birdie putt 3 foot past and just managed to get my par.

I think, gdc, Duncan might hinting that you need to think again about that statement.

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

moving on to (c) so what penalty was applied?

I've actually tried looking on the iphone rules app, and i can't work out what it is. I'm clearly missing it somewhere, could you please enlighten me?

my standard guess for most penalties in strokeplay is a 2 shot penalty

 

[duncan mackie]

I've actually tried looking on the iphone rules app, and i can't work out what it is. I'm clearly missing it somewhere, could you please enlighten me?

my standard guess for most penalties in strokeplay is a 2 shot penalty

it moved (from 18-2) to 1-2 - try 1-2/9.....

 

[3offTheTee]

If he should have had a 2 shot penalty has he signed for a wrong card or was it too late when the Competition has closed.

What should happen in practice?

 

[rulefan]

If he should have had a 2 shot penalty has he signed for a wrong card or was it too late when the Competition has closed.

What should happen in practice?

Its too late once he has returned his card.