Where to drop?

[Slab]

So playing out of the trees a FC takes the shot and the ball ricochets off a tree and into the buggy
As I understand it that’s a one stroke penalty with the ball to be dropped

So move buggy and drop, but buggy was on a inclined tarmac path so where do they drop? Onto the path itself & then relief from path if permitted/required? (could be quite far from original position by the time it bounces/rolls off the sloping path) Or drop at NPR?

Thanks in advance

 

[Colin L]

You need to take relief from the one situation and then relief from any other that may occur. You can't take a short cut on an assumption as to where the ball would end up.

So, yes, move the buggy and drop the ball directly under where the ball was. If it rolls more than 2 club lengths, re-drop. If it again rolls more than 2 club lengths, place the ball. Then work out the NPR for relief from the next obstruction, the path, and proceed from there.

 

[duncan mackie]

If it rolls more than 2 club lengths, re-drop.

wouldn't you re-drop if it rolled (say) one club length nearer the hole?

 

[Colin L]

I would re-drop if it rolled (say) a centimetre nearer the hole! [need for a smiley there]

 

[Slab]

Cheers, can a dropped rolling ball be stopped once it has covered a distance greater than two club lengths or must the player wait until its rolled it's full distance and come to rest? (my head says no but asking anyway) If ball must come to rest then whats the penalty for stopping it?

(in this scenario the hole was a blob but in all likelihood a dropped ball could've rolled 30-40 yards (twice) & I guess it must be the same ball in play that's dropped each time)

 

[MashieNiblick]

Interesting one.

If the cart path is sloping it may be impossible to place the ball so that it comes to rest on the spot on which it was dropped. In that case it would be necessary under Rule 20-3(d) to place the ball on the nearest spot where it can be placed at rest that is not nearer the hole. That might be off the path. It might then depend on where it was placed in relation to the path whether any futher relief was required because of interference by the path. Would that be right?

One other query. Rule 20-3(d) does not stipulate any maximum distance from the original spot where the ball was dropped to where it can be placed if it won't come to rest. If that was more than 2 club lengths I assume that would override the requirements of Rule 20-2(c)(vi)?

 

[Region3]

Cheers, can a dropped rolling ball be stopped once it has covered a distance greater than two club lengths or must the player wait until its rolled it's full distance and come to rest? (my head says no but asking anyway) If ball must come to rest then whats the penalty for stopping it?

(in this scenario the hole was a blob but in all likelihood a dropped ball could've rolled 30-40 yards (twice) & I guess it must be the same ball in play that's dropped each time)

I'm sure you can stop it as soon as it's rolled more than 2 club lengths. If you couldn't and were near a cliff or deep water it would cost you 2 balls.

 

[Colin L]

Yes you can stop the ball on the move once it has moved beyond 2 club lengths (or is moving nearer the hole, thank you Duncan) or indeed any of the conditions in Rule 20-2a that requires a re-drop, provided there is no likelihood of the ball returning to a place from which it can be played. See D20-2c/4. I recall a video of Ernie Els taking a drop from a path that was obviously going to end up in a bunker below him so he put his caddie in the bunker to catch the ball and throw it back to him each time.

The nearest place where a ball can be placed without its moving can be any distance away. In this situation, I wouldn't be surprised if the nearest place was off the path given that the ball is more likely to be held on a grassy slope than on a path. In which case, you would place the ball and then consider whether there were interference from the path.