ROBIN’S ULES of ORDER

by Robin Farran Rules of Golf Expert

Straight from the 2023 USGA Joe Dey Award recipient himself, test your knowledge of the Rules of Golf by answering whether the actions during the following scenarios are OK or NOT OK. Good Luck!

Incident 1

Player A’s ball is on a paved cart path, near the right side of the cart path, which is on the right side of the fairway in the general area. Player A’s ball is on a spot that permits a stroke toward the putting green by Player A who is a right-handed player.

The right edge of the cart path is about 18 inches from a concrete wall that is defined as a boundary object. Player A determines the nearest point of complete relief in the general area on the left side of the cart path, drops a ball in the correct relief area, and makes the stroke.

OK NOT OK

Incident 3

Player A’s tee shot comes to rest on the right side of a cart path near some tall grass. Believing that relief was available in a playable location, Player A dropped another ball on the left side of the cart path in the fairway.

When a player in the group informed Player A that the drop on the left side of the cart path was not permitted in the Rules, Player A picked up the dropped ball and played the original ball lying on the cart path.

OK NOT OK

Incident 2

Player A’s ball is on a paved cart path, near the right side of the cart path, which is on the right side of the fairway in the general area. The right edge of the cart path is about 18 inches from out of bounds as defined by a white line.

Player A is a left-handed player. Player A’s ball is on a spot that permits a stroke toward the putting green. Player A determines the nearest point of complete relief in the general area on the right side of the cart path and drops a ball in the correct relief area. Player A makes the stroke with a stance that is out of bounds.

OK NOT OK

Incident 4

Player A’s tee shot is KVC in a red penalty area. In taking lateral relief from the red penalty area, Player A’s dropped ball landed in and rolled out of the two clublength relief area. Player A then sees the original ball in a playable location in the penalty area and plays the original ball into the fairway.

OK NOT OK

Incident 5

Player A’s tee shot heads right of the fairway toward a wooded area. Player A sees that part of the area is marked as a red penalty area, assumes that the original ball might be in the red penalty area, measures a lateral relief area, from where the ball seemed to cross into the red penalty area and drops a ball in the relief area. Player A plays the dropped ball.

OK NOT OK

Incident 6

Player A’s ball is on a sprinkler head very close to the putting green. Player A measured a one club-length relief area from the nearest point of complete relief and dropped a substituted ball on the putting green. The ball remained within the one club-length area on the putting green. Player A played the ball.

OK NOT OK

Incident 4: NOT OK - Player A dropped a substituted ball under a Rule that applied and followed the correct dropping procedure. When the dropped ball rolled out of the relief area, Player A was required to complete the relief procedure as noted in Rule 14.3c and the original ball was no longer in play. When Player A played the original ball, Player A played a wrong ball, a penalty of two strokes, and must correct the mistake by continuing play of the hole with a ball put into play under Rule 17.1d(3). As noted in Rule 6.3b(2), when Player A substituted a ball under a Rule that applied to Player A’s on-course situation, Player A must not play the original ball.

Incident 7

Player A’s approach shot to the putting green came to rest in a red penalty area very close to the putting green. When Player A measured the relief area for lateral relief, part of the relief area was on the putting green. Player A dropped a ball on the putting green and played the ball from the relief area on the putting green.

OK NOT OK

Incident 5: NOT OK - Player A dropped a substituted ball under a Rule that applied and followed the correct dropping procedure. When the dropped ball rolled out of the relief area, Player A was required to complete the relief procedure as noted in Rule 14.3c and the original ball was no longer in play. When Player A played the original ball, Player A played a wrong ball, a penalty of two strokes, and must correct the mistake by continuing play of the hole with a ball put into play under Rule 17.1d(3).

As noted in Rule 6.3b(2), when Player A substituted a ball under a Rule that applied to Player A’s situation on the course, Player A must not play the original ball.

Incident 6: NOT OK - Player A has played from a wrong place, a penalty of 2p. When the ball is in the general area, the reference point and relief area must be in the general area. See Rule 16.1b.

Incident 8

In taking lateral relief from a red penalty area, Player A’s dropped ball landed in and rolled out of the two clublength relief area.

At that point, Player A decided to proceed under the back-on-the-line option and completed the hole after proceeding under that relief option.

OK NOT OK

Answers

Incident 1: OK - Player A proceeded correctly in accordance with Rule 16.1b. There is no nearest point of complete relief in the GA on the right side of the cart path.

Incident 2: OK - Player A proceeded in accordance with Rule 16.1b, which requires the nearest point of complete relief and the relief area to be in the general area. There is no requirement that the area of intended stance be in the general area or be on the course.

Incident 3: NOT OK - When Player A dropped a substituted ball under a Rule that applied, the dropped ball became Player A’s ball in play. Player A must continue with the correct relief procedure as described in Rule 16.1b. Rule 14.5b(2) applies to correcting the incorrect drop. The original ball on the cart path became a wrong ball when Player A substituted and dropped another ball under a Rule that applied to Player A’s situation. Player A gets a penalty of two strokes for playing a wrong ball.

Incident 7: OK - See Rule 17.1d. The lateral relief area may be in any area of the course except the same penalty area.

Incident 8: NOT OK - Player A has played from a wrong place, a penalty of 2p. Rule 14.5b(1) tells us that when the ball was put in play under a Rule that applied and the Rule requires the ball to be dropped again, the player must take relief using the same Rule and relief option under that Rule.