The Rules of Golf Are Complicated! Thankfully, we have the teacher. our Rules Guy knows the book inside out. Have a question? He has all the answers.
I know, or at least think I know, how to handle an unplayable lie in a sand trap: take a one-stroke penalty for landing in the correct spot inside the trap, or a two-stroke penalty for taking relief outside the trap. But what if the ball is blocked and unidentifiable while standing, and you don’t want to take a penalty? Can you identify the ball and then try to recreate the blocked lie, or do you just have to blast and take your chances that it’s the right ball? – Donald R. O’Neil, via email
In the end, Donald, your question is not about whether the ball is stationary, but about identifying a ball in the sand. Yes, you can identify your ball on a closed lie; you mark and lift roughly as you would, not cleaning the ball (unless necessary, just to identify it), then replace the ball.
The added wrinkle in terms of sand — whether in a bunker or not — is that you have to recreate the lie. Therefore, you must return the ball as it was in the closed situation. If the ball was completely covered but you managed to find it, you can leave it slightly visible to keep you from possibly losing it again. Find the Rules of Golf and discover 7.3 and 14.2d.
;)
Rules Boy: My ball landed on the shore of an unmarked lake. Can I get free relief?
Rules Guy
For more guidance from our teacher, read on…
Walking away, I drove my ball completely underground, eight inches forward. I said the ball was embedded, giving the right to relief. My opponent said it was unplayable, asking for a one-stroke penalty. Rules Guy says… – Aaron Lowe, via email
…to consider a driver with more loft.
Rule 16.3a(2) states that a ball hit straight into the ground without going into the air is not holed, and so no free relief is allowed for a holed ball.
That said, if the ball remains inside the replacement area—in the event that you go more than eight inches behind the markers so that your ball is still on the ground behind the markers—you may pick up the ball and lift it again anywhere inside the replacement area without penalty by hitting 2, under Rule 6.2b.
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Have a question about the Rules? Ask Guy Rules! Send your questions, confusion and comments to rulesguy@golf.com. We promise you won’t throw the book at you.
