Hi Linda,
Can you answer this situation please?
Player A hits his ball into a conifer tree and both he and
his opponent (player B) search the tree for it and it cannot be found. Player A
thinks it may have gone past and is looking further away in the rough whilst
player B continues to look in the tree. Whilst doing this, the ball drops out.
What is the ruling – play the ball as it lies with no penalty, play the ball as
it lies with a one-shot penalty, or replace the ball (although I don’t know how
you could do this as you are not certain where it came from)?
Further explanation: I along with my opponent initially
started searching in the tree and I then ceased looking in the tree and was
looking beyond whilst my opponent continued looking in the tree that then
caused the ball to drop out. We did not know the ruling and agreed to play the
ball as it lies and accept it as good fortune.
Kind regards,
Lou
Dear Lou,
The ball was dislodged from the tree by your opponent. There
is no penalty in match play if your opponent moves your ball while searching
for it. (If there were, no one would ever try to help you find your ball!)
When your ball in play has been moved, it must be replaced. You
may try to replace the ball in the tree, as near as possible to where it was
lodged, if you would like to try to hit it out of the tree with no penalty
[Decision 18-2/29].
However, since neither of you has any idea where the ball
was situated in the tree, and hitting balls out of trees has a low success
rate, your best option is to declare the ball unplayable. This way you will not
have to climb into the tree to replace it. Drop the ball under any of the
relief options for an unplayable ball, and add one penalty stroke to your score
[Decision 18-1/9].
While we’re on the topic of balls in trees, let’s examine two
other scenarios:
• If you are climbing a tree to play your ball, and the ball
falls out of the tree, you incur a one-stroke penalty for moving your ball in
play and you must replace it [Decision 18-2a/26].
• If you find a ball in a tree, and you decide to proceed
under the unplayable ball Rule, you must first identify the ball. This may
require shaking the branches or throwing a club at the ball to dislodge it. In
order to avoid a penalty for moving your ball in play, tell another player
first that you plan to proceed under the unplayable ball Rule if the ball you
dislodge turns out to be yours [Decision 18-2a/27].
Linda
Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
