Linda, in one of our club's stroke play events I played with
this guy who happened to make 2 or 3 practice strokes, making a huge divot
before finally making his actual stroke. However, he replaced or repaired the
divot behind his ball before the real stroke.
Is there a penalty for this, because is this tantamount to
improving the lie?
Thanks again for your help.
Lou from Daly City, California
Dear Lou,
If a player worsens the area where he intends to swing, he
may not restore it prior to hitting his ball. This is a breach of Rule 13-2. The
penalty is loss of hole in match play, two strokes in stroke play [Decision
13-2/29].
Additionally, this is an etiquette violation. Players are
not supposed to damage the course by taking divots with their practice swings
[Section I, Etiquette: Preventing Unnecessary Damage].
Linda
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