Veteran Readers CM and JB recently approached Foremost with questions relating to drop relief from a Penalty Area. CM asked whether he was “required” in a certain scenario to take a penalty stroke after playing a drop. JB asked if he had the “option” to take a drop and a penalty stroke without playing the shot.

In neither case, was a ball actually in the Penalty Area.

I. Facts

On the 11th hole at HCC, Reader CM watched his drive disappear right, into a creek clearly marked within the Penalty Area (PA). He arrived at the location and saw what he thought was his ball submerged on the far side of the creek just beyond his reach. Accordingly, with “KVC” (“known or virtually certain”) knowledge that his ball was in the PA, CM took a lateral penalty drop in the appropriate Relief Area under R17.1(d).

He played his next shot from the location of his drop, but after walking several yards ahead, he found his original ball in the General Area, not in the Penalty Area as he had suspected.

Issues

CM said he was fairly certain that he had to continue play with the ball he had dropped and played, but he wondered whether he needed to actually take the penalty stroke for a water ball when, in fact, his ball had never touched the Penalty Area and the water. After playing the dropped ball, did he lie 2 or 3? Specifically:

1)After hitting a dropped ball mistakenly taken in relief from a PA, did CM have the right to disregard the play of his dropped ball, and then play his original ball, which was found in the General Area?

2) Are there any “do-overs” for a wrongful drop? Is a dropped ball “always” in play?

3) Was CM required to take a penalty stroke for relief from a PA, when his original ball never was, in fact, in the PA?

Rulings

(1)CM is correct that after dropping he was required to play the dropped ball. Once a player takes relief from a PA by dropping a ball, the dropped ball is “in play” and the player may no longer use the original ball. R17.1(c).

(2) Of course, the first requirement for a drop taken in relief is that it must come to rest in the appropriate Relief Area (RA). Even then, the drop isn’t necessarily final. Under the “Eraser Rule” (R14.5), a player who has taken relief and dropped in a “wrong place” may pick the ball up and drop again in a RA established by the correct location of the ball in the PA.

Accordingly, had CM dropped and, before playing his shot, found his original ball farther ahead in the PA, he could have picked up his ball and moved his drop to a RA at the correct location. (Since, however, CM’s original ball was found in the General Area rather than the PA, he wouldn’t have had this option).

(3) Yes. The penalty stroke was incurred when he took relief by taking a drop under R17.1(d), not from the “fact” that his ball was in the PA. After playing his dropped ball, CM was lying 3 even though his original ball never really found the PA.

II. Facts

Reader JB posed another question “for a friend”. This player was tired of hitting his ball in the water on a certain hole, and was wondering if he could just move on to the drop zone without going through the exercise of actually hitting his ball into the water. He advised that this “friend” would be happy to take his penalty stroke.

Ruling

F is certainly sympathetic to this question as are, perhaps, other Readers who too-often find the water. A couple of important considerations quickly come to mind.

First, the price and availability of golf balls have become issues in this era of Covid, war, supply disruptions, and inflation . A professional told F recently that certain pro shops and outlets may, in fact, see their usual allocation of golf balls begin to wane, with a corresponding rise in prices. The water ball may become even more expensive!

The price of a golf ball notwithstanding, speed of play is also a desirable attribute in any golf round and proceeding directly to a drop zone, without the time and effort of the futile golf shot routine and predictable splash would certainly further this common goal.

Unfortunately, F finds that this “proceed to drop zone” shortcut isn’t allowed. The ROG require players to start each hole from the “teeing area” (Rs 6.1 and 6.2) and to play subsequent shots from where the prior shot came to rest (R14.6), or at a location otherwise allowed by the Rules; otherwise, play would be from a “Wrong Place”, leading to the General Penalty and Disqualification.

F appreciates the opportunity to address both of these questions.

As usual, all comments or corrections are welcome!

Respectfully submitted,

F