FORE!

Sigh, but not quite like this one:  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pRPQPRMk5gY

Members responding to Q#5 achieved(?) a less than a 50% success rate. 

The other bad news is we’re not leaving the subject, taking Relief, just yet.

The good news is that you’re already familiar with the subject and the competition for the 2nd prize is still a close one.

So, Rule 14 Procedures for Ball:…Dropping in Relief Area... covers the procedures for dropping (Rule 14.3) and replacing a ball (Rule 14.2) in a Relief Area. Things can get ugly if you end up doing this wrong, ex: Rule 14.7 Playing from a Wrong Place, so let’s not go there and lock this down. Sometimes, the Relief Area isn’t pristine and causes some problems, cue Q#6.

Question #6

You’ve just hit a wicked slice/hook tee shot that bounces down the slope on Silver #7 into the Red Penalty Area. You choose the Lateral Penalty Relief Option.  You place your driver down to mark a two-club length relief area, no nearer the hole.  You drop once, the ball rolls back into the penalty area. You drop a second time, same thing happens. What do you do next?

1. You firmly place the ball down to keep it from rolling outside the relief area anywhere in the relief area 
2. You firmly place the ball down to keep it from rolling outside the relief area on the spot where the ball was dropped the second time 
3. You place the ball down anywhere in the relief area and if it rolls outside the relief area, you keep trying until it stays inside the relief area
4. You place the ball down on the spot where you dropped the ball the second time and if it rolls outside the relief area, you place it a second time, and if that fails, you find the nearest spot where the ball will come to rest even if it’s outside the relief area but still in the general area

****************

Question #5

In Stroke play, a player is in the process of taking relief from ground under repair in the general area.  Before the player drops the ball, they remove sand and loose soil from the relief area.  What is the ruling?

1. No penalty
2. One stroke
3. General penalty

And the answer is…”c. General Penalty”. The kicker here is that sand and loose soil are NOT defined as loose impediments.  Rule 14.3 Dropping Ball in Relief Area references Rule 8.1 and 8.1a that states you can’t take any actions if they improve the conditions affect the stroke which includes item (4) Remove or press down sand or loose soil.  Breach of Rule 8.1a is the General Penalty.

Tom McKernan

Rules & Handicaps

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