Happy New Year
As you all know, Pete Scholz and I had decided that we would pass the baton on in terms of the Rule of Month article at the end of 2024. It didn’t quite work out as well as Pete and I hoped it would. We have both been surprised to learn how important the monthly article is to many OGA members. Therefore, for the foreseeable future, I will be continuing to write the article. But rest assured that Pete’s spirit and knowledge will still be a part of the effort. Now, on to the task at hand.
Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to the Rules of Golf.
And knowledge is even more helpful when golfers come to the understanding that the Rules are not to be feared, but can instead be a help in lowering one’s scores and making playing the game more enjoyable.
A great example of this is playing under stroke and distance, a simple concept that allows, with one penalty stroke, a player to play a ball from where the previous stroke was played. Rule 18.1 makes clear it is an option that the player always has, with no restrictions. Even if a player isn’t sure where their ball may be, they can always proceed under stroke and distance. And “always” is the key word in the prior sentence. At any time, a player may take stroke-and-distance relief by adding one penalty stroke and playing the original ball, or another ball, from where the previous stroke was made. It’s worth repeating -- a player always has this stroke-and-distance relief option. It’s a right granted under the Rules that exists, no matter the circumstances.
But before we get to this month’s questions, while we are on the topic of Rules knowledge, the USGA has finished a major upgrade to it’s free Rules of Golf app, which can be found in the app store for your particular mobile device. The app is very strong and includes a super search function. It’s highly recommended that anyone with an interest in the Rules download the app, which now includes a number of new and robust features.
Now, let’s test your knowledge about stroke and distance with the following questions.
Questions: True / False
1) A player has made a poor stroke from the teeing area and barely makes contact with the ball, which trickles about 20 yards and comes to rest in the fairway. The player is required to play the ball from where it came to rest.
2) While on a steeply sloped green, a player has a four-foot putt to finish the hole. The player hits the ball too hard and it catches a slope and rolls about 30 feet past the hole and comes to rest on the fringe. The player is required to make his next stroke at the ball from the fringe.
3) A player about twenty yards from the green, with a challenging bunker between the ball and the green, skulls their pitch shot and the ball ends up embedded in the sand. The players must make their next stroke from the bunker.
4) A player from off the back of a green, hits a poor chip shot that ends up submerged in a yellow penalty area in front of a green. The player is required to drop their ball on the fairway side of the penalty area, using the back-on-the-line relief procedure under Rule 17.1d, and play from there.
5) While playing their second shot from a fairway, the player hits the ball into an area of tall grass where it is unlikely to be found. The player must attempt to find the ball before playing another stroke.
6) Playing her second from the fairway, a player hits her ball into a heavily-wooded part of the course. She finds the ball up against the trunk of a large tree and realizes that the drop options (either back-on-the-line or lateral relief) under Rule 19 (Unplayable Ball) still won’t leave her much of a shot. She is required to either play the ball as it lies, or proceed under Rules 19.2b (back-on-the-line relief) or 19.2c (lateral relief).
7) A player plays his tee shot on a hole that has trees close to the side of the teeing area. His ball hits one of the trees and ricochets high in the air and lands about 30 yards behind the teeing area. The player must play his next stroke from where the ball came to rest.
8) After finding her ball, a player decides to proceed under stroke and distance. Because she found her original ball, she is required to use that ball for the stroke and distance procedure.
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Answers:
1) False. At any time, a player may take stroke-and-distance relief by adding one penalty stroke and playing the original ball, or another ball, from where the previous stroke was made.
2) False. At any time, a player may take stroke-and-distance relief by adding one penalty stroke and playing the original ball, or another ball, from where the previous stroke was made.
3) False. At any time, a player may take stroke-and-distance relief by adding one penalty stroke and playing the original ball, or another ball, from where the previous stroke was made.
4) False. At any time, a player may take stroke-and-distance relief by adding one penalty stroke and playing the original ball, or another ball, from where the previous stroke was made.
5) False. At any time, a player may take stroke-and-distance relief by adding one penalty stroke and playing the original ball, or another ball, from where the previous stroke was made.
6) False. At any time, a player may take stroke-and-distance relief by adding one penalty stroke and playing the original ball, or another ball, from where the previous stroke was made.
7) False. At any time, a player may take stroke-and-distance relief by adding one penalty stroke and playing the original ball, or another ball, from where the previous stroke was made.
8) False. At any time, a player may take stroke-and-distance relief by adding one penalty stroke and playing the original ball, or another ball, from where the previous stroke was made.