It doesn’t happen often, but at times a player is required, or allowed, to make their next stroke from where the previous stroke was made. Generally, this action comes with a penalty stroke and since the distance the player gained from the previous stroke is disregarded, the procedure is commonly referred to as stroke and distance. However, at times in the Rules, a player may be required to cancel and replay the stroke from where the previous stroke was made. Whether this procedure comes with a penalty or not, the procedure for putting a ball into play from where the previous stroke was made does not change.
Test your knowledge regarding when and how to play a ball from where the previous stroke was made with the following questions.
Questions: True / False
1) At any time, a player may play under stroke and distance by adding one penalty stroke and playing a ball from where the previous stroke was made.
2) When playing again from where the previous stroke was made, if the previous stroke was made from the teeing area, a ball must be dropped and played from within the teeing area.
3) If a player decides or is required to play their next stroke from where their previous stroke was made from an area of sand, the lie of the ball must be recreated.
4) When playing again from where the previous stroke was made in the general area, penalty area or bunker, the ball must be dropped as near as possible to where the previous stroke was made, which if unknown must be estimated.
5) If the spot of the previous stroke (Reference Point) was in a bunker and measuring one club-length allows the player to drop outside the bunker, this is his or her good fortune since the lie does not need to be recreated.
6) When playing under stroke and distance from the putting green, the ball must be placed on the spot where the previous stroke was made, which if unknown, must be estimated.
7) Once a player puts another ball into play at the spot of their previous stroke under the stroke and distance penalty, the original ball is no longer in play and must not be played.
8) Continued from Question #7. In order for a ball to become the player’s ball in play, a stroke must be made at it.
9) A player’s ball was accidentally moved by another player and Rule 9 requires that the ball must be replaced. The player may play another ball from where the previous stroke was made under a one-stroke penalty without replacing the ball as required.
10) When required by a Rule to play again from where the previous stroke was made, the original ball must be used, unless it is not immediately retrievable.
---
Answers:
1) True. Rule 18.1. This is the one relief option that the player always has. Even when a Rule requires that the player play a ball from a certain place, he or she may choose to proceed under stroke and distance by playing a ball from where the previous stroke was made.
2) False. Rule 14.6a. When playing under stroke and distance from the teeing area, the ball may be teed, placed or dropped and played from anywhere within the teeing area.
3) False. Rule 14.6b. When playing under stroke and distance, the ball must be dropped. This applies whether the sand is in a bunker, penalty area or in the general area. And it is the player’s good fortune if the new lie of the ball is much better than the original lie.
4) False. Rule 14.6b. The spot of the previous stroke serves only as the reference point for taking relief, which if it is unknown, must be estimated. The player is required to drop a ball within one club-length (relief area) of the reference point, with a few limitations. Read on.
5) False. Rule 14.6b. As mentioned in Answer #4, this is one of the limitations. The ball must be dropped in the same area of the course as the reference point. One other limitation of where the ball must be dropped is that it must not be dropped nearer the hole than the reference point.
6) True. Rule 14.6c. Using the procedures for replacing a ball under Rules 14.2b(2) and 14.2e, the original ball or another ball must be placed on the spot of the previous stroke. The one club-length relief area does not apply to the stroke and distance procedure when playing again from the putting green.
7) True. Rule 18.1. When a ball has been put into play under stroke and distance, the original ball is no longer in play and becomes a wrong ball. This is true even if the original ball is found on the course before the end of the three-minute search time. However, this does not apply when the player announces that they will play a provisional ball or a second ball in stroke play to correct an error.
8) False. Rules 14.6 and 18.1. This is true only on the teeing area. In all other areas of the course, when a player drops or places a ball, with intent for it to be in play and by using the stroke and distance procedure, it becomes the player’s ball in play.
9) True. Rules 9 and 18.1. The player always has the option to play under the penalty of stroke and distance. This is true even when another Rule requires the player to proceed differently.
10) False. Rule 14.6. When making the next stroke from where the previous stroke was made, whether that is from the teeing area, general area, penalty area, bunker or the putting green, another ball may be used.