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By Ed Martinez
Iraq war veteran Sergeant First Class Stephen Henderson of Philadelphia PA requested a round of golf for himself, his father, father-in-law and groomsmen the morning of his wedding day Saturday April 26, 2008 on a Pebble Beach golf course. Stephen’s request was graciously acted upon by the Northern California Golf Association obtaining the lowest green fees possible from Poppy Hills Golf Course. Local community organizations representing 10 cities were given the opportunity to make contributions as a token of their communities’ gratitude for service to their country. The Monterey Peninsula Nisei Memorial Post 1629, Veterans of Foreign Wars responded immediately with a check representing the largest contribution by any organization.

Golf Pro Justin Williams, Poppy Hills’ staff and the NCGA’s Mark Fitch took time from their busy schedules to accommodate the group of veterans. The “Old Guys” in the group were veterans of the war that Baby Boomers faced in their youth, “Vietnam,” and were led by Lt. Colonel Richard Magno, retired (the groom’s father-in-law).  The “Young Guys” were led by SFC Stephen Henderson, an Airborne Ranger who served 15 months in Iraq. The “Young Guys” had a great long game but trouble on the greens; the “Old Guys” had a good short game but had trouble navigating the trees down the fairways. All enjoyed their time at Poppy Hills immensely.

With tee times beginning at 7:30 a.m. the group was able to play 18 holes and return to the hotel to change into their dress blues (army formal attire) for the 4 p.m. wedding ceremony held at the Beach Resort Monterey. The bride was walked down the aisle by both parents and a salute was exchanged as the father-of-the bride presented his daughter to the groom. SFC Stephen Henderson and Theresa Magno exchanged vows responding uniquely with colorful “military synonyms” to “YES” and “I DO.” Stephen replied with “Roger” and “Airborne” while Theresa responded with “Hooah” (pronounced who-ah). Standing alongside Stephen were bestman SFC Daryl Demay and groomsmen SFC Darrell Caboluna, SFC Jonah Le’i, SFC Mark Wilder, SFC William Stanton.

Theresa, a graduate of New Mexico State University, is the youngest daughter of Arita J. Snyder Magno and Richard A. Magno. She is the great granddaughter of Angelo Siino, owner of the original Monterey Boat Works. The building is preserved and maintained by the Hopkins Marine Center and Stanford University. Her family’s legacy is preserved and displayed at the Maritime Museum of Monterey. Theresa worked for the Monterey Sports Center before accepting a position with the City of Morgan Hill where she is currently the recreation coordinator.

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Player A’s ball is on the fringe of the putting green.  Player B requests Player A to lift his ball which interferes with Player B’s play.

Player A marks and lifts his ball being careful not to clean the ball.  After Player B plays his stroke, Player A replaced his ball without removing his ball-marker. 

Player A considers his next stroke, then rotates his ball to align the trademark to the direction of play and lifts his ball-marker.

OK or Not OK?

Answer  
 

Tour Trouble

Recently, a tour player took his stance in a fairway bunker to play a stroke at a ball which lay through the green. After the stroke, the player saw that his ball came to rest in a greenside bunker.  The player’s caddie raked the footprints in the bunker as the player walked forward to his ball.

Answer
Excerpt from USGA
  

Two Jaguars

Another episode from Phil-MS:

Player A searches briefly for his ball and finds a Pro V1 with a Jaguar logo, the logo on the ball he is playing.  After Player A plays the ball his fellow-competitor finds another ball nearby, another Pro V1 with a Jaguar logo.  The player is unable to determine which ball was his original ball – no distinguishing characteristics or unique markings.

What is the proper ruling?  

Answer

OK/Not OK

Player A and Player B are fellow-competitors:

1) Player A asks Player B to stand on a mound on a line with the flagstick prior to the stroke.  Player A cannot see the flag from his ball.  Player B moves before Player A makes a stroke.

2)  Player A’s ball is off the green.  Player A has a 10 yard chip.  Player B says “The  putting green slopes right to left”.

3) Player A’s ball is off the green.  Player will use a putter for his next stroke.  Player B says “Aim 3 feet right of the hole”. 

4) Player A is on the tee of par-4 hole.  Player B says “It is 200 yards to clear the bunker on the left.  

5)  Player A is on the tee of par-4 hole.  Player B says “Aim for the palm tree and you will have the best angle to the hole”.   

Answers

Polo Golf

[Yes, this really happened.]

Assume stroke play:
A player’s putt has come to rest four inches from the hole.  The player lies 3.  In an effort to speed up play and avoid stepping on any fellow-competitor’s line of putt, the player reaches over the hole with his putter in an effort to tap in the putt.   As he makes a backswing for the stroke, he inadvertently hits the top of his ball with his putter and the ball begins to roll away from the hole.  While the ball is still moving he reaches out and hits the ball back toward the hole.  The ball misses the hole and the player now moves his putter back to the other side of the hole and swings at the ball while it is still in motion. The ball is holed.

What is the player’s score for the hole?

Answer
  

Trouble or No Trouble

Earlier today during a Stableford competition, an official observed a player making a stroke from an area inside the large posts bordering the practice range.  The course-side edge of the large posts define out of bounds as noted on the Notice to Players – the player’s ball was out of bounds.

The official informed the player that he had played a stroke from out of bounds. The player responded “I guess I’m DQ’d.  I did the same thing on the last hole”.

Answer
  

Bunkers (Edited version)

A few bunker reminders!

1) Player A’s ball is in a bunker. Player A digs in with his feet prior to making a stroke with his sand wedge.  Player A makes a stroke and misses the ball.  Player A decides he will use his pitching wedge for his next attempt and, knowing that the provisions of Rule 13-4 permit raking after a stroke, rakes his stance area and makes a great stroke with his pitching wedge.
         
2) Player B’s ball lies at location 1 in a bunker which encircles most of the putting green.  Player B makes a stroke and the ball flies over the green and comes to rest in another part of the same bunker, at location 2.  Knowing well the provisions of Rule 13-4, Player B rakes his stance area and the area of lie and swing at location 1 and selects a club for his next bunker shot.  Player B’s next stroke, at location 2, comes to rest again in the bunker, at location 1.

Answers
 

Dr. Smith

Dr. Smith’s tee shot lies in the fairway.  His second shot flares off toward the woods.  Dr. Smith declares “That ball is lost!” and drops another ball.  Before Dr. Smith played a stroke with the dropped ball, his opponent calls from the woods “I found your ball. You have to play it!”

Dr. Smith calls for an on-course official to assist with a ruling.  Dr. Smith argues that he declared his original ball lost.  His opponent argued that he had found Dr. Smith’s ball within the five-minute search period.

Answer

Par-3 Trouble

The Committee sounded the three short notes of an airhorn, repeated, shortly after a group commenced play of a challenging par-3 hole on a desert course.  It is getting dark quickly.

Player A’s tee shot lands right of the green on the desert hillside.  The player deems his ball unplayable and returns to the tee playing another ball which lands left of the green in “bad country” in the desert.  A fellow-competitor calls back to Player A on the tee, “Play another ball”.  Player A plays another ball which lands in front of the green.

Player A quickly arrives at the ball which had landed in front of the green ready to play his next stroke.  A fellow-competitor states to Player A that he thinks he has found Player A’s second ball played from the tee.

An official was called to assist in making a ruling.

Answer
  

Information

 [Thanks to Chris for this incident.]

Match play:  Player A and Player B play their tee shots to opposite sides of the fairway.  Player B is on the green in three strokes.  Player A, unknown to Player B, whiffs his second stroke and is on the green in three strokes - Player B assumes Player A lies two.
 
Player B misses his putt and his next stroke is conceded for a score of 5 for the hole.
 
Player B says “If you make this putt you will get a great birdie.”  Player A says “This putt is for par.”
 
Player B claims the hole based on receiving wrong information from Player A.
 
What is the proper ruling by the Committee?

Answer

Canceled Strokes?

Assume stroke play.

1.  The Local Rule for overhead power lines is in effect.  Player A searches with fellow-competitors for his tee shot on a 166-yard par-3 hole.  The players all saw the ball go near/through the power lines toward the putting green.  The search area was around the putting green - rough, trees, etc.  After a five-minute search, Player A walks back toward the tee and finds the original ball under the wires, about 100 yards from the tee.  All players agreed that the ball must have struck the power lines – the ball could not have landed at that location otherwise.  Player A calls an official for assistance.
Answer  

2.  The Local Rule for overhead power lines is in effect.  Player B searches with fellow-competitors for his tee shot on a 166-yard par-3 hole.  The players all saw the ball go near/through the power lines toward the putting green.  The search area was around the putting green - rough, trees, etc.  After a five-minute search, Player B walks back toward the tee and finds the original ball under the wires, about 100 yards from the tee.  All players agreed that the ball must have struck the power lines – the ball could not have landed at that location otherwise.  Player B completes the hole with the original ball in three additional strokes.  (The ball was played from its location under the wires.)
Answer

3.  Player C’s ball lies 2 on the putting green about 12 feet from the hole.  Player C makes a stroke and the ball in motion is deflected by a squirrel which ran across the green.  The ball comes to rest 10 feet from the hole.  Player C proceeds properly under the Rules and completes the hole in two additional strokes.
Answer

4.  Player D’s ball lies 2 on the putting green about 12 feet from the hole.  Player D makes a stroke and the ball in motion is deflected by a squirrel which ran across the green.  The ball comes to rest 10 feet from the hole.  Player D plays the ball as it lies and completes the hole in two additional strokes.
Answer

Procedure Question - The Ruling

Ball A is played from the tee.  The player properly plays a provisional ball, Ball B, which comes to rest in the fairway farther from the hole than where Ball A is likely to be. 

As the player approaches Ball B, a fellow-competitor says “I think I see your ball ahead in the rough”.

The player, an expert on the Rules, knows that he is permitted to continue play of the provisional ball until he plays a stroke at the provisional ball near where the original ball is likely to be.  The player plays a stroke with Ball B.  An official arrives on the scene to assist the player.

[Is the player permitted to play a stroke at the provisional ball or is he required to identify the ball which may be his ball?]

What is the proper ruling? Answer

Bouncing Ball - The Ruling

At a recent collegiate stroke-play event:

A player is taking relief for a ball deemed unplayable.  The player elects to drop a ball within two club-lengths of the original position of the ball, no nearer the hole.  The player drops a ball on a cart path on a spot which satisfies the relief procedure.  The ball bounces straight up in the air and the player catches the ball. 

As we often say, “Now what?” Answer 

Bad Country – The Ruling

At a recent collegiate stroke-play event:

A player’s tee shot heads toward “bad country” in the desert.  The player’s coach says “You should play a provisional ball”.  The player responds “No, I don’t want to find that ball”.  The player plays another ball (Ball B) which lands in the same general area as Ball A but slightly closer to the hole.

The player finds Ball B and declares it unplayable.  The player’s coach finds Ball A and tells the player that she is required to play Ball A.  The player leaves Ball B and returns to Ball A.  The player declares Ball A unplayable, lifts Ball A and drops Ball A on the “flagline”, proceeding under Rule 28b.

At scoring, the facts of the incident are discussed with the officials.

What is the proper ruling? Answer

Exercises that Focus on Some Key Concepts

 Assume stroke play and strokes were made after the drops:

1)  Player A finds his ball in a divot hole in the fairway.  Player A lifts his ball and drops it in the fairway about three club-lengths to the side of its original position.

2)  Player B finds his ball in a divot hole in the fairway.  Player B lifts his ball, substitutes another ball and drops it in the fairway about three club-lengths to the side of its original position.

3)  Player C finds his ball in a divot hole in the fairway.  Player C, without lifting his original ball, drops a substituted ball in the fairway about three club-lengths to the side of its original position. 

4)  Player D finds his ball in a divot hole in the fairway.  Player D declares his ball unplayable, lifts his ball and drops it in the fairway about three club-lengths to the side of its original position.

5)  Player E finds his ball in a divot hole in the fairway.  Player E declares his ball unplayable, drops a substituted ball in the fairway about three club-lengths to the side of its original position.

6)  Player F arrives at an area in the rough where he thought his tee shot might have come to rest.  Not seeing his ball and to save some time, Player F drops another ball and continues play.

7)  Player G arrives at an area in the rough where he thought his tee shot might have come to rest.  Not seeing his ball and to save some time, Player G declares his original ball unplayable, drops another ball and continues play of the hole.

Answers

Read about Local Rule on page 92 of the Rules of Golf book and also Item 5 in Appendix I on pages 100-101.

Answer: The answer to your question is dependent on whether the club, course or tournament you are playing in has a Local Rule in effect granting relief for immovable obstructions within 2 club-lengths of the green when your ball is within 2 club-lengths of the obstruction and the obstruction is on the line of play to the hole.  Since this is a collection area with short grass where putting the ball is a viable and perhaps preferred option check with the club regarding the implementation of the Local Rule.

Without the Local Rule being in effect, there is only obstruction relief available under Rule 24 which does not include line of play.

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