Jan 2013 

Raff’s Rules

Dropping Puzzle – The Rulings

In each of the following cases, the player has played the dropped ball.  In which case has the player proceeded correctly?

A)      Player A, in taking relief from a paved cart path, dropped the ball within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, not nearer the hole.  The dropped ball rolled nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief but not nearer the hole than the original position of the ball.

**Player A’s ball was in play but not properly in play.  Rule 20-2c(vii)(b) requires a re-drop since the dropped ball rolled and came to rest nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief.  Player A incurred the general penalty for a breach of Rule 20-2c.

B)       Player B’s ball is in a lateral water hazard.  In taking relief, Player B dropped a substituted ball nearer the hole than the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the hazard and the ball rolls into the prescribed area.

**Player B incurred the general penalty for a breach of Rule 26-1.  Rule 20-2b required that a ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course where the applicable Rule requires it to be dropped.  Player B played from a wrong place; Rule 20-7 states that the penalty is under the applicable Rule which defines the relief procedure.

C)       In taking relief from a paved cart path, Player C’s first drop strikes the club used to mark the one club-length from the nearest point of relief.  The second drop lands within the one club-length area and rolls onto the cart path.  Player C placed the ball as near as possible to the spot where the ball struck the course on the second drop.

**Player C incurred the general penalty for a breach of Rule 20-2c.  The first drop was a “no-drop” since the ball struck Player C’s equipment – see Rule 20-2c.  The second drop was the first drop to meet the first requirements of Rule 24-2b(i), however, the ball rolled onto the cart path requiring a re-drop under Rule 20-2c(v).

D)      In taking relief from a paved cart path, Player D’s first drop strikes the club used to mark the one club-length from the nearest point of relief.  The second drop lands within the one club-length area and rolls onto the cart path.  The third drop lands within the one club-length area and rolls nearer the hole than the original position of the ball.  Player D placed the ball as near as possible to the spot where the ball struck the course on the third drop.

**Player D has proceeded in accordance with the Rules.  The first drop was a “no-drop” – see Rule 20-2a.  Player D lifted the ball under Rule 20-6 and dropped the ball in accordance with Rule 24-2b(i); the dropped ball rolled into a position requiring a re-drop under Rule 20-2c(v).  After the ball was dropped a third time and the ball rolled nearer the hole than the original position of the ball, Rule 20-2c required the ball to be placed as near as possible to where it struck the course after that drop.

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Jan 2013
The following are the Definitions from the Rules of Golf with additional insight in italics that explains more fully how they are applied.

Click here to view or download Definitions Explained

For those that are planning to go to the USGA/PGA Rules Workshop or just wanting to become more educated on the Rules of Golf, this document will most certainly help you.