What do you do when it is impossible to recreate your original lie?
The Rules of Golf are tricky! Thank you, we have a guru. Our Rules Guy knows the book from front to back. Have a question? You have all the answers.
In a recent tournament, my tee ended up in a fairway divot and touched the ball of one of my playing partners, my ball in front of him. Obviously, I needed to mark my ball so he could play his approach ball – which I did, to the side of our balls. His next shot made the original divot even bigger and deeper. We agreed that since it was impossible to recreate my original lie on the divot, I should put my ball next to it and play. The right call? – Edward Kelly, Jr., via email
Although it doesn’t affect our answer, the Rules Guy assumes that you play first rather than your drive bouncing or bouncing against your playing partner’s ball … but we digress.
So, did you make the right call? It is possible.
Rules Guy: To play the preferred lie, can I put my ball on the first cut instead of the fairway?
By:
Rules Guy
First of all, retelling the lie would actually be wrong; you only do that when your ball is in the sand and the lie is changed. Per Rule 14.2d and Clarification 14.2d(2)/1 (which is a very similar situation), the correct procedure is to place the ball on a lie as close as possible to the actual lie within one club-length, not close to the hole and still in the normal position. Even though that lie may be worse after your partner’s shot, it’s possible that the new divot may be more of the same. Or maybe there was a similar divot in the middle of the club’s length that you could put it on.
Needless to say, it’s usually not a good lie on the fairway that’s “very similar,” but it’s not impossible. It can’t be more abutting-balls-in-a-divot…
For a no-nonsense guide from our guru, read on…
We have the world’s most unfair lodge in front of us on the 17th green. It’s seven feet deep, but that’s the easy part. Funnel-shaped, only .001″ of soil sits on the bottom. If I find myself in this abyss, I can raise my ball as unplayable, raise the sand on the base from the walls and drop my ball to play, one penalty stroke is too bad? Thanks for listening. – Bill Herrick, East Moriches, NY
The Rules Guy always tries to be a sympathetic ear, and we were with you for a while there — when you wanted to rule the ball unplayable and get a penalty relief. That is kosher.
But like the sand in your cruel house – “universally unfair” is certainly stretching things a bit – your request is eroded when you think of tearing up the sand where you plan to drop the ball, which, by improving your aid position, becomes true.
You need only drop the ball under one of the four options in Rule 19.3, three of which (stroke and distance, back to the line inside the bunker, relief on the side inside the bunker) cost one penalty stroke and the other (back to the relief line outside the house) two penalty strokes.
Other options: Try a sand wedge with less bounce or find a new home course.
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Have a question about the Rules? Ask the Rules Guy! Send your questions, confusion and comments to rulesguy@golf.com. We promise he won’t throw a letter at you.
