Raff’s Rules

 

Incidents to Ponder

 

1.  A player finds a ball, which he believes is his tee shot, in a bad lie.  He considers it unplayable.  After going back, he declares he is playing a provisional ball and plays a second tee shot.  Upon going to the second ball he played from the tee, he finds his original ball in a playable position within the five minute limit.  What is the ruling?
   1. Must play original ball, no penalty and abandon the second ball
   2. Must play second ball, one stroke penalty and abandon the first ball
   3. Must play original ball, two stroke penalty and abandon the second ball
   4. Must play second ball, two stroke penalty and abandon the first ball

 

1.  While searching for his drive in tall grass, a player accidentally kicks his own ball.  He very carefully replaces the ball in the grass, a few inches from the ground where he assumed the ball to have been.  He plays a shot to the green and two putts.  His fellow competitor asks the player’s score on the hole.  The player should correctly reply:
   1. 4
   2. 5
   3. 6
   4. 7

 

1.  In stroke play, a competitor’s second shot comes to rest through the green in a muddy tire track with tread impressions that has not been defined as ground under repair by the Committee.  The competitor believes that the Committee might declare the area to be ground under repair.  He announces to his fellow-competitors that he will play his original ball and drop a second ball at the spot which conforms to the procedures prescribed in Rule 25-1b(i) (Ground Under Repair).

The player plays both balls toward the green and holes out in three additional strokes with the original ball and two strokes with the second ball.  The player reviews his actions with the Committee at scoring.  What is his score for the hole?

1. 5
2. 6
3. 7
4. We do not know the score for the hole until the Committee decides on whether the area is ground under repair.

 

1.  On a par-3 hole with a water hazard in front of the putting green, an opponent’s tee shot comes to rest, with certainty, in the water hazard.  He proceeds correctly under Rule 26-1b, keeping the point at which the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard between the hole and the place where the ball was dropped.  After dropping, he realizes that he had just dropped on the teeing ground for the hole.  He lifted his ball and placed it on a tee within the ground and played the ball.  After playing this shot, he completed the hole in three more strokes.  What is the opponent’s score for the hole?
   1. 6
   2. 7
   3. 8
   4. Loss of hole

 

1.  Joe’s tee shot came to rest near the base of a tree with some very low overhanging limbs.  After addressing the ball and beginning his backswing, the ball moved.  During the downswing, Joe’s club became tangled in one of the low limbs and he never made contact with the ball.  Confused, yet relieved that he now had a clearer area of intended swing, Joe walked up to the ball’s new location and took 3 more strokes to complete the hole.  What is Joe’s score for the hole?
   1. 5
   2. 6
   3. 7
   4. 8

 

1.  In which of the following is a player required to re-drop a ball under Rule 20-2c?
   1. When taking relief from a cart path, the dropped ball rolls against the player’s bag.
   2. When taking relief from ground under repair, the ball is dropped from head high.
   3. When taking relief from an embedded ball, the dropped ball rolls back into the pitch-mark.
   4. When taking relief from a lateral water hazard, the dropped ball first strikes the course just outside of two club-lengths from the margin of a lateral water hazard and rolls inside the two club-length area.

 

1.  In which of the following is the player’s original ball lost?
   1. The player who didn’t want to search for it declared it lost.
   2. The player has dropped but not played a ball under Rule 26-1c when it is not known or virtually certain that his original ball is in the hazard.
   3. The player has searched in the left rough for his provisional ball for 5 minutes and then heads to the right rough to search for his original ball.
   4. The player lifted a stray ball thinking it was his original ball and dropped it under the procedure in Rule 28c, within two club-lengths of where he found it unplayable.  The player than made a stroke at the dropped ball.

 

Answers:

1. B             The second tee shot was not a provisional ball (Decision 27-2a/1.5).  The second ball

played was played under Rule 27-1a, proceeding under penalty of stroke and distance.

 

1.  C            The ball in play was moved by the player and not correctly replaced (Decision 18-

2a/21.5).  Four talent strokes and two penalty strokes.

 

1.  B            Rule 3-3, player did not announce which ball to count – strokes with original ball count.

 

1.  B            Penalty strokes under Rule 26-1b and 27-1a, plus 5 talent strokes.  Also, see Rule 27-1a.

 

1. B             Lies 1 after tee shot.  1 Penalty stroke under Rule 18-2b, 1 talent stroke – entangled, 3

additional talent strokes.  See Definition of “Stroke”.  Also, see Rule 14-5.

 

1.  C            Rule 20-1a applies to A) and B).  Rule 20-2b applies to D). Rule 20-2c(v) applies to C).
2. D             See Definition of “Lost Ball” – item “e”.