Hitting two balls

[Colin L]

Last week in my league, I pulled a drive into some woods. My ball came to rest in a thicket of poison ivy. I took an unplayable lie, left the ball there, dropped a new ball (with the knowledge and agreement of my competitor), and counted to penalty. Honest question: should I have taken an additional penalty for changing out ball mid hole or does the "damaged ball" situation cover this?

You are permitted to substitute a ball when taking relief under the ball unplayable rule [28].  That means that if you  can see and identify your ball you can proceed with another one without retrieving the ifrst one...... which might be a good idea if taking penalty relief from poison ivy since you do not actually get free relief from it as a dangerous situation. See Decison 1-4/11

http://www.usga.org/rules/rules-and-decisions.html#!decision-01,d1-4-11

[cnosil]

You are permitted to substitute a ball when taking relief under the ball unplayable rule [28].  That means that if you  can see and identify your ball you can proceed with another one without retrieving the ifrst one...... which might be a good idea if taking penalty relief from poison ivy since you do not actually get free relief from it as a dangerous situation. See Decison 1-4/11

http://www.usga.org/rules/rules-and-decisions.html#!decision-01,d1-4-11

 

Thanks for correcting my post.  I only did a google search that said relief was entitled,  should have actually gone to the rules. 

[Colin L]

Thanks for correcting my post.  I only did a google search that said relief was entitled,  should have actually gone to the rules. 

 

You're welcome. The distinction seems to be between dangerous animals which are not considered  a normal feature of a golf course and things which you might find there naturally such as poison ivy, nettles, giant hogweed etc.  There is also a difference in that a dangerous animal might attack you of its own volition whereas you have by your own actions to put yourself at risk from a plant.  (Sorry no, tiriffids don't atually exist.)   That's all just how I understand it.

[revkev]

Either way, he's penalized. He's either practicing on the course, or he's playing the wrong ball. He never announced his intention to substitute a ball until after he hit the "practice shot", so it can't be a substituted ball. In strict terms, he'd lose the hole in match play, he'd be DQ in stroke play, because he never corrected his "mistake". In friendly casual golf, its up to your group to figure it out.

Exactly

 

And at csnoil you are giving them too much credit, I doubt they know the hardball, soft ball thing - it's probably a best up ball that they don't care if they loose vs a new one.

 

If I caught it in my league I'd tell the guy, if he continued to break the rule, I'd tell an officer, if they didn't do anything about it I'd find a new league to play in. But that wouldn't happen in either league I play in, he'd be disciplined in some way.

 

 

 

 

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[Mr. 82]

Last week I played with a guy who subbed another ball to putt with on every hole. It's against the rules and I wouldn't do it unless the original ball was damaged (legal). But the guy was a mid to high 20's HI, so whatever. He was a nice guy we enjoyed playing with, that's all that really matters.

And chances are it didn't help his putting much anyway.  

[cnosil]

And chances are it didn't help his putting much anyway.

But he didn't lose that one new ProV that he has in the bag.

[revkev]

I wouldn't call it on a guy if he were simply subbing in a new ball on the green that is the same ball type - chances are pretty good that I wouldn't even notice it.

 

Speaking of balls I felt bad in league this week as I won my match because my opponent played the wrong ball.  I abetted him in doing so in that we were both in the right rough by a grove of trees.  He was playing a Bridgestone of some type and I found one about three feet from my ball.  Both he and I thought that his ball was in the next grove of trees up but he figured, oh well this is mine, it wasn't until he holed out that he realized his mistake.  I felt terrible but it was his responsible to check the ball to make sure that it was his.  I double felt terrible because he had found my ball in deep rough earlier in the round (I had some issues blocking the ball in that round) and I made birdie off of that shot - I was just about to abandon the ball as lost.

[JohnSmalls]

I know I got this ruling wrong, so please correct me. My opponent hit his drive into no-mans-land the woods and proceeded to hit a provisional off of the tee.  We go to mark the provisional and look for the first ball.  With a bit of fortune, the first ball was found a few minutes later in a terrible spot amongst the trees.  The lie was so bad that my opponent would have been much better playing his provisional and I encouraged him to do so as it would lead to a better score for the hole even with the penalty strokes.   

 

​Can you play the provisional even after you find the resting spot of your crap tee shot, or must you play the original ball since it was found?

[JohnSmalls]

I hit two good balls once... I stepped on a rake.  

 Not sure I would want to putt with those if I were you.

 

Down here in “Senior world” stupid stuff happens often.

I've seen a guy on a Par 3 hit his Tee shot in the water. Second shot (3rd) goes in the hole and he declares a hole in one, Uh, nope. Nice Par.

 

 

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To this day, there is an old guy at my course who has a hole in one trophy for doing just that. A mutual friend of ours told me the real story a few weeks ago.  But the fact that he keeps the trophy and openly claims that as his "hole in one" absolutely burns me up. 

[DaveP043]

I know I got this ruling wrong, so please correct me. My opponent hit his drive into no-mans-land the woods and proceeded to hit a provisional off of the tee.  We go to mark the provisional and look for the first ball.  With a bit of fortune, the first ball was found a few minutes later in a terrible spot amongst the trees.  The lie was so bad that my opponent would have been much better playing his provisional and I encouraged him to do so as it would lead to a better score for the hole even with the penalty strokes.   

 

​Can you play the provisional even after you find the resting spot of your crap tee shot, or must you play the original ball since it was found?

As soon as you identify your original ball, your provisional is out of play.  You can take an unplayable lie, and go back to the tee to hit your next shot (with a stroke penalty), but you cannot play your provisional.  The reasoning is pretty simple.  If your tee shot is unplayable, you have three options:  drop within 2 clublengths, go back with your original spot between you and the hole, or replay the original shot.  If you were allowed to use your provisional, you'd essentially know the result of one of your options, which would influence your choice.  Its like knowing what's behind Door Number 3 on Let's Make a Deal before you pick your door.  (Who's old enough to remember Monte Hall?)

[Mr. 82]

Its like knowing what's behind Door Number 3 on Let's Make a Deal before you pick your door.  (Who's old enough to remember Monte Hall?)

Monte was "the man" at the time.  And you know darn well he was banging all those blondes on that show.

[JohnSmalls]

As soon as you identify your original ball, your provisional is out of play.  You can take an unplayable lie, and go back to the tee to hit your next shot (with a stroke penalty), but you cannot play your provisional.  The reasoning is pretty simple.  If your tee shot is unplayable, you have three options:  drop within 2 clublengths, go back with your original spot between you and the hole, or replay the original shot.  If you were allowed to use your provisional, you'd essentially know the result of one of your options, which would influence your choice.  Its like knowing what's behind Door Number 3 on Let's Make a Deal before you pick your door.  (Who's old enough to remember Monte Hall?)

That makes perfect sense.  Thank you!

[Kor.A.Door]

As soon as you identify your original ball, your provisional is out of play. You can take an unplayable lie, and go back to the tee to hit your next shot (with a stroke penalty), but you cannot play your provisional. The reasoning is pretty simple. If your tee shot is unplayable, you have three options: drop within 2 clublengths, go back with your original spot between you and the hole, or replay the original shot. If you were allowed to use your provisional, you'd essentially know the result of one of your options, which would influence your choice. Its like knowing what's behind Door Number 3 on Let's Make a Deal before you pick your door. (Who's old enough to remember Monte Hall?)

I think in a causal round though, playing the “provisional” ball from the tee and then deciding to play that ball is acceptable in order to help with the pace of play, it's a fun round to enjoy with a friend. In a “game” round the rules stated above should be applied.

[MaxEntropy]

You are permitted to substitute a ball when taking relief under the ball unplayable rule [28].  That means that if you  can see and identify your ball you can proceed with another one without retrieving the ifrst one...... which might be a good idea if taking penalty relief from poison ivy since you do not actually get free relief from it as a dangerous situation. See Decison 1-4/11

http://www.usga.org/rules/rules-and-decisions.html#!decision-01,d1-4-11

 

I have a follow-up question: In this particular case, there was no way I could put a swing on the ball, so had really no choice but to take an unplayable. What would be the ruling if it were determined that I could put a swing on the ball, but still sitting in poison ivy?

[MDGolfHacker]

I have a follow-up question: In this particular case, there was no way I could put a swing on the ball, so had really no choice but to take an unplayable. What would be the ruling if it were determined that I could put a swing on the ball, but still sitting in poison ivy?

Then no penalty so play away.

 

MDGolfHacker

[cnosil]

I have a follow-up question: In this particular case, there was no way I could put a swing on the ball, so had really no choice but to take an unplayable. What would be the ruling if it were determined that I could put a swing on the ball, but still sitting in poison ivy?

You can hit the ball or still take an unplayable and proceed according to the options of an unplayable ball. The player themselves determine if a ball is unplayable. You can take an unplayable in the middle of the fairway if you desire.