Disqualified — an uncorrected card

[B_R_A_D_Y]

On the tee box for the club championship yesterday … I was playing for senior, net score … the pro filled us in on local rules that were in effect. Lots of rain creating very wet conditions allowed for lift & clean in the fairway. Plugged balls were even being allowed to be lifted & dropped in both rough and bunkers. So then as fate would have it, on that first hole, my drive plugged in the opposite bank of a creek, marked by yellow stakes. Fresh off that rules talk, I automatically popped my ball out of it’s hole, and played it from within the hazard, without a second thought, and sank a 30 footer for bogey.

I marked a 5, without a penalty … with the group’s mistaken approval, and we played on.

I did however, text the pro back in the club house, to get his opinion. But it was too distracting to continue texting the narrative while playing, so I told him I would explain it in person. And we played on.

A few holes later, a player in our group realized and pointed out that what I had actually done, was to improve my lie within a hazard. I agreed, but was uncertain whether the penalty was 1 or 2 strokes. Since I had already told the pro that I was looking for him, I left the card uncorrected. 

After a 30 min wait on the 15th tee, pouring rain finally drove us into the clubhouse, where I found the pro and brought up the issue. The pro thought it was a 2 stroke penalty, but said he would double check. In the mean time however, he informed us that we needed to go back out into the pouring rain and finish our round. While we had been stuck behind slow play all day, the group ahead of us had finished their round in the rain, and with another hour of rain predicted, we needed to finish, too.

So with the final decision still pending in my mind, I once again did not correct the card.

We finished in miserable conditions … by this time there was standing water on greens, tees, bunkers and fairways … I finished par, bogey, birdie, double, for a net one over. Not a bad place to be with another day to go.

The pro was waiting for us, and offered to tally the card while I got my wet gear out of the cart. The entire issue of my penalty was not on my mind, and the pro did not know that I had not corrected the card yet. Excited to know the tally and where I stood in the rankings, my penalty issues were the furthest thing from my mind … so I left contented that I was in contention.

It did not occur to me until much later that night that I never did correct the card … I turned in an incorrect low score on the first hole. So I reluctantly texted the pro at home, and informed him that my actions, or lack thereof, had caused my disqualification.

I actually had originally considered dropping back across the creek, before I convinced myself to play out of the hazard. I wish I had gone with that first impulse. I’m writing this as the final round of the tournament concludes, so the pain is still fresh. But I am prepared to hear everyone’s opinions. Fire when ready.

[RickyBobby_PR]

Btw you can ground your club in a penalty area under the new rules

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

Sorry that happened. Sounds like the pro should have had a special rule stating about plugs in hazard areas.

[RickyBobby_PR]

9 minutes ago, Vegan_Golfer_PNW said:

Sorry that happened. Sounds like the pro should have had a special rule stating about plugs in hazard areas.

Why would the pro have a rule for hazards. It’s simple if you don’t like the lie on a penalty area you are entitled relief under the rules of the penalty (red or yellow stakes)

This is a mistake by the op both on his choice to pick up the ball in a hazard and not paying attention to what the local rules were and two not remembering to follow up with the pro after the round.

The only rules that were changed here are plugged balls in the rough and bunkers. 

[GolfSpy_BNG]

While this clearly sucks, good on you for having the integrity to DQ yourself. 

[B_R_A_D_Y]

30 minutes ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

This is a mistake by the op both on his choice to pick up the ball in a hazard and not paying attention to what the local rules were and two not remembering to follow up with the pro after the round.

Absolutely … It was all my fault. This was intended as a lesson in forgetfulness. I saw a plugged ball and forgot I was in a hazard. I was so happy to be out of the rain, I forgot about recording my penalty. I’m only 65. I’m worried about how bad will my memory might be in 5 years.

The local rule I want changed is relief from tree roots. Local emergency room Doc says he sees too many golfers every year with wrist injuries caused by hitting roots. This could be a career ending injury for me. 

[RickyBobby_PR]

26 minutes ago, B_R_A_D_Y said:

The local rule I want changed is relief from tree roots. Local emergency room Doc says he sees too many golfers every year with wrist injuries caused by hitting roots. This could be a career ending injury for me. 

What you want is a free shot.

You get relief rom that via unplayable lie, but that comes with a penalty.

Might as well just say hard pan and other unfriendly surfaces should be free relief because amateurs don’t get free clubs or can get hurt.

[CarlH]

Kudos to you for your integrity.  

With regards to roots, my club will often play a "no rocks/roots" free drop (but not for tournament play).  I see the rule get stretched unfairly (i.e. taking relief under the guise of roots only to get a better lie and clear shot to the green) and find it silly to play it sometimes and not others.  Personally, I would prefer to not see that rule (or the "leaf rule" for the same reasoning) allowed as a penalty free drop.  

[B_R_A_D_Y]

2 hours ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

What you want is a free shot.

I don’t want anything free. I’m expressing a real issue that causes real injuries. You can’t compare a serious injury causing root with hard pan. Why is there a rule that you don’t have to play a ball off a road or cart path? I don’t roll the ball in the rough when I’m out of sight of other players. I don’t want anything I haven’t earned. I don’t play golf against anyone … I play against myself. You may as well have argued, “if amateurs don’t want bad lies, then they should keep the ball in the fairway.”

[RickyBobby_PR]

2 hours ago, B_R_A_D_Y said:

I don’t want anything free. I’m expressing a real issue that causes real injuries. You can’t compare a serious injury causing root with hard pan. Why is there a rule that you don’t have to play a ball off a road or cart path? I don’t roll the ball in the rough when I’m out of sight of other players. I don’t want anything I haven’t earned. I don’t play golf against anyone … I play against myself. You may as well have argued, “if amateurs don’t want bad lies, then they should keep the ball in the fairway.”

You get relief from it under the rules as they stand. Declare the ball unplayable and take the penalty. You save yourself from injury and damage to the club.

Saying that you should get free relief because it could cause an injury is getting a fee shot for a bad hit/bad break. The rules of golf are play it as it lies, except where the rules stipulate such as relief from sprinkler head.

The tree and the root system are part of the course.

You obviously play against other people the thread is about a mistake you made in a comp so when playing by yourself do whatever you want since you can’t count the round as a handicap round. 
 

When playing under handicap rules play by the rules and don’t look for a freebie because you ended up in a bad place. Either hit the shot or pay the penalty for your bad break

[RollingGreens]

At least you were honest enough to correct the mistake. The Pro could have gone further though the situation to correct it quicker so maybe this was avoidable for improper scoring