I. Facts

Foremost hit a lovely drive on the Par 5 14th Hole at BMCC which unfortunately found the fairway bunker on the right … clearly negating his eagle opportunity. In fact, the ball was found resting against the lip of the bunker below a sharply vertical 2 1/2 inch bunker lip and below the high grass face or mound front defining the bunker, a circumstance which rendered impossible any forward advancement of the ball.

F sighed as he inspected his lie and contemplated his play … or four relief options — none very appealing. Certainly, he could return to the teeing area and replay the shot using stroke and distance relief which would at best leave him lying 3 in the fairway (R19.2a). Alternatively, he could utilize “Normal” relief options within the bunker including relief back of the line or lateral, both under a one-stoke penalty (R19.3). Neither of these two options was appealing as both would still leave him dealing with sand, and the steep face of the bunker, not to mention an imposing creek crossing the fairway ahead to ensnare any mishits. Finally, he considered the “Extra Relief Option” , a drop outside the bunker back of the line, which would at least get him out of the bunker. But darn, this relief entailed a two-stroke penalty (R19.3b).

F, of course, processed these four options in the blink of an eye, and decided his best bet would be to try to hit the ball out of the bunker sideways which, if successful, would leave him in the fairway lying two. Perhaps he could get the toe of his club on the ball which rested against the lip?

F selected a couple of clubs (a 7-iron and a pitching wedge) and approached the bunker from the fairway side. After surveying his plight from close range, he laid the 7-iron down in the grass and stepped into the bunker with his pitching wedge. Even the sideways attempt would require an elevated shot.

F quickly addressed his ball and gingerly attempted the sideways punch-shot off the lip. The ball made it out of the bunker…barely …but caught the steep face of the grass wall defining the bunker. It then slowly began trickling back towards the bunker, and would have certainly re-entered the bunker but for the 7-iron club F had left in the grass upon stepping into the bunker.

F was delighted his ball had stayed out of the bunker but, as he analyzed his new lie on the gentle, grassy slope of the bunker knoll, he knew he had a bit of a problem.

Opponent ZM (aka RM) sidled over at this point and announced with pious solemnity that he was afraid F had incurred a penalty by placing his unselected club in a position to block the re-entry of F’s ball into the bunker, where it would certainly have come to rest, but for the fortuitous placement of this unselected club, a placement for which F was entirely responsible.

F conceded the fact that the club he had dropped had prevented his ball from re-entering the bunker, but he denied that he was subject to penalty under the Rules of Golf.

Ruling

Under R11.1 there is no penalty to a player if his ball in motion played from off the putting green “accidentally” hits something… including his own equipment. The ball is generally played as it lies. Even ZM never suggested F had “deliberately positioned” a club to block entry into a bunker, a sordid act which would have indeed led to the General Penalty, Loss of Hole in Match Play (R11.2).

Facts (Continued)

Quickly dismissing ZM, F’s immediate and more pressing concern was how to play his ball which was now resting on a downward slope against the 7-iron. If he removed the 7-iron and the ball resting against it moved, would he not be penalized for causing his ball to move? It was a brand new 7-iron. F hated to think of playing the ball as it lay and blasting through his new 7-iron with a shot, but this was a consideration as this was an important shot in an important match.

Ruling

F knew well that if a player causes his own ball to move he generally incurs a one-stroke penalty (R9.4) … but in the back of his mind, he faintly remembered there were 5 exceptions to this rule (R9.4b). What were they? He wracked his brain. Aha, he thought ….no penalty (1) if a ball is allowed to be dropped or replaced under a rule, or (2) when his ball is accidentally moved during a search, or (3) when his ball is accidentally moved on a putting green, or (4) when his ball is accidentally moved except on a putting green when taking “reasonable actions” to follow another rule such as lifting or marking …. and finally (5) if his ball comes to rest against a player or their equipment as a result of a stroke, there is no penalty if the player removes his equipment! No penalty again!

F removed the 7-iron. His ball rolled slightly. F replaced it (he hopes this procedure was correct) and blasted a nice fairway wood shot back into play short of the green. Easy bogey 6 …. lost the hole anyway.

II. Facts

Congrats to Reader and accomplished player and competitor RGC on his recent 90th birthday! Well done! F looks forward to his future play and, perhaps even, a few noteworthy infractions. RGC is always a candidate for a F post. As he told F once, “If you are going to call that, I have about 70 years of bets that I need to recalculate. I’m afraid I owe a whole lot of people.”

As usual, all comments and corrections are welcome!

Respectfully submitted,
F