From: maceache@fox.nstn.ns.ca (Tim Maceachern)
Subject: Re: Rules question
Keywords: O. B., Rules
Organization: NSTN Network Operations Centre, Nova Scotia, Canada
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 16:46:21 GMT

dking@raul.nas.nasa.gov (Dan King) writes:


>tm>In article <1992Sep8.141111.21519@nstn.ns.ca> maceache@fox.nstn.ns.ca (Tim Maceachern) writes:
>bt>twete@tweety.wr.tek.com (Bob Twete) writes:

>bt>I did hit a provisional, played the provisional and took a *.

>tm>Yes.  When you found the first ball not O.B. your provisional ball was dead.
>tm>At that point you had to revert to playing the first ball again.  If you
>tm>continued playing the provisional you did not complete the hole and must
>tm>take an X, or a DNF in a tournament.

>If I understand the playing the wrong ball rule correctly, the penalty isn't
>an X or a DNF, but a two stroke penalty in stroke play or a loss of hole in
>Match play.

Yes, I was assuming that he did not finish out the hole with the original
ball, played according to applicable rules.  If he found the original ball,
but continued to play the provisional to finish the hole out he would have
to correct his error before starting play on the next hole (or leaving 18
green).  Count a two stroke penalty for hitting the wrong ball (the provisional
once it has become dead -- two strokes no matter how many other shots be took
with it) then he must go back to where the original ball was (in the fence)
and proceed to finish the hole out legally.  As for match play -- I will not
comment, but if he manages to halve the hole it'll be a miracle!

>Rule 15. Playing a Wrong Ball
> 
>15-1 General
> A player must hole out with the ball played from the
>TEEING GROUND unless a Rule permits him to substitute
>another ball.  If a player substitutes another ball when
>proceeding under an applicable rule which does nor per-
>mit substitution, that ball is not a WRONG BALL; it becomes
>the BALL IN PLAY and, if the error is not corrected as provided
>in Rule 20-6, the player shall incur a penalty of loss of hole
>in match play or two strokes in stroke play.
> 
>My understanding from this reading, Bob illegally played his
>provisional ball.  But once he illegally played (After he
>discovered his ball was in-bounds), it then became his 
>BALL IN PLAY.  He would then continue playing that ball,
>(I would assume he would count it at the time as hitting 
>his fourth shot) and if playing stroke play he would add 
>2 strokes to his score at the end of playing the hole.
> 
>I'm new at the rules business and am only going by my
>one year out of date Rules of Golf book.  If anyone
>has more information, I'd be interested in hearing if 
>my interpretation is wrong.  

>Dan King

My understanding is that you can legally play your provisional past the
point where the original was likely to be only if you do not go and find
the provisional (in bounds).  If you don't look for and can't see the
original ball before you make a shot with the provisional past the point
where the original is likely to be (sorry for the sentence structure) then
the original is deemed to be lost and the stroke-and-distance penalty comes
into effect.

If you do look for the original ball and find it in bounds, you are stuck
with it.

I welcome clarifications -- decisions book rulings would be nice.  I'll
have to buy that some year!

*******************************************************************
*         Tim MacEachern         * Tim_MacEachern@hawk.nstn.ns.ca *
*     Software Kinetics Ltd.     *  or maceache@hawk.nstn.ns.ca   *
* Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada *                                *
*           Opinions expressed are the author's only              *
*******************************************************************
From: ian@hpopd.pwd.hp.com (Ian Watson)
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 09:15:40 GMT
Subject: Re: Rule that I'd like to see changed
Organization: Hewlett-Packard ISG-SBU-PWD, UK.