3 Basic Penalty Strokes Scenarios

[MikeL]

I made up three scenarios and included the total number of strokes for each holes, if it's incorrect, just explain where I am wrong. If you don't know where I took a stroke or that something doesn't make any sense, let me know and I try my best to clarify.

---- 1st HOLE -------
a) Drive slices far in the woods (1 Stroke)
b) Tee up another ball and my drive lands in fairway (2 Stroke)
c) Approach shot lands on the green (1 Stroke)
d) Putt (1 Stroke)
e) Putt (1 Stroke)

Total strokes for hole #1 = 6
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---- 2nd HOLE --------
a) Tee shot goes in middle of a water hazard (1 Stroke)
b) Drop a ball behind where ball landed in the water hazard - Approach shot lands on the green (2 Stroke)
c) Putt (1 Stroke)
d) Putt (1 Stroke)

Total strokes for hole #2 = 5
---------------------------------

---- 3rd HOLE --------
a) Drive goes in woods and I know I'll have a good chance to find it. (1 Stroke)
b) Find the ball and consider it unplayabe so I drop a ball within 2 club lenght - Approach shot goes in the middle of a water hazard. (2 Stroke)
c) Drop another ball from where I last hit the previous shot and my approach then lands on the green (2 Stroke)
d) Putt (1 Stroke)
d) Putt (1 Stroke)

Total strokes for hole 3 = 7
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"Hypothetical Rulings Challenge the group with an interesting situation" - Not really what you would consider a challenge, but I thought I would post it in here. Hoping that someone will have the chance to confirm/explain this to me. I just want to make sure that I understand the "basics" of penalty strokes.

Thanks.

[Kilroy]

Moved. The Hypothetical section is meant for the writer of the question test the others, so you should be sure of the answer when you pose a challenge to the group in that section.

[Kilroy]

Your count is fine (more or less) as played. You have some other options in some of your situations. What are they?

Also you didn't mention what rule you were invoking when you took a penalty. That can help you to clarify your thinking and help us to determine if you got there because you applied the rule correctly.

[MikeL]

Your count is fine (more or less) as played. You have some other options in some of your situations. What are they?

Thanks for the response.

Let's see......

Hole #1 - After slicing my drive deep in the woods, I believe my only option is to tee up another ball and take a penalty stroke.

Hole #2 - Ball lands in the middle of a water hazard, I believe my options are to drop the ball anywhere as long as it's not closer to the pin to where the ball landed in the water and apply penalty stroke or tee up another ball and take a penalty stroke

Hole #3 - Ball is not too far into the woods, I believe my options would be to..
a) hit the ball where it landed (no penalty stroke, as long as I don't pull a shot like Brian Davis did yesterday)
b) hit a provisional shot (apply penalty stroke)
c) drop the ball from up to 2 club lenght. (add penalty stroke)

[Kilroy]

2 - Not quite. It's not where it splashed that's important, it's where it last crossed the boundary of the hazzard.

a. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or
b. Drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped; or
c. As additional options available only if the ball last crossed the margin of a lateral water hazard, drop a ball outside the water hazard within two club-lengths of and not nearer the hole than (i) the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard or (ii) a point on the opposite margin of the water hazard equidistant from the hole.

Why are your optoins for 1 and 3 different?

[Kilroy]

Brian Davis was in a hazard. There is no penalty for moving a lose impediment in your backswing when you are not in a hazard, so unless your ball in the forrest was also in hazard then that's not a concern.

[MikeL]

2 - Not quite. It's not where it splashed that's important, it's where it last crossed the boundary of the hazzard.

a. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or
b. Drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped; or
c. As additional options available only if the ball last crossed the margin of a lateral water hazard, drop a ball outside the water hazard within two club-lengths of and not nearer the hole than (i) the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard or (ii) a point on the opposite margin of the water hazard equidistant from the hole.

Why are your optoins for 1 and 3 different?

Thanks again - it makes sense.

Why are my options for 1 and 3 different... well one I can see the ball so I know where I can drop the ball, the other I don't really know how far it went ??

I have a hard time understanding the way rules are written.. having someone who understands the rules explain this to me makes a lot more sense. Often I'll read a rule and interpret it 2 different ways, and I'm not really sure which one is correct.

[Kilroy]

If you don't look for a ball and put a new ball in play (without declaring it a provisional) the original ball is lost. That's what you did in scenario 1

After playing into the forest (not a hazard) off the tee... If you put a provisional ball in play (Must declare it) then you can look for your ball, and play the provisional if you don't find it. (the provisional would be lying 3 if the original is not found) If you do find it you must play the original (lying 1). The provisional is dead even if the found original is unplayable.

If you do not hit a provisional and can't find your ball that was 1" in the forest... back to the tee mr unpopular.

There is no difference in the status of the ball if it is 1" or 100 yards into the forest. The only difference is your willingness to look for it, did you find it and did you hit a provisional.

[MikeL]

Thanks a lot for taking the time to explain this to me - I appreciate it!

[AAA]

Mile

Hole 1 - see Rule 27-1

Hole 2 - see Rule 26-1

Hole 3 - b) hit a provisional shot (apply penalty stroke) - see Rule 27-2
c) drop the ball from up to 2 club lenght. (add penalty stroke) - see Rule 28

http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules...and-Decisions/