Options after a bad first tee shot

Basically, do one have any options that would allow one to go back to the tee if they don't like their first result for whatever reason even if it is playable and what would the penalty be?

Background info:

I recently played and hit a wonky first tee shot that hit a tree about 50 yards aaway from me and instead of going into water it dropped and was under the tree. It could have been played, although I would have only gotten maybe 20 oe 30 yards forward.

This was not a match or anything and I usually play by the few rules I know but instead of starting off with this I took a mulligan and rehit which ended up a little better.

If however, I was playing by the rules, what could I have done if I didn't like the first shot?

- could I declare it as unplayable and go back to the tee with loss of stroke and distance ? even though it was playable?

- could I declare it as lost and go back to the tee? even though it is not lost?

After my round in my case I figured I was hitting 3 off the tee if I was more following the rules but this is probably more or disqualification if by the rules in a match?

Just curious.

I believe that a player can declare their ball unplayable at any time and it is solely up to the player themselves to deem it unplayable....even if it's in the middle of the fairway.

Obviously there is a penalty stroke consequence to this action. So in your scenario you could have declared your first drive unplayable and one of your options would have been to go back to the tee and rehit your 3rd stroke from the tee...all within the rules, if somewhat risky (and maybe a little against the spirit :))

Goochy is correct. You may at any time declare your ball 'unplayable', at which point you suffer a penalty stroke, and have 3 options available to you.

1. You may return to the location of your previous shot and hit from there.

2. You may take 2 club-lengths relief from your ball's current position

3. You may take as much relief as you desire in a direct line back from your ball, keeping your ball's current position and the flag in line.

In the scenario you describe, options 2 or 3 may be more desirable than reloading from the tee.

You cannot declare a ball unplayable if it is in a Water Hazard.

However, you can always, under penalty of one stroke, play a ball as nearly as possible from the spot where the original ball was last played.

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Originally Posted by AAA

However, you can always, under penalty of one stroke, play a ball as nearly as possible from the spot where the original ball was last played.

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...and you don't have to "declare" anything.

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Originally Posted by Slicer&Dicer

I recently played and hit a wonky first tee shot that hit a tree about 50 yards aaway from me and instead of going into water it dropped and was under the tree. It could have been played, although I would have only gotten maybe 20 oe 30 yards forward.
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in your example, i would hit the second shot as it lies 20-30 yards forward onto the fairway, and then hit my 3rd shot from there. this way i'd save 70-80 yards instead of going back to the tee box and hitting 3 from there.

Thanks for the info guys.

I took a mulligan which I rarely do anymore and if I do take one it's only on the first tee.

After my round I was thinking how could I more honorably enter my score into the handicap system.

I figured counting three off the tee was the way to go, but in the spirit of the game I think one is supposed to play the ball as it lies but then again following the rules is also in the true spirit of the game.

Yes Nokids, if I was going to do it again, I would have hit the second shot from under the tree as my third shot might have been onto the green instead of taking my third off the tee but in this case I took a mulligan and correcting this is an after the round thought.

I just hate starting a round with a "wonky" shot. I don't need the greatest shot but at least a little farther than 50 yds, lol...

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Originally Posted by Slicer&Dicer

I took a mulligan which I rarely do anymore and if I do take one it's only on the first tee.

After my round I was thinking how could I more honorably enter my score into the handicap system.

I figured counting three off the tee was the way to go, but in the spirit of the game I think one is supposed to play the ball as it lies but then again following the rules is also in the true spirit of the game.

Yes Nokids, if I was going to do it again, I would have hit the second shot from under the tree as my third shot might have been onto the green instead of taking my third off the tee but in this case I took a mulligan and correcting this is an after the round thought.

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Your mulligan shot would be your 3rd shot since you are basically declaring your initial shot unplayable. so add 2 strokes to what you recorded on this hole, and dont enter more than your ESC max. voila, your score is honorable.

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Originally Posted by nokids

Your mulligan shot would be your 3rd shot since you are basically declaring your initial shot unplayable. so add 2 strokes to what you recorded on this hole, and dont enter more than your ESC max. voila, your score is honorable.

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This is what I have done, thanks to all for the help.

You should never be entering any rounds when taking mulligans of any sort? This completely defeats the purpose of keeping a legit handicap?

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Originally Posted by John

You should never be entering any rounds when taking mulligans of any sort? This completely defeats the purpose of keeping a legit handicap?

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That's why I asked, :lmfao

Save if you're hitting a provisional off the tee ... but that's another matter. ;)

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Originally Posted by BC MIST

...and you don't have to "declare" anything.

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Originally Posted by BC MIST

...and you don't have to "declare" anything.

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You may be correct, I don't know...but simple etiquette would be to inform your fellow competitors.

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Originally Posted by sensfan63

You may be correct, I don't know...but simple etiquette would be to inform your fellow competitors.

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We are talking about stroke and distance penalty situation(s), here.

For example: If a player hits a ball into the bush that he knows he does not want to find, he will re tee or drop another and say nothing, meaning that this next ball will be in play. There is no obligation under the rules of golf or golf etiquette to explain what he is doing. If he happens to be playing a provisional, he must say so, however, there is no need to identify the ball by make and number. In both circumstances, players MAY explain to their FC's what they are going to do, but it is NOT poor etiquette if they don't.

What is poor etiquette is hearing your FC say, "I am going to hit another," when you know he means "I am going to hit a provisional," and then say nothing. Good sportsmanship is shown by saying, "Is this a provisional?"

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Originally Posted by BC MIST

We are talking about stroke and distance penalty situation(s), here.

For example: If a player hits a ball into the bush that he knows he does not want to find, he will re tee or drop another and say nothing, meaning that this next ball will be in play. There is no obligation under the rules of golf or golf etiquette to explain what he is doing. If he happens to be playing a provisional, he must say so, however, there is no need to identify the ball by make and number. In both circumstances, players MAY explain to their FC's what they are going to do, but it is NOT poor etiquette if they don't.

What is poor etiquette is hearing your FC say, "I am going to hit another," when you know he means "I am going to hit a provisional," and then say nothing. Good sportsmanship is shown by saying, "Is this a provisional?"

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I have got to get my hands on this etiquette book from which you learned.

OF COURSE you identify a new ball being put in play. It guarantees that there won't be any "misunderstandings" if the two balls happen to be close together. These things unfortunately happen, so it's best that all players be aware of the new ball's markings and number.

Anyone who DOESN'T identify their ball is asking for trouble.

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Originally Posted by sensfan63

I have got to get my hands on this etiquette book from which you learned.

OF COURSE you identify a new ball being put in play. It guarantees that there won't be any "misunderstandings" if the two balls happen to be close together. These things unfortunately happen, so it's best that all players be aware of the new ball's markings and number.

Anyone who DOESN'T identify their ball is asking for trouble.

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While I agree that it is wise to identify a provisional ball by make, number or an ID mark, it is NOT compulsory. 27-2a indicates that the player MUST inform his opp/FC that he intends to play a provisional ball. That is the only obligation that he has. While most players put there own unique identification mark(s) on their golf ball, they do NOT have to. ("Each player SHOULD put an identification mark on his ball") Notice SHOULD, instead of MUST.

Even if the player hits two balls of the same make and number into the same area and both are found, he is NOT penalized unless the condition of both balls is identical. If they are, he chooses one of the balls and treats it as the provisional and plays it, with a 1 stroke penalty.

If two players happen to hit the same make and numbered balls into the same area and neither can accurately identify one as theirs, both balls are LOST.

There is nothing in the etiquette section of the RB concerning the marking of golf balls, because the rules cover it as quoted above. However, doing so saves a lot of the"misunderstandings" you refer to.

A bizarre thing happened in Brockville at the OVGA Senior field day. On the first tee, a player's tee shot hit the red tee marker and the ball ended up behind the tee box. He played it from there, but could he have re-teed and put another ball in play? By re-teeing he would have been closer to the hole than where his first ball layed.

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Originally Posted by THUNDAH

A bizarre thing happened in Brockville at the OVGA Senior field day. On the first tee, a player's tee shot hit the red tee marker and the ball ended up behind the tee box. He played it from there, but could he have re-teed and put another ball in play? By re-teeing he would have been closer to the hole than where his first ball layed.

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He couldhave re-teed but it would have cost him a penalty stroke.

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Originally Posted by THUNDAH

A bizarre thing happened in Brockville at the OVGA Senior field day. On the first tee, a player's tee shot hit the red tee marker and the ball ended up behind the tee box. He played it from there, but could he have re-teed and put another ball in play? By re-teeing he would have been closer to the hole than where his first ball layed.

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In taking free relief from immovable obstructions, for example, if the ball rolls closer to the hole, then the ball must be re-dropped. In a number of penalty situations, as in your example, the ball may roll closer to the hole without a re drop having to be done. A ball unplayable on the putting green, a drop zone, one particular lateral water hazard situation, are examples of this.

Had the ball of the player in the seniors rolled on to the cart path or patio behind the tee, it would have been interesting to see where he would have dropped, as this area is NOT out of bounds. At the Perth seniors the week before, the cart path, patio and parking lot were all OB.

His ball was not out of bounds. It ended up in play but behind the tees. AAA, does this change your answer?
I tend to think that he could have hit 3 from the tee. He can't say his first ball is lost, everyone there knows where it is. He deems it unplayable, re-tees, now that ball is in play.
I believe the same ruling would be given if indeed his ball had ended up out-of-bounds. To me, that would be even clearer. Ball OB, stroke and distance. Nothing in the rules about direction.

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Originally Posted by AAA

You cannot declare a ball unplayable if it is in a Water Hazard.

However, you can always, under penalty of one stroke, play a ball as nearly as possible from the spot where the original ball was last played.

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you can declare it unplayable in a bunker but you must drop in the bunker right? you can't take it back to where the original shot was played from if you are in a bunker correct?

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Originally Posted by sillywilly

you can declare it unplayable in a bunker but you must drop in the bunker right? you can't take it back to where the original shot was played from if you are in a bunker correct?

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Incorrect. You can always take it back to where the original shot was played from.

rule 28

The player may deem his ball unplayable at any place on the
course except when the ball is in a water hazard. The player is
the sole judge as to whether his ball is unplayable.
If the player deems his ball to be unplayable, he must, under
penalty of one stroke:
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 point where the ball lay, keeping that
point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball
is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball
may be dropped; or
c. Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the
ball lay, but not nearer the hole.
If the unplayable ball is in a bunker, the player may proceed
under Clause a, b or c. If he elects to proceed under Clause b
or c, a ball must be dropped in the bunker.
The ball may be lifted and cleaned when proceeding under
this rule


ahhhh, so you can can play it from where you took the original shot but you can't go back in a line from the hole and ball and drop outside the bunker and you can't take two club lengths outside the bunker either :) google is my friend

This is even better

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