So my ball is in the middle of a bush. I can clearly identify it but cannot retrieve it.

a) am I entitled to drop another ball?

b) If its 4 club lengths into the bush - is that 2 penaly strokes to reach the drop point - or can i drop anywhere back on the line it entered?.

I know I should know the answer to (b) but am not sure.

You may declare it unplayable and take a penalty drop.

You may either go back to where you last played from or

Take a line from the hole, through the ball and go back as far as you like or

Drop within 2 clublengths of the point on the ground vertically below the ball, not nearer the hole.

If the last option doesn't get you out of the bush, you would have to drop again with another penalty.

The full details are here:

http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Rule-28/

so where does the player re-drop if all 3 options dont work? and does that mean 2 shot penalty?

The first option is always going to work, is it not?  You will be able to play from where you played the stroke that got you into the bush.  If you played from there once, what will have changed to prevent you playing from there again?  You just hope you won't repeat the shot and end up in the bush again.

If you have got a rule book the drawing on page 17 is good for understanding the options.

One other option is to keep taking as many unplayable lie options (under penalty each time) as is needed to get clear of the bush , bearing in mind that you must drop the ball within the two club lengths on each occasion.

So it may be possible to get clear with just two penalty shots added which you may feel is the better option than returning to where you played the original shot from.

niblick wrote (see)

The first option is always going to work, is it not?  You will be able to play from where you played the stroke that got you into the bush.  If you played from there once, what will have changed to prevent you playing from there again?  You just hope you won't repeat the shot and end up in the bush again.

 

such a problem can easily exist when the player decides to 'have a go' at the ball in the bush the first time....
which is why it's always a good idea to consider "what am I going to to if this goes very wrong?"!!!

The reason why they might not work cos:

First option theres always a big cue waiting to tee off right behind? especially on a sundays and if i tee off again might end up in the same place again?

Second option cant go back in straight line cos of OB line or water or trees

Third option left or right there might be thick bushes or line of trees in the way so it would still be same problem.

So can I just somewhere to save time, if so where and how many penalty?

If you are not prepared to go back then it would seem that your only option is to take a succession of 2 cl drops (each with a 1 stroke penalty) until you can get clear.

Perhaps you wouls be better advised in future to take a provisional if the is any chance your ball is in trouble. It doesn't cost if you don't need it.

If you do go back, just make sre you walk quickly until you make up the time.

If there's a big queue behind you sounds like you aren't moving quickly enough or your club/course has set starting times too close.

duncan m wrote (see)

niblick wrote (see)

The first option is always going to work, is it not?  You will be able to play from where you played the stroke that got you into the bush.  If you played from there once, what will have changed to prevent you playing from there again?  You just hope you won't repeat the shot and end up in the bush again.

 

 

such a problem can easily exist when the player decides to 'have a go' at the ball in the bush the first time....
which is why it's always a good idea to consider "what am I going to to if this goes very wrong?"!!!

Indeed.  I watched in disbelief (silently and gratefully)   last week as an opponent took a club to a ball that was sitting in a horribly thick, tufty lie about 2 feet off the fairway.  3 hacks later he was on the fairway about 2 yards forward of where he could have dropped at the cost of a stroke. 

I wonder if it is safe to generalise that many players fail to make good use of the ball unplayable rule.

DH wrote (see)

If you are not prepared to go back then it would seem that your only option is to take a succession of 2 cl drops (each with a 1 stroke penalty) until you can get clear.

Perhaps you wouls be better advised in future to take a provisional if the is any chance your ball is in trouble. It doesn't cost if you don't need it.

But a provisional would be of no use to you in the OP, as the found his ball in a bush.

DH - not wishing to sound contradictory but, I was under the impression that, if you take a provisional ball, and then declare your ball unplayable in the bush once it has been found, you are not allowed to play that provisional ball and still have to return to the tee to play a further ball, which would then be the ball in play, making it 3 off the tee.  The reason being that, if it was a good shot, it is an easy decision to make otherwise, as already mentioned, you could go back and hit it in the bush again.

BT@Home crossed posts.

Miss Whiplash (36) wrote (see)

DH - not wishing to sound contradictory but, I was under the impression that, if you take a provisional ball, and then declare your ball unplayable in the bush once it has been found, you are not allowed to play that provisional ball and still have to return to the tee to play a further ball, which would then be the ball in play, making it 3 off the tee.  The reason being that, if it was a good shot, it is an easy decision to make otherwise, as already mentioned, you could go back and hit it in the bush again.

You are, of course, correct, but I'm sure DH was simply advising on the good sense of playing a provisional in case your ball is not found in play within 5 minutes or in case  you take one look at the sort of territory your original ball is likely to be in and decide not even to look for it.

I have a question.

Why 14 replies in has nobody made a sex pun?

niblick wrote (see)

You are, of course, correct, but I'm sure DH was simply advising on the good sense of playing a provisional in case your ball is not found in play within 5 minutes or in case  you take one look at the sort of territory your original ball is likely to be in and decide not even to look for it.

newbiegolfer wrote (see)

The reason why they might not work cos:

First option theres always a big cue waiting to tee off right behind? especially on a sundays and if i tee off again might end up in the same place again?

Second option cant go back in straight line cos of OB line or water or trees

Third option left or right there might be thick bushes or line of trees in the way so it would still be same problem.

So can I just somewhere to save time, if so where and how many penalty?

If you do not want to go back it can depend on exactly what type of game you are playing

If you are playing matchplay you could just concede the hole.

If you are playing stableford you could just NR on that hole only

If you are playing a medal then you could NR

If you are just playing a friendly game then really it is up to you what you do as there nothing on the game.

niblick wrote (see)

 

I wonder if it is safe to generalise that many players fail to make good use of the rules.

Fixed that for you. It would seem to me that the vast majority of players completely fail to realise the rules can work for you as well as against you

Dream On wrote (see)

niblick wrote (see)

 

I wonder if it is safe to generalise that many players fail to make good use of the rules.

 

Fixed that for you. It would seem to me that the vast majority of players completely fail to realise the rules can work for you as well as against you

How dare you mess around with my words. Gross breach of copyright.  Theft of intellectual property and all  that.   

I expect you are right.  I reckon I proactively use 27-1 and 28 most  to get out of trouble.

BT@Home wrote (see)

DH wrote (see)

If you are not prepared to go back then it would seem that your only option is to take a succession of 2 cl drops (each with a 1 stroke penalty) until you can get clear.

Perhaps you wouls be better advised in future to take a provisional if the is any chance your ball is in trouble. It doesn't cost if you don't need it.

But a provisional would be of no use to you in the OP, as the found his ball in a bush.

had this happened to me today ,had played a provisional aswell,and as we were walking down to find my 1st ball 1 of the others said do you want to find your 1st or play your provisional,anyway find my 1st and then decided to take the penalty as it was about 2' up in the air and about 3' in the bush.same chap then said 'shouldve taken your pro ball' to which i replied you cant do that as the ball has been found.funny isnt it when you remember reading threads like this and it sticks in your mind.