Comments on: Ball Unplayable?

By: Mike Gray

Mike Gray — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:09:22 +0000

Lav, casual water counts as an abnormal ground condition and you are entitled to relief without penalty. Check out Rule 25-1 for full details, but you were entitled to drop within one club length of the nearest point of relief, without penalty.

By: Lav

Lav — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 13:11:50 +0000

Hi Mike,
I have a question regarding this.
Last year, one my approach shot was like 15 feet short of green on the right. But it was still in fairway. Now that part of the fairway was flooded with water due to heavy rain from night before. It was like a small 10×10 feet pond, which shouldnt have been there.
What would be allowed in that situation? Will that count as unplayable? Could I have taken relief there and not have to take a penalty?

Thanks
Lav

By: Double Eagle

Double Eagle — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 18:23:24 +0000

That’s one of my sore spots too. I’m trying to get better at that. The problem comes partly from watching guys like Tiger Woods on TV pulling off the most ridiculous shots. That, and we always have a little part of us that wants to be the hero and pull off a miracle shot.

I think the guys in the British Open play it where it lies because they feel like they have a better shot at getting it out in reasonable condition (obviously, I guess, or they wouldn’t do it). If they hit into the bunker from long range, then taking a penalty stroke and still having a chance of ending right back in there (or in another bunker) doesn’t seem appealing, even if they don’t have a shot at the flag.

Every so often you see a guy on TV drilling it into the face of the bunker two or three times, but usually they can get it out, even if it’s sideways. That’s still better than taking the penalty stroke and the re-hit.

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 18:00:52 +0000

I’ve kicked myself so many times over this rule. How many times have I tried to play an unplayable ball, only to chunk it further into trouble? If it looks unplayable, then it probably is unplayable, and I need to learn to take my medicine.

I’ve pondered this rule a few times. (Yes, I am a big golf nerd.) Why don’t any of the players at the British Open ever declare their ball unplayable when it’s in one of those five-foot bunkers? To get out of the bunker, they’d have to replay the shot from the spot they just hit from, but I’d take that and the penalty stroke over one of those sand pits.