Unplayable Ball rule

Seve OB

Interesting one this,
Question on the rules asks if A player must find his ball in order to declare the ball unplayable?

Answer is False, but I always thought you had to find your ball to declare it unplayable.
I know if you hit in GUR or a hazard, if it is known or virtually certain that is where it went, then you can deem it to be gone there, but at any rate, there will be a defined area where you will be dropping.

When can a ball be declared unplayable if you can't find it?

ShivasIrons

The only person needed to declare a ball unplayable is the player. The ball doesn’t even need to be unplayable to be declared unplayable. For example putting off a green into a bunker or down a steep bank, it might be advantageous to declare it unplayable even though the ball could be hit.

Golfgraffix

I think the only option when you lose a ball and deem it unplayable is the distance and penalty. You cannot take two clubs or line of sight.

So its back to where you hit it from.

ShivasIrons

Golfgraffix wrote: »

I think the only option when you lose a ball and deem it unplayable is the distance and penalty. You cannot take two clubs or line of sight.

So its back to where you hit it from.

A lost ball and an unplayable ball are two different scenarios

Golfgraffix

ShivasIrons wrote: »

A lost ball and an unplayable ball are two different scenarios

Yes but no, you don't have to find a ball to declare it as unplayable. But you cant use the normal 3 options open to you with a normal unplayable,

- 2 Clubs under penalty
- Back in line of sight with the pin under penalty
- back to where you hit the original from under penalty.

GreeBo

You can replay any shot at any time under penalty, regardless of where the ball is or even knowing where the ball is.

Happy4all

Golfgraffix wrote: »

Yes but no, you don't have to find a ball to declare it as unplayable.

Can anyone confirm this? I have given up in Stableford so many times rather than trudge back to the tee

GreeBo

Happy4all wrote: »

Can anyone confirm this? I have given up in Stableford so many times rather than trudge back to the tee

You would still have to go back to the tee, until the new rules come in any way!

Just play a provo?!

Golfgraffix

Happy4all wrote: »

Can anyone confirm this? I have given up in Stableford so many times rather than trudge back to the tee

I can and so can Greebo

It will be under decisions Rule ?? Unplayable Ball

Golfgraffix

GreeBo wrote: »

You would still have to go back to the tee, until the new rules come in any way!

Just play a provo?!

Yep play a provo, it will be the same outcome or better !!

Happy4all

Golfgraffix wrote: »

I can and so can Greebo

It will be under decisions Rule ?? Unplayable Ball

So a drop from where you believe the ball was lost?

GreeBo

Happy4all wrote: »

So a drop from where you believe the ball was lost?

Not until the new rules come in.
If you have lost it you replay the shot or continue with the provo you should have hit!

Golfgraffix

Happy4all wrote: »

Can anyone confirm this? I have given up in Stableford so many times rather than trudge back to the tee

Just to be clear, if you declare a ball unplayable without finding it you have to use the distance and penalty option. Dropping within two clubs or back in line with the pin is not an option.

Golfgraffix

I do love the decisions web site

A player hits his tee shot into a deep canyon. The player immediately deems the ball unplayable and plays another ball from the tee under the stroke-and-distance option of Rule 28. May a player deem unplayable a ball which has not been found?

A.
Yes. A player may proceed under the stroke-and-distance option (Rule 28a) without finding his ball.

However, since Rules 28b and 28c require reference to where the ball lay, the player must find and identify his ball in order to proceed under either of these options.

Happy4all

Golfgraffix wrote: »

I do love the decisions web site

A player hits his tee shot into a deep canyon. The player immediately deems the ball unplayable and plays another ball from the tee under the stroke-and-distance option of Rule 28. May a player deem unplayable a ball which has not been found?

A.
Yes. A player may proceed under the stroke-and-distance option (Rule 28a) without finding his ball.

However, since Rules 28b and 28c require reference to where the ball lay, the player must find and identify his ball in order to proceed under either of these options.

🀔

Seve OB

so basically it is a lost ball and back to the tee.
so the official line when you loose a ball is not that you lost a ball, but rather that you got unlucky and found an unplayable lie and had to go back to the tee.

unplayable sounds better than lost

Seve OB

here is one actually, if you do find your ball, clearly identifyable, but maybe just out of reach. can you substitute the ball and go back line of sight?

kiers47

Seve OB wrote: »

here is one actually, if you do find your ball, clearly identifyable, but maybe just out of reach. can you substitute the ball and go back line of sight?

Yes, you can also use the 2 club length rule.
You would use the point directly below where the ball is suspended or otherwise and take 2 club lengths from there.

Rickie was trying to use some binoculars to avail of this option at the players championship. :pac:

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/players-championship-2018-rickie-fowler-busts-out-binoculars-to-identify-ball-in-tree-ends-up-missing-cut-because-of-lost-ball

diegocosta99

Balls Lost or Out of Bounds: Alternative to Stroke and Distance: A new Local Rule will now be available in January 2019, permitting committees to allow golfers the option to drop the ball in the vicinity of where the ball is lost or out of bounds (including the nearest fairway area), under a two-stroke penalty.

Interesting rule change this. I foresee widespread abuse.

GreeBo

diegocosta99 wrote: »

Balls Lost or Out of Bounds: Alternative to Stroke and Distance: A new Local Rule will now be available in January 2019, permitting committees to allow golfers the option to drop the ball in the vicinity of where the ball is lost or out of bounds (including the nearest fairway area), under a two-stroke penalty.

Interesting rule change this. I foresee widespread abuse.

With a two shot penalty, I.E. Playing four I don't think there is much point in abusing it.
One shot and it would have been rife!

diegocosta99

GreeBo wrote: »

With a two shot penalty, I.E. Playing four I don't think there is much point in abusing it.
One shot and it would have been rife!

I can see plenty of fellows faced with difficult tee shots and having fecked up the first one heading down and dropping a ball on the fairway in the vague vicinity of where they would like their tee shot to have been. Preferable to hitting their third from the tee into the same or worse trouble.

Golfgraffix

diegocosta99 wrote: »

Balls Lost or Out of Bounds: Alternative to Stroke and Distance: A new Local Rule will now be available in January 2019, permitting committees to allow golfers the option to drop the ball in the vicinity of where the ball is lost or out of bounds (including the nearest fairway area), under a two-stroke penalty.

Interesting rule change this. I foresee widespread abuse.

What happens if yuu rive into a bush? Drop for four and then take an unplayable for 6?

May make more sense to rehit

diegocosta99

Golfgraffix wrote: »

What happens if yuu rive into a bush? Drop for four and then take an unplayable for 6?

May make more sense to rehit

I'm not sure to be honest until they publish the decisions but from reading the rule I believe the intention is that if your ball is lost in a bush you can drop in the vicinity, they've put fairway as an example in the brackets. My reading is that you would not have to drop in the bush. It's a cheater's charter in my opinion.