I think it'd be useful to have a general rules thread, if mod disagrees, then please change title...

Anyway, here's my nitty rules question:

I pulled a drive to the middle of a large green on neighboring hole. Of course, I know to take a penalty-free drop off the green, no closer to the hole. But does "no closer to the hole" literally mean no closer to the hole or just can't advance further up the hole?

To explain what I mean, if I drop on the side of the green towards my hole (without moving further up the hole), then do I still need to back up towards tee several yards since the actual distance to hole is less if not as far left?

I never had this question come up before, but it was a very large green and the drop distances depending on ruling could have been enough apart to care (if it was tourney, this was casual round so took most advantageous drop).

No nearer the hole means no nearer the hole. The hole in the green. You know, the hole you try to put your golf ball in.

Example, your ball on the wrong green lies 157 yards from the hole you are trying to put your golf ball in. You then find the closest place off the wrong green to drop your golf ball that is also 157 yards from the hole you are trying to put your golf ball in.

BO

Thanks.

Follow-up question: If the nearest point no nearer the hole off the green is a sand trap (well, fringe, then trap), do I have to drop on the fringe and if it rolls in trap, play it from the sand?

The sand trap is defined as a hazard, you do not have to play from a hazard when taking a drop in this manner.

Furthermore, if the ball rolls more than two club lengths from where you dropped, you are required to re-drop.

BO

If you touch your ball and it doesn't move is that a stroke?

No. Unless of course you were attempting a stroke.

BO

What about if you attempt a stroke and miss the ball?

Seriously?

BO

Why not? Plenty of new players do it.

Every time you attempt to hit the ball it's a stroke.

BO

Is that really the rule? That seems completely open to discretion. I mean if a guy takes a practice swing and accidentally hits his ball, that's a stroke. If a guy swings at his ball and misses by 6 inches and the ball doesn't even come close to moving, that's a stroke too? I play with a lot of bad players and I've never considered counting that (except in bunkers).

Any time you address the ball and swing it's a stroke. A practice swing isn't a stroke, even if it hits the ball. It might be a penalty, though.

That is kind of odd. You can touch the ball and not have it count as a stroke, yet you can NOT touch the ball and have it count as a stroke.

Well I'm allowed to repair marks on the green made by golf balls that are in the line of my putt.However if some idiot drags his\her feet and spikes up the green I can't touch them until after i'm finished putting.When has the game of golf ever made sense?

1. I'm in a hazard and my ball is playable but a removable yellow stake (the lawnmower guy has just pulled it out and put it back in when he mowed) is interfering with my swing. Can I pull out the stake?

2. I'm in a bunker and I hit my ball over the green and out of bounds. Do I have to drop in the bunker?

1. Yes, in addition there is no penalty if you do so. Please keep in mind that you cannot remove OB stakes without penalty as those are not on the golf course.

2. Yes.

BO

Thanks!

Just one addition to this.

I don't know how it is elsewhere but here in DK there is often a local rule about the stakes marking the hazards that they are immovable obstructions with relief under rule 24-2b. Apparently this rule is often made because people are ******ed and don't put back the stakes after hitting their shot.

A course that I play doesn't plug the holes that aren't in use, they just move the flag each day. If my ball is on the green with an unused hole on the line of my putt between me and the correct hole, how do I proceed?

Closest spot equidistant from the hole that gives you an uninhibited line. You then place the ball in that spot, you do not drop it.

And a KITN to any course that does this during the summer.

BO

What happens if you accidentally putt into the unused hole?

It goes under the green and then comes out the clown's mouth, forcing you to putt back through the windmill.

Losing a ball in a lateral water hazard. The 18 hole on my regular course has lateral water on either side of the fairway. It's more of a wooded steam than a water hazard but it's red striped all the way out about 230 yards from the tee box.

On two occasions I've played in matches where my opponents hit drives that were to the left. On the first occasion the player hit a tree near the fairway but we weren't sure it made it to the hazard so he re teed a provisional. We couldn't find the original so he played the provisional. On the second it was clearly into the woods on the fly. He didn't hit another ball but rather played from where it crossed into the hazard. Even after not being able to find the original ball.

Who played the hole correctly? After reading the rules I think they both did.

Comments?

It's one of the gray areas in the Rules of Golf. You have to be sure (or pretty damn close) that the ball is in the hazard in order to take relief from such hazard. Otherwise it's a lost ball.

Now not knowing the course and markings, I have no way of knowing exactly how sure you can be in this situation. Is the stream small and marked on both sides in red, or is only the golf course side marked in which case the hazard continues indefinitely through the woods.

Ideally, a course should be marked so that it's not difficult to determine hazard from lost ball in rough terrain.

BO

I hit a ball yesterday and it got stuck up in a tree. What's the ruling on that?