Round 4 – Dropping Procedures – The Back Nine

10) You make a stroke from the 10^th tee and return to the half-way house to grab a couple of to-go lunches for you and your partner who are playing in a Four-Ball stroke-play competition. Your partner finds your ball in a red penalty area, and because your group is slightly behind pace, he decides to take lateral relief for you under Rule 17.1b. He determines your relief area by using his driver that happens to be a couple of inches longer than yours. To ensure the ball is dropped as far from the penalty area as possible, he drops a ball in the right way, at the outer edge of the relief area. The ball bounces out of the relief area but then rolls and comes to rest back in the relief area. He proceeds to the other side of the fairway and as you arrive at your ball, he makes his stroke to the green. Being completely unaware of what has transpired, you play your ball as it lies and it comes to rest on the green. Which one of the following is true?

11) In taking relief from an abnormal course condition, you drop a ball that lands inside the relief area but, before it comes to rest and while it is still inside the relief area, your caddie stops the ball so it will not end up in a divot hole inside the relief area. In stroke play, what is the ruling?

12) In stroke play, you decide to take relief because your tee shot came to rest in ground under repair near the course boundary. The ground under repair is defined by green stakes and out of bounds is defined by a white line on the ground. You correctly determine your relief area, which is between the ground under repair and the course boundary, and drop a ball into it. The dropped ball comes to rest within one club-length of the reference point, not nearer the hole and free from interference by the ground under repair, but it is also resting on the white line and part of your ball is out of bounds. Thinking your ball has come to rest outside the relief area, you lift your ball and drop it a second time in a different part of the relief area. This time it rolls toward the ground under repair and comes to rest touching one of the green stakes. Again thinking your ball has come to rest outside the relief area, you then place your ball on the spot where it first touched the course on the second drop, play your next stroke to the green, and hole out after two putts. What is your score for the hole? 

13) In stroke play, with Model Local Rule E-12 in effect, your ball is in an animal hole in a bunker and you decide to take back-on-the-line relief outside the bunker. You place a tee in the ground to create a reference point on the reference line and drop a ball in the relief area. The dropped ball first touches part of the ground in the general area in your relief area, but it then bounces and accidentally hits your foot that is outside the relief area. After hitting your foot, the ball rolls and comes to rest on a spot that is within one club-length of where it first touched the ground when dropped, but on the line marking a red penalty area. You play the ball from where it came to rest. How many penalty strokes do you get, if any? 

14) Your ball ends up in a red penalty area defined by a red line. You decide to take lateral relief, but your relief area is on a steep slope. Any ball you drop into the relief area will roll into the penalty area, and not wanting to lose any more balls, you set down your golf bag in the relief area near the red line so that it will stop your ball from rolling into the water when you drop. You drop into the relief area twice, and each time the ball comes to rest in the relief area against your golf bag that you positioned to stop your ball. You then place a ball where it first hit the ground on the second drop. At this point another player in your group questions this and you consult an official. What is the ruling in stroke play?

15) Your ball comes to rest on a cart path in the general area. You decide to take relief under Rule 16.1b. You determine your nearest point of complete relief in the general area and drop your ball in the one club-length relief area. The relief area is closely mown and on a steep slope. The ball rolls and comes to rest outside of the relief area, so you drop a second time and the ball rolls and comes to rest outside of the relief area again. You twice attempt to place the ball on the spot where it first touched the course on the second drop, but it won’t stay at rest on that spot. You begin to search for the nearest place where it will stay at rest. In finding the nearest place where your ball will remain at rest when placed, on which one of the following locations are you allowed to place your ball?

16) Your tee shot comes to rest in a yellow penalty area. You decide to take back-on-the-line relief and visually select a reference point on the reference line. Before dropping a ball to take relief, you replace a divot into a divot hole that is also on the reference line and about a foot behind the reference point you selected. You then drop a ball in the right way and it first touches the course about a foot behind the replaced divot but then rolls forward two club-lengths. You walk forward to get your ball to drop a second time and on your way back you notice the turtle is slowly walking toward your relief area. Not wanting to disturb the turtle, you decide to select a different reference point on the reference line about 10 yards closer to the hole. You drop your ball in the right way and it comes to rest in the relief area and you make the stroke. Which one of the following is true?

17) In stroke play, your tee shot comes to rest in a red penalty area. You choose to take relief using the lateral relief option of Rule 17.1d. You measure two club-lengths to the left and right of where the ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area. You drop a ball in the right way on the right side of the relief area. The ball rolls across the relief area, coming to rest within the relief area but nearly three  and a half club-lengths from where it first touched the course. You play the ball from there, but another player questions your actions, so you call for a referee. What is the ruling?

18) In stroke play, your second shot comes to rest in the general area amongst a pile of rocks near the putting green and you decide to take unplayable ball relief. When measuring under the lateral relief option, part of the two club-length relief area is on the putting green. You drop a ball in the part of the relief area that is on the putting green. It rolls to a different part of the relief area and comes to rest on the fringe, overhanging but not touching the surface of the putting green. You putt from there and take two more putts to finish the hole. What is your score for the hole?