When to Not Take Relief, or Search for a Ball

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This happened last week at the par five 10^th hole on Poppy Hills last week during an NCGA Championship.

The player’s ball is not on the cart path, but his stance would be, so he would be entitled to relief under Rule 24-2.  His nearest point of full relief, however, would be squarely in the middle of the big bush on the other side of the ball.  A club length from that point would have left him still in the bush.  So, if he took relief, he would be in the position of having to then take relief again under Rule 28, Ball Unplayable, which of course would mean a penalty stroke.

He did the smart thing, and played the ball back to the fairway from where it lay.  He was still in position to hit the green in regulation.

A few groups later a player hit his ball well right of this spot into some deeper trouble.  He played a provisional right down the middle of the fairway.  I started searching before he arrived, but not very hard.  When he got to me, we looked for a few seconds, and he asked, “I don’t have to look for this, do I?”  The answer is of course no.  If we had found the ball, the provisional would no longer be an option, and if he was in an unplayable situation, and he couldn’t find relief within two club-lengths or on a straight line to the flagstick, he would have to go back to the tee.  Since he already had a provisional in the middle of the fairway, we discontinued the search.

This is pretty much what happened in 2001 at Torrey Pines, when Phil Mickelson and Frank Lickliter both hit their tee shots into a canyon during the playoff.  They hit provisional balls, but before they could proceed a marshal found both balls, negating the provisionals.  Mickelson famously said, "He [the spotter] was just doing his job. I just wish he didn't do it so effectively. I had just hit a perfect drive before. I didn't want to walk back and hit another one."

Incidentally, later this exact thing happened.  Again, I started searching but not very hard.  The player took a quick look, and was about to give up on his original and go play his provisional when his partner found his ball in the middle of a big bush.  He wasn’t very pleased when I informed him that he had to go back to the tee rather than play his provisional.  See Decision 27-2c/2.

P.S.  Don’t miss it right on Poppy Hills #10.

Having A Player Invoke Rule 3-3...

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It’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything here.  After reading through some of my earlier entries, I've decided that this exercise serves me, as well as the readers, better if I focus more on specific events that have some bearing on my efforts as an NCGA Tournament Official, rather than a general summary of the little things that may have happened over the course of a round.

Here’s a good one.  Last Friday I was on the course for the NCGA Amateur Stroke Play Championship at Paradise Valley in Fairfield.  It was a tough day.  Temperatures pushed up into the high 90’s, the trademark Fairfield breezes made only brief Cameos, and it was a walking only event.  The college kids did well, but you could see the older players melting down over the course of the day.

A player in one of my groups hit a drive on the 13^th into a tree well, pretty close to the trunk.  The ball was close enough to the trunk that he couldn’t line up to play a shot toward the green and still have a swing.  His only option was to stand forward of the ball and punch the ball out sideways, back to the fairway, as you can see below. 

However, in taking this stance, his foot was squarely on top of what was definitely a burrowing animal hole.  He called me over, and said somewhat sheepishly, “This may seem kind of chickensh*t, but…” I had him walk me through what he intended to do, and it was clear that the hole interfered with his stance for the only shot he could reasonably hit. 

Not being entirely certain, and cognizant of the fact that the group was close to its pace of play guideline, I suggested he play two balls under Rule 3-3, let his fellow competitors know which ball he wanted to count, and I would get confer with another official and get back to him.  He did so, and I hit the radio for help.  A Rules Certified official arrived shortly.  After some discussion and a look through the Decisions book, we decided that Decision 25-1b/22, “Cast of Burrowing Animal Interferes with Sideways Stroke; When Relief Granted.”  The decision says he is entitled to relief when a sideways stroke is the only reasonable stroke, and if relief gets him to a place where he can now play directly at the green, he is entitled to do so.

There are two lessons here, one for me as an official and one for the player.  If this had happened last year, I may not have thought to suggest 3-3, and had the player wait until another official could arrive, which might have taken a bit of time.  While I was reasonably certain he was entitled to relief, there was enough doubt.   Having him play under 3-3 helped maintain the flow of play.  As we’re told time and time again, get on the radio.  I learned early on that it’s only a dumb question if you don’t ask it.

For the player, the lesson is simple.  The rules can also help you out, and they certainly did in this case.  It wasn't "chickensh*t" to ask.  The player hit the second ball onto the green and probably made an easy par.  Coincidentally, I was playing in a tournament Monday, and two of us hit our tee shots wide of a fairway, over a bunker, and into what looked like a huge flowerbed from the tee.  When we got to the area, I noticed white lines.  And there it was, a “Ground Under Repair” sign.  It could just as well have said “Get Out Of Jail Free.”