The rules of golf are difficult! Luckily we have the guru. Our Rules Man knows the book from cover to cover. Do you have a question? He has all the answers.
On a trip to Myrtle Beach we were part of a large outing at a course called Kings North. The group behind us teed off on the right hole, the fifth, but played in the wrong direction, into the fairway of the wrong hole, the sixth. Once they discovered their mistake, they collected their balls and returned to the tee box, where they teed off again without penalty (and much delay for other groups on the course). I believe they should have hit 3 off the tee, but since there was no OB I think they could have played the hole as an 800 yard par 4. What does Rules Guy say? —RJ Sulli, via email
Interesting, RJ, very interesting! It is a matter of geometry which rule applies, but both amount to the same result. First, if these confused golfers were to turn around and play the wrong way, chances are they would have placed their balls on the wrong side of the tee marks. In that case they played from outside the teeing ground, were penalized two strokes and were indeed obliged – as you noted – to play again (correctly), hitting 3, because the stroke from outside the teeing ground does not count.
That said, if they had somehow managed to play within the correct rectangle of the teeing area, then going back and replaying from the tee would indeed be playing under shot and distance, with a shot of 3. Or, as you suggested, perhaps ironically, they could have played it as an 800-yard par 4 – without, pray, hitting anyone along the way.
For more tee-related guidance from our guru, read on…
A four-ball match. Our opponents get on the tee in front of us and hit. I accidentally hit forward from the next box, which they noticed. I hit again from the correct tees and continued playing, making a 5. Our opponents said my score was 7 because I hit from the wrong tees. Is that correct? —Dennis Derby, via email
Your opponents were under no obligation to tell you that you were about to play from the wrong tee, good sportsmanship aside. Maybe they didn’t realize it until too late… or not.
Yet they confused the relevant rule for match play, Rule 6.1b(1), with that for stroke play, Rule 6.1b(2). In this case, in match play, the opponents are given the choice of whether to cancel your shot and require you to play from the correct tees; if they don’t cancel, you simply complete the hole without penalty, even from the wrong tees.
In stroke play you indeed receive a penalty of two strokes and you are obliged to correct your mistake.
#Rulesman #hit #wrong #fairway #tee #penalty