Am i allowed to redrop my golf ball if it falls into a divot?

Question

ok, so heres the situation: i hit it into the water. i take my penalty and decide to do the 2 club lengths option. as i go to drop the ball, it falls right into a deep divot that would almost surely send the ball right back into the water. am i allowed to redrop the ball as to get a better lie? please be comprehensive, i would like to know all aspects of this rule. are we allowed to redrop when we are dropping from a cart path? basically everything. i do know however that if i am on a cart path or in a hazard and i drop and they roll back onto the path or hazard, then i may take relief. but are we allowed to if we just don't have a good lie?

Answer 1

The not closer to the hole answer is correct....it doesn't change the fact that golf needs to change this stupid rule, hit a ball in the fairway and it goes into a sanded divot and you have to play it from there...dumb!! suppose to write it off to bad luck...however it is man made....you hate to see a player on the 18th hole sunday in a major hit in an old divot and cost them the tournement.

Answer 2

one drop only

Answer 3

With regard to your 1st question - NO you cannot drop it again unless it has rolled more than 2 club lenghts from where the ball first touched the ground.

From a cart path - You can only re-drop if the same happens as above OR if after you have dropped it the ball goes onto the car path again OR if when you take your stance your feet is still on the car path.

In the hazard - same as cart path. If it rolls back into the hazard you can re-drop again.

If you have dropped the ball twice and it has rolled more than 2 club lenghts or one of the other things above has happened, you may place the ball on the spot where it was last dropped ("hit the ground"). Make sure that you inform your marker first that you are placing the ball.

I hope you are not more confused now!

Good luck.

Answer 4

you are aloud one drop

Answer 5

There is no choice of conditions when a ball is dropped. The only time it HAS to be redropped is if it goes back into the condition for  which relief was taken or if it ends up closer to the hole after the drop.You then redrop . If it rolls closer to the hole again, you place it on the spot where the last redrop hit  the ground. If you dropped and it landed in a divot it has to be played as is. So before you make that drop where you are taking relief, survey the area carefully and drop so that the lie will be advantageous to you. That is also part of the game.

Answer 6

in a short answer no...it can only be re dropped if it closer to the hole of falls in another hazard.

Answer 7

a lot of golfers complain about divots. many feel it should fall under (course under repair" rule. Unfortunatly, it doesn't.

The only advice is, have a look at the divots near where you'll drop, and fill them in with sand first. There is no rule against levelling out divots and helping the groundsman

Answer 8

Only if when you drop it, the ball moves closer to the hole.  Other than that, it's bad luck and hit the ball from where it dropped.

Answer 9

No you don't get to drop out of a divot.  When you drop, as long as your ball doesn't go closer to the hole, or back into the situation (cart path, hazard etc) that you were in originally, then it is in play and must be played as it lies.  So be careful and look around within the area that you get to drop into so you hopefully get a decent lie.