Golf rules question "What do I lie?"?

Question

I have hit the ball in a sand trap off the tee on a par 3. I hit my bunker shot. It hits the wall of the bunker, comes back, and catches my club on the follow through. The ball goes up in the air and strikes my shoulder as it falls back in the bunker. What do I lie? Do penaltys just keep stacking up or is there just one?

Answer 1

I believe it is:

Tee Shot :        1

Bunker Shot :   2

Catches Club:  3  (double hit)

you will be hitting your fourth shot.

Answer 2

you would be taking your 5th shot

Answer 3

Ball in sand 1, hit wall 2, hit club 3, hit you 4, you would be lieing 4 hitting 5.

Answer 4

if your playing in my group your lying 2. one for the tee shot and one for the bunker. We don't believe in penalties, golf is hard enough without penalizing someone strokes.  the same rule applies for us if you lose a golf ball. Your penalized enough for losing the ball no need to tack on another penalty

Answer 5

If the ball hit you hard enough, I'd say that you'd be lying face down in the bunker.

(Incidentally, you'd be hitting your 4th shot with the next swing.)

The key to your question isn't about the ball hitting your club. It is whether or not a second penalty stroke ought to be assessed for the ball striking you.  Rule 14.4 is the key to the whole question. There is only a one stroke penalty in this instance. It came when the ball struck your club for the second time during your swing.

Oddly enough, I experienced a similar circumstance a number of years back. A playing partner's ball hit a tree, came back and glanced off of his club, bounced upwards, and while it was on it's way down once again he "accidentally" (and frustratingly) swatted it forward 15 yards or so.

This happened during a tournament with two rules officials watching. They rightly assessed the guy two penalty strokes - one for the ball hitting the club for a seond time and another penalty stroke for advancing the ball improperly (i.e., purposely slapping the ball forward).

In your case, however, you had completed your swing and did not attempt to advance the ball with your body. The second penalty would not apply.

I hope this helps.

Dale

Portland, OR

Answer 6

i think you would be lying 3 hitting 4

Answer 7

Lying 5, hitting 6.

There's no penalty for double-striking the ball, you simply struck the ball twice and you have to count both strikes. However, you did incur a two stroke penalty for hitting yourself with your ball. You're lying 5 and hitting 6.

Maybe some of you guys should re-explain this rule to Jeff Maggert where in the 2003 Masters he hit himself with his ball after his ball caught the lip of a fairway trap on the 3rd hole, ricocheted back and hit him in his chest and incurred a two stroke penalty.

Answer 8

One penalty for the ball hitting you.Lying 3 hitting 4.

Answer 9

Matt M is correct, I believe.

It wouldn't count as a double hit, because the rule (14-4) applies if you strike the ball twice "in the course of a stroke".  You are already finished making the stroke. See decision 14-4/2

Even though it hit "you or your equipment" twice, you cannot be penalized multiple times for the same rules infraction on a hole.

Answer 10

19-2. By Player, Partner, Caddie or EquipmentIf a player's ball is accidentally deflected or stopped by himself, his partner or either of their caddies or equipment, the player incurs a penalty of one stroke. The ball must be played as it lies, except when it comes to rest in or on the player's, his partner's or either of their caddies' clothes or equipment, in which case the ball must through the green or in a hazard be dropped, or on the putting green be placed, as near as possible to the spot directly under the place where the ball came to rest in or on the article, but not nearer the hole.

In your example, the only penalty here is the ball deflecting off of you.  If your double-hit the ball, you would incur an additional penalty, but you didn't - you hit the ball, it hit the lip of the trap, and then hit the club again (and then your shoulder).  So 1 in the bunker, 2 hit your shoulder, 3 the penalty for the ball deflecting off of you, and you would be hitting four from out of the bunker again or wherever the ball resulted.

Answer 11

i belive just one

Answer 12

I do believe that you are lying 3, hitting 4.

Answer 13

You are lying 3,  and you play the ball as it lies.

Decision 19-2/7  Ball Strikes Player’s Golf Bag and Then His Caddie

Q. A player’s ball strikes his golf bag lying on the ground and then bounces off it and hits his caddie. Is the penalty one stroke or two strokes?

A. One stroke — Rule 19-2.

Rule 19-2: If a player's ball is accidentally deflected or stopped by himself, his partner or either of their caddies or equipment, the player incurs a penalty of one stroke. The ball must be played as it lies, except when it comes to rest in or on the player's, his partner's or either of their caddies' clothes or equipment, in which case the ball must through the green or in a hazard be dropped, or on the putting green be placed, as near as possible to the spot directly under the place where the ball came to rest in or on the article, but not nearer the hole.