Golf ruling question?

Question

This happened to me when I was playing by myself but I was just wondering what the correct ruling was.

The course was wet since it just rained. I hit a wedge onto the green and and it stuck on the fly to a steep undulation in the green. I marked the ball, moved the mark to the right a putter's length, and repaired the mark on the green. But the ball wouldn't stay where it originally was, so I let it roll down the hill to a point where it stopped. It ended up on the fringe actually, but I still putted from there. I didn't add an extra stroke but I wasn't any closer to the hole.

Did I make the right decision? If not, what should I have done?

Answer 1

If the ball stuck in a slope of the green AND the ball mark was REPAIRED PROPERLY there would be no need to determine where the ball should have been placed. It would have been replaced where it had struck and would most likely stayed. Had the ball rolled after the repair, it would be played from the point where it stopped with no penalty.

Answer 2

John F is basically right, but when you fixed the ball mark in the first place, you should have placed the ball as close to the place where it was imbedded, and not one putter length away.  Also, once you let go of the ball, and it rolled, you then needed to play it from where it ended up, without penalty, assuming that you did not address the ball.

Answer 3

you erred in 2 ways

1. You should have tried to replace the ball as close to the mark as possible and no closer to the hole after it was repaired

2. You have to continue to try to replace the ball as close to the original mark and no closer to the hole, until you find a place where the ball stays at rest. Once that has happened if the ball then moves, you play the ball from where it comes to rest. No Penalty.

Answer 4

If the ball won't stay where you place it, you should place it in the closest point where it will come to rest. (Rule 20-3d). There is no penalty.

If you place it and it comes to rest, then moves later (before you have taken a stance and grounded the club), you just play it from the new spot. Again, no penalty.

If you take your stance and ground your club and then it moves, it's a one stroke penalty and you need to replace it.

Answer 5

This is a tough situation. You did correct at the beginning. Marked ball, moved mark, repair damage. At this point you should have move your ball back to the original spot. (I think you did this). If the ball will not stay at this spot you would follow RULE 20-3d. You would move the ball to the nearest spot where the ball would not move no closer to the hole. You CAN'T just let if roll and then play it from there.

Answer 6

You made the right decision to mark your ball, move it putters length, then repair the ball mark.  If the ball will not rest in the intended spot, you must move the ball to where it will stay...but no closer to the hole.  You probably should have take at least one penalty stroke because you touched the ball and it moved closer to the hole.  That really doesn't matter though(unless it is in tournament play).  The thing that matter now is that you know what to do next time that happens.

-tigerpga5