When is it a 2 stroke penalty?

Question

1. In stroke play my opponent hits the ball into a tree. He then cant find the ball so he-tees it up with a 1 stroke penalty hitting 3 now. Is that correct?

2. I hit my drive and can't find where it went. I tell him i lost it somewhere in the bushes. He says i can take a drop near the bushes but i get a 2 stroke penalty so im hitting 4. Is that correct?

3. He hits his ball up against the fence. He says hes able to bring the ball out as far as he can because the fence is blocking a clear line from his ball to the hole. Is that correct?

4.He hits the ball in a cart path. He takes a drop further from the hole onto the grass. He doesnt like the lie it landed on and says he is able to re-drop it up to 3 more times. Is that correct?

Please help. These answers will decide wether I won or he won since We tied 88-88.

Answer 1

1. yes

2. you should actually re-tee and be hitting 3 off the tee

3. depends on the course rules, but basically he would take an unplayable. and i believe that is a 1 stroke penalty and you get 2 club lengths no closer to the hole.

4. take the nearest point of relief no closer to the hole with a stance and club length. only redrop if the ball bounces closer to the hole.

SO YOU SHOULD HAVE WON.

Answer 2

1. Correct. For lost ball, stroke and distance is the only option.

2. Exactly the same as #1. Stroke and distance. You should re-tee it, and you would be hitting 3.

3a. If the fence is in bounds, it is an immovable obstruction. You get relief from the fence ONLY if it interferes with your lie, stance or swing.

You must drop within one club length of the nearest point of relief. That means the point where you won't be standing on the fence, you won't hit the fence with your swing (this includes your club and any part of your body), and your ball won't be on the fence.

You do NOT get "line of flight" relief.

3b. If the fence is out of bounds, or if it is the boudary to out of bounds, you get NO relief at all. You can play it as it lies, or declare it unplayable with a one stroke penalty.

4. The cart path is an immovable obstruction, so it's basically the same as #3a.

You may take relief if your ball is on the path, if you would have to stand on the path, or if you would hit the path during your swing. You also have the option to play it as it lies.

He can re-drop the ball ONLY if:

- It rolled more than two club lengths after the drop, or

- rolled onto a putting green, into a hazard or out of bounds, or rolled closer to the hole than its original spot, or

- stopped in a place that didn't give full relief from the obstruction (ie, he would still have to stand on the cart path)

You only get one extra drop. If it rolls into one of those spots on the second drop, you place it where it hit the course on your second drop.

You may NOT re-drop just because you don't like the lie.

If you watch the pros, a lot of times they will have to drop it into the rough. It will sink deep into the rough, but they still have to play it.

Answer 3

1. Yes.

2. A lost ball is a one-stroke penalty.  You can re-tee under one-stroke penalty (hitting third from the tee box).  Essentially, situations 1 and 2 are the same.  

3. Most of the time, a fence is viewed as being part of the course; no "free" relief is granted.  Your opponent can take an Unplayable Lie (one stroke penalty, drop one clublength).  You don't say if there are white stakes (out of bounds) or yellow/red stakes (indicating a hazard).  In some cases, the course will indicate on the scorecard specific rulings on things like this (i.e. "player with ball against fence may drop without penalty two clublengths...no nearer the hole").

4. One the ball is dropped, and the cart path does not interfere with his swing (standing on it, ball on cart path), the ball is in play.  It should be closest point of relief no nearer the hole.

If you're not sure...the best advice is this- play two balls, record the score for both, and then ask the pro after your round (so as not to unduly hold up play).

Answer 4

1. In stroke play my opponent hits the ball into a tree. He then cant find the ball so he-tees it up with a 1 stroke penalty hitting 3 now. Is that correct? - This is correct. RULE 27

2. I hit my drive and can't find where it went. I tell him i lost it somewhere in the bushes. He says i can take a drop near the bushes but i get a 2 stroke penalty so im hitting 4. Is that correct? - This is incorrect. You should have returned to the original spot and hit again same as he did in #1. Since you just dropped a ball and added two shots you would be disqualified for serious breach of the rules. This is true even if he told you to do so. Under the rules YOU are responsible for knowing the rules. RULE 27.

3. He hits his ball up against the fence. He says hes able to bring the ball out as far as he can because the fence is blocking a clear line from his ball to the hole. Is that correct?

This is incorrect. If this was an out of bounds fence you are not allowed to move the ball without a penalty. He played from the wrong place and would also be in serious breach of the rules and possible disqualified. RULE 24.

4.He hits the ball in a cart path. He takes a drop further from the hole onto the grass. He doesnt like the lie it landed on and says he is able to re-drop it up to 3 more times. Is that correct? This is incorrect. He should have dropped at the nearest point of relief + one club length. It doesn't matter if the grass is good or not, it's nearest point of relief period. Since he picked it up and redropped he would be penalized. RULE 20.

Check out the USGA rules site for detailed explanations.

Since this wasn’t a tournament and you both ended tied and left the course your scores would stand. I suggest tee it up again for a rematch. This time take a rule book. :-)

Hope this helps.

Answer 5

1. yes that is correct

2. yes it is called lost ball

3.no

4.no