Part Two : Rules of Golf

Todays Post features more rules of golf...

breaking them down.

5. Procedure for a lost ball:

If a ball is lost or out-of-bounds, the player MUST go back and hit again from the point where the last shot was played (one stroke penalty). If you lose your ball on your drive, you must return to the tee (and may re-tee the ball) to play your third shot, etc.
Golfers commonly look for a lost ball longer than the 5 minutes allowed. The time begins when the golfer or partner start looking for the ball.

6. Playing a provisional ball:

When a golfer hits a ball from the teeing ground and feels the ball may be lost or out-of-bounds, she should wait for all other players in the group to tee off, then hit her “provisional” ball. If the first ball is lost or out-of-bounds, the provisional ball will become the ball in play with one penalty stroke. In other words, the player lies three. If the first ball is found on the golf course, it remains the ball in play and the provisional ball MUST be picked up without any penalty. (Remember to always announce that the second ball you’re hitting is a provisional and use the word “provisional,” or the original ball is out of play and you are lying three.)
Any other time you hit a ball that may be lost or out-of-bounds, you MUST announce and play the “provisional” ball before going forward to search for the first ball. Be sure to clearly identify the two balls with different brands, numbers or marks to be sure which ball is first and which is second.

7. Taking relief from immovable obstructions:

If a player’s ball comes to rest on or close to an immovable obstruction such as a sprinkler head, road or cart path, and the lie, stance or area of intended swing is interfered with by this obstruction, the player is allowed to drop a ball within one club length of the nearest point of relief, providing it’s no closer to the hole than where the ball originally had come to rest.
The player should determine the nearest point of relief using the club she expects to play her next stoke. Then she may use any club to measure the one club length area in which to drop the ball.
The nearest point of relief is the point where the ball will be played which is nearest to where the original ball lies, which is no closer to the hole and which, if the ball were so positioned, no interference would exist for the lie of the ball, the stance or the intended area of the swing.

8. What to do if your ball is unplayable:

When a ball comes to rest under a large bush, some golfers think they can measure the 2 club lengths from the edge of the bush. This is WRONG — the 2 club lengths MUST be measured from the ball’s position.
There are actually three options for a ball declared unplayable by a player: under penalty of one stroke, 1) play a ball from where the ball was originally played; 2) play a ball within 2 club lengths from where it lies in the unplayable position; or 3)keep the position where the ball lay unplayable between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped.