Rules and Remedies: Unplayable Lies

By Jack Moorehouse

Golf doesn’t have an overabundance of rules. But the few it has, as I tell players who come to for golf lessons, are sometimes misinterpreted. What’s more, local rules covering specific situations at a course often complicate the rules when playing in a tournament. In some cases local rules apply to only one category of golfer, such as a tour professional, and not to the rest of us.

If all that sounds confusing, don’t be alarmed. Deciding which rules apply in a given situation is tricky sometimes. And if you get it wrong, it usually costs you strokes. In some cases, it costs you your place in a tournament. That’s why it’s good to review the rules of golf periodically to make sure you understand the remedies that apply in different situations. Take this weird situation, told to me by someone who took one of my golf instruction sessions.

The Situation
Darren Clarke is a veteran tour professional. Several years ago Darren was among the leaders in the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open when he hit a tee shot into a greenside bunker at the par-3 16th hole. He bladed his next shot, and it sailed over the green into some thick undergrowth. Darren left the bunker and traipsed over to the undergrowth to look for his ball.

After finding what he thought was his ball, Darren declared it unplayable (Rule 28) and pondered one of his three options. He could take a one-stroke penalty and go back to the bunker to hit. He could drop a ball within two club lengths of where the ball came to rest, but no nearer the hole. Or, he could drop behind the point where the ball was, keeping the point directly between the hole and that spot, with no limit to how far behind the point the ball could be dropped.

The Decision
Taking a one-stroke penalty, Darren chose to return to the bunker and hit from there. He put his forth shot on the green. However, when he marked the ball, he discovered it wasn’t his ball and notified one of the rules officials, who ordered the search for Darren’s ball renewed. When Darren couldn’t find the ball, the official had him play from the bunker again. Darren blasted out of the bunker to within a foot of the pin, and then tapped it in for a double bogey.

Did the official apply the correct rule to the situation? Keep in mind, as I often mentioned in my golf tips, misinterpreting the rules can cost you, whether it’s stroke or match play. In Darren’s case he was among the leaders of a tournament where a great deal of money was at stake, not to mention what other things a win could affected as far as his professional careers was concerned.

After the Tournament
After the tournament, Darren discovered that the official applied the wrong ruling to the situation. The first ball Darren dropped in the bunker should have been considered in play. It wasn’t necessary to hit a third shot from the bunker. Two rules decisions (27/17 and 28/14) clarify this point. But it was too late by then. The official ruling stood.

Had the ball Clarke found and played not been the same type as the one he lost, he would have been assessed a two-shot penalty under the ’one ball rule,’ a local rule used on the PGA tour. A tour player cannot change the type of ball he uses during a round, but a handicap player, like the rest of us, can change brands during a round.

Clarke eventually finished tied for eighth place in the tournament behind winner Padrig Harrington. Those extra strokes tacked on to Darren’s score may not have made him a winner, but he might have been able to move up a couple of places and could have collected more money. As I said, it pays to know the rules.

Golf doesn’t have as many rules as some other sports do. And most of the times they’re pretty clear. But odd situations can cause confusion about the rules, leading to misinterpretation. Regardless of how much golf you play, you should know the rules of the game. So review them periodically. If you have questions, see your club pro or consult the rulebook.

Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book "How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros." He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.