Test your rules knowledge with this month’s question

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Updated: May 31, 2023

Question: A player’s tee shot comes to rest in a red “penalty area”.  It is “known or virtually certain” the ball is in the “penalty area”.  The player properly takes lateral penalty relief under Rule 17.1d(3) and drops the ball within 2 club lengths of where the ball last crossed the edge of the “penalty area”.  After dropping a ball, the player returned to their bag to select a club.  Just then the ball, that was at rest moved on it’s own accord (natural forces) back into the red “penalty area.  Besides not being fair what is the player to do?

Answer:  As a result of a Rule change effect January 1, 2023 under Rule 9.3, Exception 2 – ball at rest must be replaced if it is moves to another area of the course or out of bounds after being dropped or replaced and the cause of movement was “natural forces”.  In this case as the ball was properly put into play and then natural forces caused it to move back into the penalty area from the general area. The ball must be replaced on the original spot which if not known is estimated.  No additional penalty.