Vinoy Golf Blog

RULES TIP

Presented by: John Hanlon, Jr.
Head Golf Professional
PGA Certified/Golf Operations

You have determined that your ball is unplayable and drop your ball. You drop in another lie that is also unplayable. What do you do now?

Rule 20-4 (When Ball Dropped or Placed Is in Play) states:

If the player’s ball in play has been lifted,

it is again in play when dropped or placed.
A substituted ball becomes the ball in play

when it has been dropped or placed.

Under Rule 28 (Ball Unplayable):

The player may deem his ball unplayable at any place on the course,

except when the ball is in a water hazard.

The player is the sole judge as to whether his ball is unplayable.
If the player deems his ball to be unplayable, he must,

under penalty of one stroke:

a. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from

which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or

b. Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay,

keeping that point directly between the hole

and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit

to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped; or

c. Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot

where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.

Rule 20-2c (When to Re-Drop) refers to situations where

another drop is allowed without penalty. In this case,

if the ball was dropped outside of the two club length maximum

or closer to the hole, the player would be allowed to re-drop.

However, the fact that the player dropped into the same

or similar unplayable position does not allow a re-drop

unless Rule 20-2c applies or by invoking

the unplayable ball Rule 28 again, with a penalty stroke.