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On the 18th hole of the playoff, my drive is embedded in the loose sand at the top of the fairway bunker. The spectators had seen my ball go into the house, but I couldn’t find it. It was ruled a “lost ball,” and I returned to the tee, playing 3. I lost the hole again, the last game. It has always been a bad memory. Was the loose ball decision correct? And you’re not allowed to dig the ball, right? – Martin Simpson, Sydney, Australia
Martin, we want you to sleep better at night, and we hope the following helps.
Although you didn’t finish the way you wanted, the decision was right. Even if you knew the ball was in the ground, to get any kind of relief without a stroke and distance – the penalty you paid for the lost ball – you must find the ball, according to rule 18.2….
Here’s what can lead to some throwing and twisting, however: Because knowing the general location of the ball in a certain area is not enough to identify the ball (see Rule 7.2), you were actually allowed to dig for the ball to try to find it, under Rule 7.1. Sleep well.
For more embedded football guidance from our guru, read on…
In stroke play, one of my competitors bounced his ball over the pool, but the ball landed on its muddy shore, which was not put in the post as out of bounds. He said the relief of the embedded ball and found relief in the general area. Although I disagreed, it was getting late and I wanted to finish. What is the right decision? – Larry Lohman, via email
The desire to end the round, or simply to end the disagreement without resorting to harsh words or pistols in the morning, has given rise to a number of bad decisions – including this one.
A lot of water like a lake is by definition a place of punishment, even if it is not concentrated. And if the edge is not defined by the governing committee, it is defined by its natural boundaries, in this case, where the land recedes from the water.
So it sounds like that muddy bank is in the penalty area, and therefore your partner was not entitled to help for the embedded ball, as there is no relief from the other rules when the ball is in the penalty area per rule 17.3. You can stake your reputation on that.
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