Golf Rules Discussion

Again, some confusion in the air, pls. help!

Dec 13-4/38 says:
Q.After playing his ball out of a greenside bunker, the player smoothes his footprints. He then discovers that his ball is in another bunker on the other side of the green. He plays out of the second bunker and the ball comes to rest in the smoothed area of the first bunker. What is the ruling?

A.No penalty was incurred. The player did not smooth his footprints in the first bunker while his ball still lay in that bunker - see Exception 2 to Rule 13-4.

If, however, the player failed to extricate his ball from the first bunker with his first stroke and had smoothed his footprints while his ball still lay in that bunker, he would have incurred a penalty if the act of smoothing his footprints had caused a breach of Rule 13-2 with respect to his next stroke.

What does that last chapter mean? Let us take an example. Player A plays his ball into a bunker. He makes a stroke at the ball but fails to extricate the ball out of the bunker but it is moved three meters towards the hole. Then A rakes the area of his previous stroke and makes another try. Again he fails to extricate the ball out of the bunker and this time the ball lands on the area he previously raked.

Now, is A penalized for a breach of 13-2 for having smoothens the area or not? What does 'next stroke' mean in this concept?

Mr. Bean wrote: What does 'next stroke' mean in this concept?

Player A plays his ball into a bunker. He makes a stroke at the ball but fails to extricate the ball out of the bunker but it is moved three meters towards the hole.

First stroke

Then A rakes the area of his previous stroke and makes another try.

That is his next stroke. ie the next one after raking the bunker

Again he fails to extricate the ball out of the bunker and this time the ball lands on the area he previously raked.

That is nor his 'next stroke' as specified in the decision. It is the next but one.

Now, is A penalized for a breach of 13-2 for having smoothens the area or not?

No penalty

I agree with Doug, no penalty.

The next stroke is only one and that is what the player makes the bunker after raking. Since the rule was amended (2008) continue to feed only on the interpretation of legends "His next stroke." Previously, the rule referred to "in the subsequent play of the hole," and if the ball came back in the area raked the player was subjected to penalty.

regole wrote:I agree with Doug, no penalty.

The next stroke is only one and that is what the player makes the bunker after raking. Since the rule was amended (2008) continue to feed only on the interpretation of legends "His next stroke." Previously, the rule referred to "in the subsequent play of the hole," and if the ball came back in the area raked the player was subjected to penalty.

Agree. The "next stroke" is the one after the one just made; 1, 2, 3, 4..... 2 is the next after 1, 3 is the next after 2, 4 is the next after 3 etc. 4 is never the next after 1 or 2.

Ok, thanks, guys. This makes much more sense now.