Staying in the fairway

Most golfers participate recreationally, and the laws of the game are subject to variation. But if the stakes were raised, how many would know the precise rules of the fairway? Different rules govern stroke play (total strokes for the entire event) and match play (player or players playing against each other trying to win each hole). Though the golf season is winding down, here are a few rules of interest.

Lost ball

You tee off on the first hole and slice your ball to the right. You think you know exactly where it is, but when you get up to where you think your ball might be, you can't find it. What do you do?

Answer - It's a lost ball, and the only option you have is to go back to the tee and hit another ball, now hitting shot No. 3 after the extra-stroke penalty. You can't just take a drop. To save time, it's good to hit a provisional ball off the tee if you think you might not be able to find it.

Marking in the fairway

You're playing with three of your buddies and all of you hit your drives right down the fairway. Your ball and one other ball stop less than one inch from each other. Do you have to hit the ball with your friend's ball less than one inch front of yours?

Answer - A ball, no matter where it is, can be marked. It is all right to mark your friend's ball so that you may play your shot without any interference or distraction. The marked ball must then be moved back to its original position before playing the next shot.

Playing wrong ball

While playing a hole, you accidently hit your second shot from the fairway and then go up and realize that you've hit the wrong ball. What do you do?

Answer - In stroke play, if a competitor hits the wrong ball that is not in a hazard, he incurs a two-shot penalty and then must correct his error, going back and hitting the right ball. In match play, hitting the wrong ball is loss of the hole. However, if you hit a wrong ball in a hazard, there is no penalty. In this situation, you still must correct the error.

Errant putt

You're playing in a foursome with your buddies and all four balls are on the putting surface. Your ball is furthest from the hole, so you putt first. After you putt, your ball is way off line and hits another one of the balls on the green. What happens now?

Answer - Once on the green, your putt must not hit either the flagstick that might be laying on the green or another ball on the green. If you do that, you will be assessed a two stroke penalty and you play the ball where it ended up after hitting the other ball. If you putt from off the green, there is no penalty. Your ball stays in its place but the ball that was struck on the green must be moved back to its original place.

Muddy conditions

It was raining a little bit earlier in the day, and you smash your drive right down the middle of the fairway. When you get ready to play your second shot, you notice a big chunk of mud on the side of your ball. Can you clean the mud off the ball before you hit your second shot?

Answer - No, you cannot clean your ball at all. You can finally clean it when you get to the putting green, but not before. The one exception to that rule is if in tournament play, they've changed the local rules to lift, clean and place when conditions deem so.

Unplayable lie

You hit your drive in a big pile of stones off the fairway. It's impossible to hit. You have what is termed an unplayable lie. What do you do?

Answer - Golfers may take an unplayable lie anywhere on the course, except in a water hazard.

In the above example, you may go back to the tee and replay the shot. You also can 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 you may drop the ball within two club lengths of the spot where the ball lay, not nearer the hole.

By doing any of the above, you are penalized two strokes.

Landing on wrong green

When playing the fourth hole, your drive hooks severely and ends up on the sixth putting green.

Do you hit the ball where it lies, or do you get relief from that putting green?

Answer - If your ball lies on the wrong putting surface, you get full relief from the putting surface.

You must lift the ball and drop it within one club length of the nearest point of relief (and not closer to the hole you're aiming for).

The nearest point of relief must not be on the putting surface or in a hazard.

The ball may be cleaned under this rule.

A positive ID

You hit your drive on a long hole and it goes into the right rough, into some taller grass. When you approach the area you think your ball might be in, you find what appears to be your ball. However, because of the high grass, you're not sure it's your ball. What do you do?

Answer - The rules of the game allow you to lift the ball out of the grass to a point where you can positively identify your ball. You may not clean the ball at all. Once deeming that it's yours, you have to replace the ball as nearest to the exact point where it was as you can without penalty.

Damaged ball

After playing your third shot on the second hole, you skull a 9-iron shot. Once you get to that ball, which is still in the fairway, you notice it's almost cut in half. Do you have to play that damaged ball until you get to the green?

Answer - If a player has reason to believe his ball has become unfit for play during play of the hole, he may lift the ball without penalty to determine whether it is unfit. However, before lifting the damaged ball, you must announce your intention to your opponent of playing partners. If a player fails to do that, the player incurs a one stroke penalty.