12. Searching for and Identifying ball
PLAYING THE BALL
Definitions:
A hazard is any bunker or water hazard.
A bunker is a hazard consisting of a prepared area of ground, often a hollow, from which turf or soil has been removed and replaced with sand or the like. Grass-covered ground bordering or within a bunker is not part of the bunker.The margin of a bunker extends vertically downwards, but not upwards. A ball is in a bunker when it lies in or any part of it touches the bunker.
A water hazard is any sea, lake, pond, river, ditch, surface drainage ditch or other open water course (whether or not containing water) and anything of a similar nature. All ground or water within the margin of a water hazard is part of the water hazard. The margin of a water hazard extends vertically upwards and downwards. Stakes and lines defining the margins of water hazards are in the hazards. Such stakes are obstructions. A ball is in a water hazard when it lies in or any part of it touches the water hazard.
Note 1: Water hazards (other than lateral water hazards) should be defined by yellow stakes or lines.
Note 2: The Committee may make a Local Rule prohibiting play from an environmentally-sensitive area which has been defined as a water hazard.
12-1.Searching for Ball; Seeing Ball
In searching for his ball anywhere on the course, the player may touch or bend long rass, rushes, bushes, whins, heather or the like, but only to the extent necessary to find and identify it, provided that this does not improve the lie of the ball, the area of his intended swing or his line of play. A player is not necessarily entitled to see his ball when playing a stroke.
In a hazard, if a ball is believed to be covered by loose impediments or sand, the player may remove by probing, raking or other means as much thereof as will enable him to see a part of a ball.If an excess is removed, no penalty is incurred and the ball shall be re-covered so that only a part of the ball is visible. If the ball is moved in such removal, no penalty is incurred; the ball shall be replaced and, if necessary, re-covered. As to removal of loose impediments outside a hazard, see Rule 23.
If a ball lying in an abnormal ground condition is accidentally moved during search, no penalty is incurred; the ball shall be replaced, unless the player elects to proceed under Rule 25-1b. If the player replaces the ball, he may still proceed under Rule 25-1by if applicable.
If a ball is believed to be lying in water in a water hazard, the player may probe for it with a cluby or otherwise. If the ball is moved in so doing, no penalty is incurred; the ball shall be replaced, unless the player elects to proceed under Rule
26-1.
Match play — Loss of hole; Stroke play — Two strokes.
12-2. Identifying Ball
The responsibility for playing the proper ball rests with the player. Each player should put an identification mark on his ball.
Except in a hazard, the player may, without penalty, lift a ball he believes to be his own for the purpose of identification and clean it to the extent necessary for identification.
If the ball is the player’s ball, he shall replace it. Before lifting the ball, the player must announce his intention to his opponent in match play or his marker or a fellow-competitor in stroke play and mark the position of the ball. He must then give his opponent, marker or fellow-competitor an opportunity to observe the lifting and replacement.
If he lifts his ball without announcing his intention in advance, marking the position of the ball or iving his opponent, marker or fellow-competitor an opportunity to observe, or if he lifts his ball for identification in a hazard, or cleans it more than necessary for identification, he shall incur a penalty of one stroke and the ball shall be replaced.
If a player who is required to replace a ball fails to do so, he shall incur the penalty for a breach of Rule 20-3a, but no additional penalty under Rule 12-2 shall be applied.
13. Ball Played as It Lies
Definitions:
A hazard is any bunker or water hazard.
A bunker is a hazard consisting of a prepared area of
ground, often a hollow, from which turf or soil has been removed and replaced with sand or the like. Grass-covered ground bordering or within a bunker is not part of the bunker. The margin of a bunker extends vertically downwards, but not upwards. A ball is in a bunker when it lies in or any part of it touches the bunker.
A water hazard is any sea, lake, pond, river, ditch, surface drainage ditch or other open water course (whether or not containing water) and anything of a similar nature.
All ground or water within the margin of a water hazard is part of the water hazard. The margin of a water hazard extends vertically upwards and downwards. Stakes and lines defining the margins of water hazards are in the hazards. Such stakes are obstructions. A ball is in a water hazard when it lies in or any part of it touches the water hazard.
Note 1: Water hazards (other than lateral water hazards)
should be defined by yellow stakes or lines.
Note 2:The Committee may make a Local Rule prohibiting
play from an environmentally-sensitive area which has been defined as a water hazard.
The line of play is the direction which the player wishes his ball to take after a stroke, plus a reasonable distance on either side of the intended direction. The line of play extends vertically upwards from the ground, but does not extend beyond the hole.
Eaking the stance consists in a player placing his feet in position for and preparatory to making a stroke.
13-1. General
The ball shall be played as it lies, except as otherwise provided in the Rules.(Ball at rest moved —see Rule 18.)
13-2.Improving Lie, Area of Intended Stance or Swing, or Line of Play
Except as provided in the Rules, a player shall not improve or allow to be improved:
by any of the following actions:
(including immovable obstructions and objects defining out of bounds ),
except as follows:
provided in Rule 16-1a or in repairing damage as provided in Rule 16-1c.
The club may be grounded only lightly and shall not be pressed on the ground.
Exception: Ball in hazard –see Rule 13-4.
13-3. Building Stance
A player is entitled to place his feet firmly in taking his stance ,but he shall not build a stance.
13-4. Ball in Hazard
E
Except as provided in the Rules ,before making a stroke at a
ball which is in a hazard (whether a bunker or a water hazar )
or which,having been lifted from a hazard,may be dropped
or placed in the hazard,the player shall not:
a.Test the condition of the hazard or any similar hazard,
b.Touch the ground in the hazard or water in the water hazard with a cluby or otherwise,or
c.Touch or move a loose impediment lying in or touching the hazard.
Exceptions:
1.Provided nothing is done which constitutes testing the condition of the hazard or improves the lie of the ball,there is no penalty if the player (a)touches the ground in any hazard or water in a water hazard as a result of or to prevent falling,in removing an obstruction,in measuring or in retrieving,lifting,placing or replacing a ball under any Rule or (b)places his clubs in a hazard.
2.The player after playing the stroke ,or his caddie at any time without the authority of the player,may smooth sand or soil in the hazard,provided that,if the ball is still in the hazard,nothing is done which improves the lie of the ball or assists the player in his subsequent play of the hole.
Note 1:At any time,including at address or in the backward movement for the stroke ,the player may touch with a club or otherwise any obstruction ,any construction declared by the Committee to be an integral part of the course or any grass,bush,tree or other growing thing.
Definition:
A stroke is the forward movement of the cluby made with the intention of fairly striking at and moving the ball,but if a player checks his downswing voluntarily before the clubhead reaches the ball he is deemed not to have made a stroke.
14-1.Ball to be Fairly Struck At
T he ball shall be fairly struck at with the head of the club and must not be pushed,scraped or spooned.
14-2.Assistance
In makin a stroke,a player shall not:
a.Accept physical assistance or protection from the elements,or
b.Allow his caddie ,his partner or his partner ’s caddie to position himself on or close to an extension of the line of play or the line of putt behind the ball.
14-3. Artificial Devices and Unusual Equipment
A player in doubt as to whether use of an item would constitute a breach of Rule 14-3 should consult the Royal and Ancient Golf Cluby of St.Andrews.
A manufacturer may submit to the Royal and Ancient Golf Cluby of St.Andrews a sample of an item which is to be manufactured for a ruling as to whether its use during astipulated round would cause a player to be in breach of Rule 14-3.
Such sample will become the property of the Royal and Ancient Golf Cluby of St.Andrews for reference purposes.If a manufacturer fails to submit a sample before manufacturing and/or marketing the item,he assumes the risk of a ruling that use of the item would be contrary to the Rules .
Except as provided in the Rules,during a stipulated round the player shall not use any artificial device or unusual equipment:
a. Which might assist him in making a stroke or in his play; or
b. For the purpose of auging or measuring distance or conditions which might affect his play;or
c. Which might assist him in ripping the club,except that:
(i) plain gloves may be worn;
(ii) resin,powder and drying or moisturising agents
may be used; and
(iii) a towel or handkerchief may be wrapped around
the grip.
14-4. Striking the Ball More Than Once
S If a player ’s cluby strikes the ball more than once in the course of a stroke ,the player shall count the stroke and add a penalty stroke,making two strokes in all.
14-5. Playing Moving Ball
A player shall not play while his ball is moving.
Exceptions:
When the ball begins to move only after the player has begun the stroke or the backward movement of his cluby for the stroke,he shall incur no penalty under this Rule for playing a moving ball,but he is not exempt from any penalty incurred under the following Rules:
14-6. Ball Moving in Water
When a ball is moving in water in a water hazar ,the player may,without penalty,make a stroke ,but he must not delay making his stroke in order to allow the wind or current to improve the position of the ball.A ball moving in water in a water hazard may be lifted if the player elects to invoke Rule 26.
15. Wrong Ball;Substituted Ball
Definition:
A wrong ball is any ball other than the player ’s:
a. Ball in play ,
b. Provisional ball ,or
c. Second ball played under Rule 3-3 or Rule 20-7 by in stroke play.
Note: Ball in play includes a ball substituted for the ball in play whether or not such substitution is permitted.
15-1. General
A player must hole out with the ball played from the teeing ground unless a Rule permits him to substitute another ball.
If a player substitutes another ball when not so permitted, that ball is not a wrong ball ;it becomes the ball in play and,
if the error is not corrected as provided in Rule 20-6,the
player shall incur a penalty of loss of hole in match play or
two strokes in stroke play.
(Playing from wrong place –see Rule 20-7.)
15-2. Match Play
If a player plays a stroke with a wrong ball except in a hazard, he shall lose the hole.
If a player plays any strokes in a hazard with a wrong ball, there is no penalty.Strokes played in a hazard with a wrong ball do not count in the player ’s score.If the wrong ball belongs to another player,its owner shall place a ball on the spot from which the wrong ball was first played.
If the player and opponent exchange balls during the play
of a hole,the first to play the wrong ball other than from a
hazard shall lose the hole;when this cannot be determined,
the hole shall be played out with the balls exchanged.
15-3. Stroke Play
If a competitor plays a stroke or strokes with a wrong ball ,he shall incur a penalty of two strokes,unless the only stroke
or strokes played with such ball were played when it was in
a hazar ,in which case no penalty is incurred.
The competitor must correct his mistake by playing the correct ball.If he fails to correct his mistake before he plays a stroke from the next teeing ground or,in the case of the last hole of the round,fails to declare his intention to correct his mistake before leaving the putting green ,he shall be disqualified.
Strokes played by a competitor with a wrong ball do not count in his score.
If the wrong ball belongs to another competitor,its owner
shall place a ball on the spot from which the wrong ball was
first played.
(Lie of ball to be placed or replaced altered – see Rule 20-3b.)