The fickle winds of fate

By Randy Braze
SCGA Rules and Competition Committee member

The SCGA Senior Four-Ball Net Championship was held on the Legends Course at the PGA of Southern California in Beaumont on November 27 and 28. The first round passed without incident, but the second round fell victim to the deadly Santa Ana winds. A mild breeze of 20-40 MPH blew all day, with gusts of up to 60 MPH. With the greens being very undulating and fast, this presented players with an additional problem. Besides having to worry about their tee and approach shots, players had to be cognizant of their ball being moved by the wind when on the green.

As players began to ask questions concerning the status of the ball on the green and what the wind may do to it, it became evident to the starter (that would be me) and Rules chairman (Al Davis) that a mini-clinic on the Rules of Golf, specifically RULE 18 and its relevant decisions might be necessary prior to the groups teeing off. A number of scenarios were discussed with the players to insure that they had a fair understanding of what is and is not permitted. Here were the scenarios:

1. A player’s ball is at rest on the putting green. The player is looking at his putt when the wind gusts and blows his ball 15 feet further from the hole. Does the player replace his ball or play it from the new location where the wind just blew it? Most of the players thought that they should replace the ball. The correct answer is that because the wind is not an outside agency, the player must play it from its new location. So, what happens if they replace it? The player would incur a penalty of one stroke and must replace his ball. If he fails to do so, he incurs the general penalty under Rule 18 of two strokes, without any further penalty. (See Decision 18-2a/7)

2. A player’s ball is at rest on the putting green. The player marks his ball, lifts and cleans it, then replaces it on the green where it is now at rest. Prior to removing his mark, the player steps away and goes to his bag to get his putter. When he returns, he finds that the wind has moved his ball and it has blown 20 feet closer to the hole. Does the player replace his ball or play it from its new location. Most players, again, thought that they were to replace the ball, as they still had their marker down. Under Decisions 18-1/12 and Decision 20-4/1, the player must play the ball from its new location. What if they replace it at the position of the marker and play from there? Then they will incur the penalty for a general breach of Rule 18, which is two strokes. No additional penalty will apply.

3. The player’s ball is at rest on the putting green. The player marks his ball, lifts it, replaces it and removes his marker. After viewing his putt, the player takes his stance and grounds his club behind the ball. Prior to the player making his stroke, the wind blows the ball sideways about two feet. Does the player now play from the new location, as that’s what we‚Äôve been telling them in the above situations. Most players thought they would then play from the new location. Unfortunately, Rule 18-2b stipulates that the player is deemed to have moved the ball and therefore, incurs a penalty of one stroke and must replace the ball. Decision 18-2b/7 adds an additional twist to this. Suppose the player has just replaced his ball, takes his stance and grounds his putter. The wind starts to blow, so the player backs off to wait for the wind to subside. Then the wind moves his ball. Do you play it from the new location? Nope. The player is deemed to have moved the ball under this decision and incurs the penalty of one stroke and must replace the ball. If he plays from the new location, he incurs the penalty of two strokes for a general breach of Rule 18, with no further penalty imposed. Decision 18-2b/8 absolves the player of any wrongdoing if he remarks and replaces the ball prior to any other movement.

4. The players are now armed with this information on the above scenarios. Wisely, the player now replaces his ball on the green after marking it, it’s at rest and the player does not ground his putter this time. The wind blows the ball into the hole. Must the player replace the ball now? Finally, most players got the answer right. Because the player has not addressed the ball, they are not deemed to have moved it under Rule 18. As wind is not an outside agency, the ball is deemed to have been holed out on the previous stroke! Finally, the Rules of Golf work in the player’s favor!!

Armed with these warnings, the players hit the course.

Having finished with my starter duties, I hit the course to help with the rules. Upon reaching the 11th green, I noticed a group of golfers preparing to putt, so I parked my cart about 20 yards from the green and waited while they played out. While the first player was preparing to putt his ball, the wind blew and a second player’s ball moved about two feet to the right. Immediately the second player put his club down at the old location, reached down and picked up his ball and replaced it in front of his club. Because the first player was about to hit the ball, the rules official on scene didn’t say anything until the stroke was completed. Besides, the breach had already been committed. Now, the second player was about to play his putt when the rules official instructed him not to play yet.

Hoping to avoid any further penalty, the rules official asked the second player what just happened. The second player responded, “Well, I was just standing here when the wind blew my ball over there. I put my putter down where it was, picked up the ball and put it back where it started.” The rules official informed the player that he had just violated Rule 18/2a and must replace the ball and add a one stroke penalty to his score. After play was completed on the hole, a review of all of the above scenarios was repeated with the group. Of course, the second player wasn’t too happy with the penalty, but that’s only natural.

Two holes later, his playing partner had a similar situation. He had replaced his ball on the green, taken his stance, but did not ground the putter behind the ball. The wind blew and the ball fell in the hole! As we had previously discussed this same scenario with the players, they knew what to do and the player was deemed to have holed out with his previous shot.

Sometimes the Rules of Golf work against you and sometimes they work for you.