When teeing up a ball on the teeing ground, you need to make sure you don’t push in your tee-peg beyond the two club-lengths permitted.
Question: I made a bad stroke from the teeing ground and barely moved the ball. I claimed I could re-tee the ball without penalty as it was still within the teeing ground. Was I correct?
Answer: No. Once you started your stroke, the ball was in play and you had to re-tee it under penalty of one stroke.
Question: As I prepared to play my drive from the teeing ground, I broke off a small branch of a tree which was interfering with my swing. I maintained my action did not breach any rule as the ball was not yet in play. Was I right?
Answer: You were in breach of the rule for improving the area of your intended swing. You were only allowed to eliminate irregularities of surface on the teeing ground. By breaking off that branch you incurred a two-stroke penalty.
Question: Before playing my drive from the teeing ground, I took a practice swing and I accidentally moved the teed ball with my club.
Did I play a stroke or incur a penalty?
Answer: No, you did not make a stroke, as the ball was not in play. You just had to re-tee your ball.
Question: I played my original ball out of bounds from the teeing ground. I then teed up another one, but when addressing it, I touched it and it fell off the tee. What is the ruling?
Answer: As your second teed-up ball was not in play until you made your stroke, there was no penalty and the ball had to be re-teed. – George Nicholas
E-mail your inquiry to [email protected] or post to Box 12444, Clubview, 0014. |fw
