The player may deem his ball unplayable at any place on the course, except when the ball is in a water hazard. The player is the sole judge as to whether his ball is unplayable.
If the player deems his ball to be unplayable, he must, under penalty of one stroke:
a. Proceed under the stroke and distance provision of Rule 27-1 by playing a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or
b. 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
c. Drop a ball within
two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.
If the unplayable ball
is in a bunker, the player may proceed under Clause a, b or c. If he elects to
proceed under Clause b or c, a ball
must be dropped in the bunker.
When proceeding under
this Rule, the player may lift and clean his ball or substitute a ball.
PENALTY FOR BREACH OF
RULE:
Match play - Loss of
hole; Stroke play - Two strokes.
The ball was in play
when it was dropped – Rule 20-4. Thus, if the ball came to rest in the original
position, the player must again invoke the unplayable ball Rule, incurring an
additional penalty stroke, unless he decides to play the ball as it lies. The
same applies if the ball came to rest in another position at which it was
unplayable, assuming that the ball did not roll into a position covered by Rule
20-2c, in which case re-dropping without penalty would be required.
Please note that this rule is most abused on
holes 5 and 9 at Bonalba when playing to the left off the tee. The ball is
inbounds but in the bushes. It is nearly impossible to drop on the slope
without the ball rolling back into an unplayable lie. In this case you cannot
drop twice and then place the ball within two club lengths on the slope. If you
choose option C you must declare a penalty each time you drop and the ball returns
to an unplayable lie.
Your safe option is to choose option A and
return to the tee.
