So I thought we'd have a little fun, and start a thread on rules quizes. I'll post a question, we can do some answering, then I or someone else can post another one...Should lead us to some good discussions perhaps on why the rule is what it is.

1) In the rain, a player holds an umbrella over his head with one hand while holing a short putt with his putter held in the other hand; there is no penalty.

True or False?

True. Rule 14-2 prohibits a player, while making a stroke, from accepting protection
from the elements from someone other than himself. However, it does not prohibit
him from protecting himself.

Okay, try this one;
A player's ball lies against a board at the base of an out of bounds fence. He swings
a club from the out of bounds side of the fence against the board, i.e., swings at the
ball with the board intervening between the club and the ball. The stroke moves the
board which causes the ball to move away from the fence. Is such a stroke permissible?

No, that is not allowed. I can't quote the excact rule, but I know there's at least one issue: You are using an outside agency to strike the ball.

Here's one:
you hit the ball into the bunker, it plugs into the sand, and you can't see the ball. What do you do?

You are allowed to remove such as much of the sand as makes the ball visible and identifiable.

Drop a ball outside the bunker when no one is looking, and yell out, "OH, THERE it is!" Goes well with the foot wedge.

DocT. I think you're starting to get the hang of this game. I can see your handicap going down as I type.

It's always handy to use a pencil with an eraser on the course too.

DocT, I love those courses that give you erasers...

Aimee, I think Fred's right, but in those situations I usually shout a few expletives as well.

You have another option, which if the ball is really buried may be useful...you can call an unplayable lie and take a drop inside the bunker. At least the ball wouldn't be buried.

Amiee, I like this rule; Rule 28, Ball Unplayable, and it's as straightforward as can be.

Here's a new one for you guys.

You hit your tee shot up and over a small hill, and don't see where your ball lands. You walk toward your ball, and find a dead body, face up in the fairway, with your ball resting in the depression of the belly button. What do you do?

1: You play the ball as it lies, being careful not to take too big of a divot.

2: You take a free drop, inside 2 clubs lenghts, not closer to the green.

or

3: You call your local CSI, hoping Marg Hellgenburger shows up, and wait for a ruling.

Hmmm.., that's a tough one Don. iT's a toss up between 1 and 3.

Since the body has to be considered a temporary, moveable obstruction, I'd vote for moving it and placing the ball back on the fairway. See how long it takes for the useless course rangers to show up and call it in!

I would go for option #2, since, well, is the body man made? god-made? Hmmm, this is getting a little spiritual so maybe I better stop. Ok, I'd go this route:

1) take another ball and drop it as if the body was a man made obstruction, no closer to the green. Play that ball out.

2) I'd also play the original ball (hey, he's dead right? open casket is one this but know one ever does open shirt viewings) as it lay.

Then let the club house decide IF they could believe me.

A worm which is half on top of the surface of the ground and half below is considered solidly embedded and is not a loose impediment.


True or False?

Amy is correct. It is a temporary movable obstruction.

However, if you have no intention of notifying the pro shop and no one will be removing the body, it now can be considered a pile of fertilizer and you may play it as ground under repair.....drop within 2 club lenghths, no nearer the hole.

False

Another one:

A player is not permitted to back into a branch of a tree causing it to move out of the way even if that is the only way that he can take his stance.
True or False

I think that's false. You can "bend" the branch, as long as you don't "break it".

Don is correct, as long as you aren't breaking branches to improve your stance or lie, it is OK.

OK. A player hits a ball into a lateral water hazard, the current carries the ball downstream and out of bounds.
Do you play your next shot as a lateral water hazard, or as an OB?

UNLESS the person was murdered.............It then becomes a temporary immovable obstruction as we can't move the body and alter the crime scene.

I believe it's where your ball ends up, not where it went into the hazard, so you should play it as OB.

Correcto

When Jack Nicklaus was playing in a tournament, if his ball moved after he addressed it, what was the penalty?