Golf Ruling - ball declared unplayable?

Question

I played Golf yesterday and was scoring well until I had a disaster on the 16th hole.
It was a par 3 and I hit my T shot just left of the green, when I got to the green I noticed my ball must have hat a bad bounce and ended up on a steep narrow gravel path about 15ft left of the green. My stance here was very awkward, making my next shot a very tough one. I want to know what all my options were/are here (should the same happen again). Can I declare my ball unplayable? Could I have gone back to the T and played my 3rd? Help!!

Answer 1

Relief from paths is not a general golf rule, it is often a local rule, check back of score card, it's usually stated there...

Answer 2

This situation qualifys under the unplayable ball rule. a drop is permitted with a 1 stroke penalty. To declare just let your playing partners know that you have an unplayable ball and will be taking a drop. Under the unplayable ball you do not have the option of going back to the tee and why would you. You'd be hitting 3 from the Tee. Better to take your medicine and move on.

Answer 3

First of all, did you check whether the path was, in the local rules,an abnormal ground condition?, if so, you could have relief under 25.1 (you would then drop within one club length of where it lay,without penalty not nearer the hole). Failing that, you have two options, declare the ball unplayable, taking a one stroke penalty and take relief two club lengths from where the ball lay, not nearer the hole, and if when you drop it, it rolls more than two club lengths (or into a hazard or a situation where you must again take relief) you drop again. If it rolls as before, you can then place it on the point where it last dropped. Alternatively, you can go back to the tee. It is entirely up to the player, you can declare your ball unplayable anywhere (apart from in a hazard) on the course.

Answer 4

I'm not sure if you could have relief on a path if it's gravel (it's natural, as opposed to a concrete cart path). However you can declare a ball unplayable anywhere (except in a water hazard), so you could have played with a drop within two club-lengths not nearer the hole and with one-stroke penalty. Going back to the tee box is another option.

Answer 5

Couple of other possibilities - was the gravel put there by the course to make a path? You are entitled to relief. Drop at the closest point of relief from the path no closer to the hole. Decisions have also been made that any marks, ruts, paths etc made by course workers are considered ground under repair regardless if they're marked that way. Take a drop no charge.

Answer 6

Most golf clubs give relief of any man made paths,you should have checked this first.If not then you had a choice,take a drop (penalty),go back to the tee play 3.
I would still say the path would have been a free drop.

Answer 7

You can take a free drop if your ball lands on a gravel path.

Answer 8

you can take a one stroke penalty and place the ball one club length away from the path and no closer to the hole, if the path is a manmade hazard, you can place the ball one club length away from the path and no closer to the hole, or you can play the ball as it lies

Answer 9

i think you get a relief from the cart path.......free drop no closer to the hole

Answer 10

http://golf.about.com/cs/rulesofgolf/a/rule28.htm