Seeing most amateurs play matches amongst themselves I thought I would post a quiz and show a scenario along those lines and let’s see how many infractions take place and what they were…I will post the answers in a few weeks when enough people have had a go at it…
Only one chance at answering per person!!!..you can’t repost after seeing someone else’s answers, so take your time… It’s not a find out what you do or don’t know…just an example of how crazy the rules can get
Scenario:
Player A and B are playing a four ball match against Player C and Player D… they were also playing single head to head matches against each other concurrently
They for all sake and purposes are playing at Augusta National ( a course everyone can picture and envision) and are standing on the 12th tee.
Player A hits a decent 6 iron shot but a gust of wind knocks the ball down into Rae’s Creek. Player C peeks into Player A’s bag to see what club he used. Player A says “ahh don’t bother looking, I hit a 7 iron flush.”
The other 3 players all clear the water.
Player B has a fast putt towards the front of the green and the creek. Player A, inside his partner on the same line, but lying 5 strokes after his penalty drop and subsequent strokes, says he’ll putt first.
Opponent Player C blurts out…“Your putt is good. Pick it up”…Player A says “I can putt if I want to” and he does
Meanwhile Player D strolls over and starts picking up pine needles, contrary to Player B’s request not to do so, between the edge of the green on the line Player B’s ball will end up if it misses the hole.
Player B fortunately takes only 2 putts to halve Player C’s par.
Player D was left with a two foot putt for his own par when impatient Player A yells out “c’mon let’s go” That’s good". Player D therefore picks up his ball but Player B cries out. “He has to hole that for my individual match with him, I didn’t give it to him”. Player D ignores Player B and walks to the 13th tee.
On the 13th tee shot Player A smacks a low hard drive heading a tad left toward the lateral water hazard. Player A announces he is going to play a provisional ball ’ in case his ball is in the water’ and does so. His original ball is eventually found outside the hazard so he picks up his provisional ball.
They move down the hole and Player B is unsure about his 3rd shot on the beautiful hole. He says to Player C, “You play here all the time, how far is it to the green from that tree over there?” Player C replies, “Well it’s 115 yards from opposite that tree to the center of the green” Player B says “Thanks”
Player B then tops his 3rd shot into the creek where it comes to rest out of the water on dry ground, but up against a drainage pipe. Climbing down into the hazard Player B slips and breaks his fall by using his wedge as a cane. Player B then announces “I get a free drop from this pipe so long as I drop in the hazard”. He drops
Meanwhile Player A and Player C are both in the back bunker. Player C is away with Player A’s ball plugged in the sand directly in front of C’s ball. Player A marks and lifts his ball. Player C hits his bunker shot too hard and the ball strikes Player D’s golf bag and caroms back onto the green. Player A now feeling good that Player C bunker shot totally eliminated the depression his ball was in , gently replaces his ball at his mark which is now atop smooth sand.
Player A had carried two wedges and his putter into the bunker. He now drops both wedges in the bunker and because of the good lie proceeds to putt his ball from the bunker down and onto the green.
Player C is startled to see his ball which is now on the green is atop a chewing gum wrapper, discarded by a careless member. On his line is an old hole plug and ball marks, some sand and a pine needle sticking straight up with it’s point embedded in the turf. Player C removes the wrapper and drops his ball directly beneath the point where it lay on the wrapper. He repairs the hole plug and ball marks with a tee, sweeps the sand aside with his cap and extracts the pine needle. Then he 3 putts.
The hole concludes with all four players averring and agreeing that they made a 7 on the hole. They believe that all matches, team and individual are all even.
When they get to the 14th tee Player D who has never worked a day in his life, moans “Good grief, I’ve been carrying 16 clubs all day”
How many infractions have occurred ?
What are the true scores of the match and the individual matches?
Now if all this doesn’t make the rules of golf confusing…nothing will!!!
…these sort of games do happen at a club level…that’s the whole idea to make people think and show just how complex the current rules can be and why it is nigh impossible for anyone to comprehend them all no matter what their level of play as a golfer
Lots of room for interpretations in there … like 'provisional ball ’ and ‘in case his ball is in the water’.