It was a crisp morning at Coronado Municipal Golf Course in San Diego. The water glinted in the distance, breeze off the bay carried just enough chill, and the pressure of tournament play was alive. This was the Club Championship, so pace of play was enforced and every shot mattered.

On Hole 3 I teed up, swung well (or so I thought), and watched the ball head in the direction of the water. My group and I headed toward where we expected the impact — but the ball wasn’t where I thought. With pace of play in mind, I made a decision: assuming the ball had gone into the penalty area, I dropped a ball under the relief option for a penalty stroke and hit again.

Then, while driving up to my next shot, something unexpected happened: I found my original ball, lying ahead of where I had dropped and hit the relief ball.

What do I do now?

- David D., San Diego

David, 

Thank you for the email and question.  In terms of what you do now, the question is, it depends! 

 The “relief” ball was dropped and played so that is the ball in play and the original ball is not to be played under any circumstance.  To take relief under Rule 17.1d, you as the player need to have what is called “known or virtually certain” standard that the ball is in the penalty area because of your stroke.  By definition, Known or virtually certain  means more than just possible or probable. It means that either: 

• There is conclusive evidence that the event in question happened to the player’s ball, such as when the player or other witnesses saw it happen, or 

• Although there is a very small degree of doubt, all reasonably available information shows that it is at least 95% likely that the event in question happened. 

 So how does that apply in the scenario you describe above? 

 Ruling 1 

• If it was known or virtually certain your ball was in the penalty area, assuming you dropped in the right relief area, you did everything correctly and just incur the one penalty stroke under Rule 17 and move on… 

 BUT…… 

 Ruling 2 

• If it was not known or virtually certain your ball was in the penalty area, and you proceeded to drop and play a “relief ball” the only rule we can attach to this is Rule 18 (Stroke and Distance Relief).  Stroke and distance in this scenario would have required you to play from your previous stroke but you did not.  There fore you played from a wrong place (Rule 14.7) incurring a penalty of two strokes in addition to the stroke and distance penalty (total of 3 penalty strokes).  By dropping and playing from a wrong place in this scenario, you also gained a significant advantage (a serious breach) which would need to be corrected before you play from the next teeing area or you would be disqualified. 

So where does this leave you David??  You and the players in the group would have to determine if it was known or virtual certain your tee shot went in the penalty area.  If it was determined to, then you go with Ruling 1, if not then you would go with Ruling 2. 

 But the original ball is no longer your ball no matter what since you dropped a new ball and played it!