Rog’s Blog: Time to Drop the ‘drop’

I was watching some golf on TV recently when I was aroused from my torpor by a suggestion from one of the commentators: abandonment of dropping the ball in favour of placing in all circumstances!

This is a proposition of which Rog is very much in favour as it encompasses several positive outcomes and, from my viewpoint, no negatives.

The game of golf has at its core the element of randomness and things simply would not be the same without it: what would there to be to complain about! A shot strikes a tree or a cart path, for example, and the outcome can be significantly beneficial or detrimental. The ball can bounce or roll to the right or left with significantly different results. There are, as we all know, an untold number of such examples.

But there are sufficient opportunities for ‘chance’ to play its role within the game itself without further opportunities arising through artificial human intervention.

The basic tenet of the game is that the ball should be played as it lies, however it is largely because of human intervention (through architecture, hazards, obstructions and maintenance) that there is a need for this principle to be over-ridden from time-to-time, or the game could simply not proceed.

This is where relief (free or penalty) comes into play: and there are many, many opportunities for this to occur.

So, we need copious rules covering, for instance:

·        When to drop (and when to place);

·        Where to drop;

·        How to drop and by whom; and

·        When to re-drop.

So, let’s have a look at a few implications.

1.    When to drop

Several Rules address this question. Take as an example, Rule 25 (relief from interference by an Abnormal Ground Condition). This Rule proclaims that through the green the ball must be dropped; in a bunker the ball must be dropped; on a teeing ground the ball must be dropped; and yet on the putting green the ball must be placed.

This Rule is, in part, responsible for the incorrect belief held among several experienced officials of whom I am aware that a ball must always be placed on a putting green and may never be dropped. However a close examination of Rules 26 and 28 reveals that there is no distinction between sectors of the course when taking relief, the Rule is silent: the ball must, therefore, always be dropped. So what hope do the punters have?

 

2.    Where to drop

Rules concerning relief are generally very clear on where a ball must be dropped when applying the variety of relief options available. These are (as we are all aware) typically as near as possible to the point where the ball was last played; as far behind the original position of the ball; or one or two clublengths from the point where the ball lay but not nearer to the hole.

The general principle is that in the last case a free drop must be taken within one clublength and a penalty drop must be taken within two clublenghts.

This is all very straight-forward and sensible.

3.    How to drop and by whom

Rule 20-2 describes each of these provisions more than adequately. However, when it comes to the ‘how’ one sees among club golfers beaches of this procedure on a regular basis. In fact if one did not know better one would assume that the dropping Rule had been devised by Rafferty! And no-one seems to care.

 

4.    When to re-drop

This is where the fun starts.  Rule 20-2c makes it quite clear that there are seven circumstances (with a total of 13 sub-sections) which require that a dropped ball be re-dropped.

These are:

c. When to Re-Drop

A dropped ball must be re-dropped, without penalty, if it:

(i)      rolls into and comes to rest in a hazard;

(ii)     rolls out of and comes to rest outside a hazard;

(iii)   rolls onto and comes to rest on a putting green;

(iv)   rolls and comes to rest out of bounds;

(v)   rolls to and comes to rest in a position where there is interference by the condition from which relief was taken under Rule 24-2b (immovable obstruction), Rule 25-1 (abnormal ground conditions), Rule 25-3  (wrong putting green) or a Local Rule (Rule 33-8a), or rolls back into the pitch-mark from which it was lifted under Rule 25-2 (embedded ball);

(vi)   rolls and comes to rest more than two club-lengths from where it first struck a part of the course; or

(vii)  rolls and comes to rest nearer the hole than:

(a) its original position or estimated position (see Rule 20-2b) unless otherwise permitted by the Rules; or

(b) the nearest point of relief or maximum available relief (Rule 24-2, 25-1 or 25-3); or

(c) the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard or lateral water hazard (Rule 26-1).

 

The problem is that these provisions are so complex that only the most tutored player will understand them.

Then there is the added provision that a dropped ball breaching the provisions of Rule 20-2c for a second time must be placed as follows:

If the ball when re-dropped rolls into any position listed above, it must be placed as near as possible to the spot where it first struck a part of the course when re-dropped.

Good luck with the last bit (a nice piece of grass with a bit of elevation is invariably far too attractive)!

 

Permit me to describe two instructive instances entailing Rule 20-2c:

1.    An experienced professional took relief from a lateral water hazard and dropped his ball within two clublengths of the point of entry of the ball into the hazard (26-1c). His ball rolled towards the hazard, but not nearer to the hole than the entry point, such that it was necessary for him to stand in the hazard to play his shot.

He applied the provisions of Rule 20-2c, picked up his ball and re-dropped it.

Result? Penalty of two strokes (Rule 26 does not feature in section (v))!

2.    An experienced professional, playing the final hole of a tournament which he was leading, played his tee shot into a lateral water hazard.  He decided to take relief by dropping his ball ten metres behind the hazard on line with the point of entry and the flagstick.

When he dropped the ball it ran more than two clublengths from the point where it first struck the ground and, in consultation with his fellow-competitor, he picked up his ball and re-dropped it (part (vi)).

When he re-dropped his ball it ran a metre closer to the hole from the point where it first struck the ground. Again in consultation with his fellow-competitor, he picked up his ball and placed it at the point where the re-drop had struck the ground.  He played to the green, two putted and won the tournament.

No-one noticed that he had incurred a two stroke penalty: his re-drop was not nearer to the hole than the original position of the ball ((vii) a) or the point where his ball crossed the hazard margin ((vii) c) and was, therefore, in play. By lifting and placing he played from the wrong place (see Rule 20-7).

There are also those who believe that 20-2c(v) applies to taking relief from an unplayable lie.

 Do not expect the club punter to understand what this is all about, or care that much about it.

 

5.    Speed of play

All of this dropping, redropping, consulting and placing has serious implications for the vexed question of ‘slow play’: the bane of modern golf.

 

6.    Inequity

Consider the following as examples (among the many which could be cited):

A player takes relief from an excellent lie on the fairway because a sprinkler head is interfering with his stance and drops his ball which rolls into a deep divot. Is this equitable or essential to the values of the game? I do not think so.

A player takes relief from an unplayable lie and his dropped ball rolls back into the same lie. Is this equitable and essential to the values of the game? I do not think so.

A player who has lifted his ball from GUR may, prior to dropping the ball, remove loose impediments in the intended dropping area (Decisions 23-1/6 and 23-1/6.5) and yet may not repair a ball (pitch) mark in the same area (Decision 13-2/10). He may remove a detached divot but may not press down a divot partially attached to the ground. I would call this an unacceptably inequitable randomness risk.

 

The solution

Expunge ‘dropping’ from the Rules and in every instance where relief is to be taken, substitute placing of the ball in the position permitted by the relevant Rule.

Such a modification would eliminate all of the negative aspects which dropping introduces into the game without impinging in any material way on the integrity, values or playing of the game.

It will also eliminate a significant number of words from the Rule Book and umpteen Decisions from the Decisions Book.

This reform is productive simplification and is, as they say in the classics, ‘a no-brainer’.