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The rules of golf are tough! Fortunately, we have a guru. Our Rules The man knows the book from front to back. Got the question? He has all the answers.
On a stroke play outing, my playing partner fired his third shot at par 4 from 20 yards. There was a man already standing on the green, oblivious. a surprise! The course was offline but he bounced off his foot into the hole. My partner claimed this counted as a bird. truly? – Paul Potts, Tampa, Florida.
The Rules Guy is not a basketball buff, but we know that in a HORSE practice game, one should call the bank shots beforehand. In golf, according to Rule 11.1, the ball is played from the golf course when it is accidentally deflected because it falls without penalty.
Ergo, this offline shot proved spot-on, as the ball was, indeed, penetrating.
For more rebounding advice from our expert, read on…
A few weeks ago, I made a perfect par 3 slam shot…but our club put 2 inches of pool noodles in the holes for COVID-19 reasons, and the ball bounced. Our club pro said he was an ace. The State Golf Association said it likely would be, but after not seeing it suggested I speak with fellow players. They all agreed that the ball went straight into the hole. Do you agree that it’s a hole in one (with an asterisk)? Dennis Doherty, Lexington, Kentucky.
Dennis, there are no pictures on the scorecard, no asterisks, question marks, or parallelograms…. The USGA has not changed its guidance In terms of when the ball is considered holed.
It should be, yes, penetrating…or with limited exception as it is resting on a flagpole with part of the ball below the surface.
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Otherwise, sorry, you have to play, pasta or not.
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