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Comment
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Jim Marien
Oct 20, 07 - 2:01 PM |
Question About The Leaf Rule
This time of year we envoke the "Leaf Rule". This rule allows a free drop if your shot is within the tree line but can't be found due to the leaves that abound on the course.
Here's a situation that occurred this weekend : A player hit his second shot down the right on #8, obviously to the left of the trees on the right. When arriving at the spot the player thought his ball may have come to rest, he looked for his ball for a few minutes and was unable to find it. He took a drop under the "Leaf Rule". After hitting his shot, he walked ahead about 15 yards and then found his original ball.
So -- the question is : If you take a drop under the "Leaf Rule" and then find your original ball which ball should be deemed in play ?
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Tournament Director
Oct 21st, 2007 - 3:39 PM |
Re: Question About The Leaf Rule
I would suggest that you play the second ball as a provisional and announce your intentions to your group. From that point on, your decisions are determined by the provisional rules. If you do not declare it a provisional, there is no penalty, but your original is out of play.
If you play a provisional and find the original, you must abandon the provisional, and play the original.
I will ask John to verify this in the "Rules of Golf".
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Jim Marien
Oct 22nd, 2007 - 5:27 AM |
Re: Re: Question About The Leaf Rule
Declaring the ball a provisional under the "Leaf Rule" would be an option. However, the "Leaf Rule" is a local rule and not in the rules of golf. It would be up to the club to determine how they want to apply the "Leaf Rule" when the original ball is found after playing the free drop. As I see it, there are only two options :
1. As you suggested, you would need to declare every ball dropped under the "Leaf Rule" as a provisional ball just in case you find your original ball after playing the dropped ball.
2. Rather than requiring a declaration of a provisional ball, simply state that the original ball is in play if found after playing the dropped ball under the "Leaf Rule".
Either way would work. The really important point is that a definite decision needs to be made in this matter. The club members can then be told how to proceed in this situation, preferably by making a note in the Newsletter.
There will certainly be other times when a player looks for his ball in the wrong spot, takes a drop under the "Leaf Rule", and then finds his original ball. Just let us all know what you decide.
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John Nowobilski
Oct 22nd, 2007 - 7:30 AM |
Re: Question About The Leaf Rule
Jim, Real good question. Rather than quote ME I will find the decision and email it to the site. It will come from the USGA Rules Decisions. JN
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Rich Reggero
Oct 25th, 2007 - 11:06 AM |
Re: Re: Question About The Leaf Rule
Hope this helps:
"25-1c/2.5 Ball Dropped Under Rule 25-1c with Reasonable Evidence; Original Ball Then Found
Q. A player’s ball is struck towards a large area of casual water. There is reasonable evidence that the player’s ball is lost in the casual water and the player drops a ball under Rule 25-1c. Before he plays the dropped ball, his original ball is found within the five-minute search period. What is the ruling?
A. The player had reasonable evidence that his ball was lost in casual water when he put the substituted ball into play and, therefore, that ball was correctly substituted and he may not play the original ball.
If the original ball was found in the casual water and this discovery affects the reference point for proceeding under Rule 25-1c, resulting in the substituted ball having been dropped in a wrong place, the player must correct the error under Rule 20-6 and drop a ball under Rule 25-1c with respect to the correct reference point. Otherwise, Rule 20-6 does not apply, and the player must continue play with the dropped ball. In either case, the player incurs no penalty.
If the original ball was found outside the casual water, the player must continue play with the dropped ball without penalty.
The same answer would apply if there is reasonable evidence that the player’s ball is lost in any other abnormal ground condition or an obstruction (Rule 24-3). (New)"
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Jim Marien
Oct 25th, 2007 - 11:53 AM |
Re: Re: Re: Question About The Leaf Rule
So : If you drop a ball under the leaf rule and play the dropped ball, it becomes the ball in play. You don't have to declare it as a provisional. Also, if you take the drop and before playing the dropped ball you see your original, then you original is in play. Am I reading you correctly ?
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Jim Marien
Oct 25th, 2007 - 11:56 AM |
Re: Re: Re: Question About The Leaf Rule
Oopps !! I read the rule wrong. Once you drop the ball it becomes the ball in play.
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Rich Reggero
Oct 26th, 2007 - 1:09 PM |
Re: Question About The Leaf Rule
The way I'm interpreting this is that once you declare a ball lost due to the "leaf rule," and drop a replacement, the replacement becomes the ball in play UNLESS the point you dropped is wrong (i.e. closer to the hole). Then you must play the original.
John?
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Jim Marien
Oct 27th, 2007 - 4:18 AM |
Re: Re: Question About The Leaf Rule
Since it's a local rule, the "Committee" can establish the rule any way they so desire. I think your interpretation would be the way to go.
Once you drop the ball it becomes the ball in play. If the original ball is found after the drop or after you've played the dropped ball and the dropped ball was closer to the hole then you must abandon the dropped ball and play the original.
Once you've made a final determination of how to proceed please publish your results in the newsletter so that all club memebers will know the procedure.
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