Whats The Ruling??

While playing in a club fourball yesterday, I was pulled on an unusual point.

Winter rules were in play. After hitting a drive, I ended up just off the fairway on the fringe which was fairly thick. I cleaned and placed the ball. When I adressed the ball and put the club face behind it, the ball moved off the tuft on which I had put it just as I took the club away. If I had continued with the full swing I know I would have missed the ball completely. I stopped and replaced the ball, but was told that I had to incur a penalty stroke. I dont know what the correct ruling is, so accepted the penalty. can anyone tell me whether I was right or wrong in replacing the ball?

Robert

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"Play to your ability, not your expectation"

Hey Rob...

Rule 18-2 b Ball Moving After Address will apply here.

Yes, it's a one stroke penalty and yes, you were right to have replaced it seeing as you hadn't hit it after it moved.

Now, we'll just wait for the lawyers to finish proof reading.............

Cheers

As far as our rules where I live (winter rules)only if your in the fairway you can lift,clean and place.......Anything other than that you play it down, rough, rocks ,fringe ,cactus or take an unplayable...Different rules for different places I guess

It's been pretty dry here for a while now and I can't remember the last time I played "winter rules" might have been 1999 or so......

With Dawg here, in that I would have thought that relief for mud n stuff on the ball would have applied on the playing fairway only and as such, seeing as you missed you might have just played it as it lay...

However, if "they" said through the green, it's all good...

Cheers

Yes, you take a stroke for causing your ball to move. Yes you're allowed to replace it. Had you swung anyway, you would have taken a stroke for causing your ball to move, and have played a really tough shot.