Questions on etiquette and rules of golf
By RCGA national rules officials Kay Thompson and Bruce Watson/Tely Junior Golf Tour
Question: It used to be that if I had addressed the ball and it moved, it was my fault and I got a one-stroke penalty and I had to replace it. Then a couple of years ago they changed it so that if it was clearly evident that I did not cause the ball to move I didn’t get penalized even though I had addressed my ball. Now I hear that the rule has changed again. I am confused. Would you please clarify this for me?
Answer: The rule in question, 18-2, has evolved over the past few years. In 2012 an exception to Rule 18-2b was introduced which stated that “if it is known or virtually certain that the player did not cause his ball to move, Rule 18-2b does not apply.”
In other words, if it was evident that the wind or some other physical condition caused the ball to move after address the player was not penalized. However, if there was any doubt as to whether or not the player caused his ball to move, he would incur the one-stroke penalty.
With the Jan. 1, 2016 changes, the former Rule 18-2b – Ball Moving after Address, was eliminated. The exception has now been extended to cover all situations where a ball at rest moves. Who, or what, caused the ball to move is based on the facts of the particular situation such as where the ball was at rest, the proximity of the player to the ball, the player’s actions prior to the ball moving, time elapsed between the player’s actions and the time that the ball moved. Every situation is going to be a little different and some discretion is needed in determining whether or not the player was responsible for the ball moving. The fact that his actions may be accidental rather than deliberate does not exempt him from penalty.
If you wish to further investigate this Rule we suggest that you read Decision 18-2/0.5. It provides examples of situations where the weight of evidence would indicate that the player caused the ball to move and situations where the weight of evidence would indicate that the player did not cause the ball to move. If it is more likely than not that the player caused his ball to move, then he incurs the penalty.
Email your Etiquette/Rules question to bwatson@telytour.