First, the Rules of Golf say that a golfer may take relief, without penalty, from a movable obstruction.  And many out of bounds posts or stakes are movable. But unfortunately if you look at the definition of an obstruction, it’s not great news.  An obstuction is defined like this: 

An “obstruction” is anything artificial, including the artificial surfaces and sides of roads and paths and manufactured ice, except:

a. Objects defining out of bounds , such as walls, fences, stakes and railings;

Now I’ve looked pretty hard through th rules and I don’t see anywhere that contadicts this section so I have  to say that, from what I can see, you get no relief and have to play the ball as it lies.

Now many of you golfers out there may be saying, “Wow this is a basic rule, everyone should have alrady known this. “   And I don’t necessarily disagree with that.  But I welcome this question because I find more and more golfers don’t know the rules, even some of the basiic ones. 

So thank you for this question and I encourage all golfers to know the rules better. 

Know the game and enjoy the game.

In the Golf Magazine article it said that a survey of 15,000 everyday golfers reported that 95 percent of golfers knowlingly break the rules.  It also stated that the Duke student who headed up the study said it was because in their minds, it was not cheating.

So look at a foot wedge that many of us may have used before.  Is that cheating, especially if we claim “winter rules”?  Yes, by the rules of golf, it is cheating.

So is this guy right?  Do we just rationalize it in our own mind?   I believe in most cases that is the case.  In some cases, I think that it is just really ignorance of the Rules of Golf.  But most often, I agree with him, I think we talk ourselves into it.  For a variety of reasons.

First there is the rationalization that it’s just a friendly game with our regular foursome and we all allow each other to improve our lies.  That’s fair and even right?  No, technically, it is cheating; even if we all do it. 

Then there is the one that the idiot that designed the course should never, ever have put that tree (trap, creek, bush, swale, etc) there so we are going to correct his obvious design flaw?  Or what about hitting your ball during a practice swing?  Well, it was just practice so it doesn’t count?

Many reasons why we do it, but we tend to rationalize almost all of them.  But here is what I believe is the more important question.  Is it ok?  Say if it is just a round with friends and we all allow certain things to be ignored.  Is that ok? 

We all probably have very different opinions on this one, but here is mine.  If you can separate the situations from when you are playing competitively against other golfers or where you are going to be in a tournament of any kind, then I believe it’s not a problem.  And I think also that this should be a situation where you don’t turn in your score for handicap purposes.  If all four golfers in your foursome, for example, agree to improve lies in the fairway and there is nothing at stake, then why not I say?

The only problem here is that a lot of golfers can’t separate the two situations.  And the golf purists will argue that cheating is cheating no matter where or when. And I understand their argument.  But I also want to enjoy the game without creating problems. 

And I believe that if you are in any kind of competition, turning in your score card, or playing with a new group, GO STRICTLY BY THE RULES.  And, by the way,  I go by the rules almost all the time.  For me, the exception where we waive the rules is not very often, but it’s a personal choice.

Hope you don’t lynch me on this one, golf nuts.

One of the comments that I have heard that I think sums it up in my mind has to do with the “spirit of the rules”.  I can’t remember who said it, but the commment was something along the lines of “golf is the only sport where there is no spirit of the rules, only the law.”  And my first reaction to that is, I don’t know if that is true, but what is wrong with that?

I mean, the rules are the rules, right?  I don’t know if that statement is correct about the other sports, but it is true about golf and I like that about the game of golf.  You follow the rules and if you don’t, you are penalized.  No maybe or maybe not, let’s talk about it and discuss our feelings about it.

The problem, in my opinion, is that some of the rules probably need to be changed.  Now as unfortunate as it was, and as unfair as it seemed, Dustin Johnson screwed up.  No two ways about it.  He didn’t check with anyone before he hit the shot and he admitted that he didn’t read the notice that was given out to all the golfers.

In this case, I think that what is stupid is to have approximately 1,200 bunkers of which many your own groundskeeper doesn’t know if that are actually bunkers or not!  But that is an entirely different argument.

Back to the rules of golf.  What I think that this past weekend highlighted, to me anyway, is that maybe it is time for the USGA and the R&A to review the rules.  Let me give you a couple of examples.  Go back to the 1968 Masters and Roberto De Vicenzo’s tragic loss because he signed the wrong scorecard.  I just think that, as one of the ESPN guys said, if the Yankees and the Red Sox had an end of the season game to see who was going to the World Series and after the Yankees won it, an official came to the locker room and said, “Oh I’m sorry, your manager signed the wrong score book so the Red Sox are going to the World Series”, you would probably have a nuclear bomb go off.

And the rule that says that if, after addressing the ball, your ball moves, through no fault of the golfer, then you are penalized.   Or even the rule that Johnson broke.  I know a collegiate golfer who was penalized, during a tournament, because after he hit his shot from a lateral water hazard, the ball was still in the water further upstream and he dipped his club in the water to clean it off.

I believe the integrity of the game of golf and that there should be strict enforcement.  But I think that, although Johnson’s situation was unfortunate, but handled correctly, there are a number of rules that need to changed, removed, or rethought.   Let’s take the little bit of insanity out of the rules of golf and shut up all those talking heads who won’t let it go.

The complication comes in when your golf ball is not in its own pitch mark.   In that case, then Rule 13 kicks in, which is play the ball as it lies.  Many golfers I see play winter rules especially when it comes to divots and pitch marks from previous shots.  They roll the ball to a better lie and think nothing about it.  But the bottom line is, if your ball is not in its own pitch mark, you have to play it.

So the question is do you know that your partner’s ball was in its own or another pitch mark.  That’s the complication part.  My experience is that you can usually see or tell which is the case.  But that is really the determining factor in whether relief is allowed or not.

Thanks for the question, and thanks to all you golf nuts for the rules questions.  I am glad to see more and more golfers wanting to understand the rules of golf!

First, Rule 19 is the one that deals with a golf ball in motion stopped or deflected.   Specifically 19-1 says:  If a player’s ball in motion is accidentally deflected or stopped by any outside agency, it is a rub of the green, there is no penalty and the ball must be played as it lies.  There are some exceptions, but they don’t apply in your case.

For those of you who don’t want to look up some of these definitions let me give them to you.  First an outside agency is any item other than your competitors,  your caddie or your partner’s caddie if it is team stroke competition, any ball played by your team, or any equipment of your team.  Now what is a rub of the green in golf? Well it is this situation, when a golf ball in motion is deflected or stopped by an outside agency.

There wasn’t a specific ruling on your exact situation. But reading the rules and also reading Decision 19-1/1 which said that a ball deflected by a direction post is a rub of the green, that pretty much seals it for me.  You are now dealing with a lost golf ball which is another piece of the rules of golf that we won’t go into for now.

Hope this helps and good golfing everyone!

An “obstruction” is anything artificial, including the artificial surfaces and sides of roads and paths and manufactured ice, except:

a. Objects defining out of bounds, such as walls, fences, stakes and railings.

So by the way that I read the rules, the marker that you ball is next to is not an obstruction.  Unless the local Committee has set up some kind of local rule, you do not get relief and the marker would be treated like having to play around a tree or other natural object.

This is one of those rules that sometimes doesn’t make sense. But if we are going to honor the game, we must also honor the rules of golf and just play according to these rules, even the ones that don’t make sense to us.

Until next time, good golfing!

Rule 18-2 says that if a golf ball is in play and if the player, his caddie, or the equipment of the player causes the ball to move, the player incurs a penalty of one stroke.   Now let’s look at the decisions that clarify this.

Decision 18-2a/19 says that when a practice swing on the tee box causes the ball to move, there is no penalty and the golfer can replace the ball on the tee and hit his/her shot?  Why?  Well the ball was not in play.  As simple as that.

However anywhere else on the course, a practice swing that causes the ball to move is in violation of Rule 18-2a and must incur a penalty stroke.  Now one clarification on this ruling.  The practice swing does not count as a stroke in addition to the penalty stroke.  The rules recognize that the golfer was making a practice swing and was not intending to strike the ball.  However the golfer must replace the ball to where it was an incur a penalty of one stroke.

A simple rule that a lot of golfers miss or ignore.  Thanks for the question!

Rule 20-3d says the following:  If a ball when placed fails to come to rest on the spot on which it was placed, there is no penalty and the ball must be replaced. If it still fails to come to rest on that spot:  except in a hazard, it must be placed at the nearest spot where it can be placed at rest that is not nearer the hole and not in a hazard.

So he gets relief, but the problem may be that he may end up farther away from the hole than where he plugged the shot.  Now, the other side of the coin could be that he is farther away but has an easier putt, maybe less break, no slope to deal with etc.

But that is what he is dealing with.  I’d be curious how you guys played it.  Either email me or post the comment here on what you guys did.  This was one that took me a little digging on to make sure that there were no other considerations to look at.  I would guess that most of us golfers would miss this one without some help.

Good golfing!

This has turned out to be an interesting golf rules question because I cannot find an exact answer in the rules anywhere.  So I am going to respond based on my understanding of the rules.   If any of you other golf nuts out there can provide any specifics from The Rules of Golf, please email me at thegolfnut@the-golf-nut.com.  Otherwise here is how I understand the rules.

Rule 27 deals with a ball being out of bounds.  And the definitions in the rules of golf say that a ball is out of bounds when all of it lies out of bounds.  And the only time that I found a rule dealing with a ball coming back into bounds was in Rule 15 dealing with a ball being thrown back into bounds by an outside agency, which did not apply in your case.

As I read it, you proceeded correctly.  First by hitting a provisional golf ball to help speed up play.  And then when you found your golf  ball claiming it as the ball in play.  Now your partner pressed you to play your provisional ball.  And I applaud you for keeping the peace, but from my  understanding of the rules, he was incorrect in his position.

Now one of the things that I do when researching rules questions is to research both the Rules of Golf and all decisions related to a particular rule or set of rules. And as I said earlier, I didn’t find anything that, in particular, addressed your situation.  I researched Rule 27 (Ball Lost or Out of Bounds), Rule 19 (Ball in Motion Deflected or Stopped), and Rule 13 (Ball Played As It Lies).

So I am comfortable that you should have been able to play your original golf ball once found.  And that is assuming that you found it within the 5 minute timeframe that the rules allow.  But as I said earlier, if any of you golfers out there reading this find something different, don’t hesitate to let me know.

Good golfing.

Well, I won’t ask exactly how you bent your club, but I hope you learned your lesson on that one.  But as to the Rules of Golf on your question, let’s take a look at it.

It’s an interesting question that you asked.  Rule 4-3 of the Rules of Golf deals with damaged golf clubs.  The rules say first of all that if a golf club is damaged in the normal course of play, the golfer may continue to play with the club or repair it if that doesn’t unduly delay play.  Now the clarification on this question comes to the definition of “normal course of play”.

And hitting the ground in anger does not fall under “normal course of play”.  Now what the rules say about this is the following: If a club is damaged not in the normal course of play and if the damage makes the club non conforming or changes the playing characteristics, the club must be replaces or not used.

From what you told me, I would say that you did not break the rules.  I didn’t find anything that indicated that a slightly bent shaft would make it non conforming or change the playing characteristics.  So my thought is that you are free and clear on this rules question.  But it could get expensive for you to keep playing golf if you keep that up.

Good golfing to all you golf nuts!

I think this is ok, but wanted to see what the rules say about this. If you golf ball ends up in a pile of junk like leaves, pine straw, twigs, small branches, it’s ok to move all of that stuff out before you hit your next shot isn’t it?

Well let’s look at this from two perspectives. We will look at what the Rules of Golf say and there is also a good golf tip in this topic as well.

First for the Rules of Golf. Rule 23-1 states “Except when both the loose impediment and the ball lie in or touch the same hazard, any loose impediment may be removed without penalty.” So, you might ask, what is a loose impediment? Here you go:

“Loose impediments” are natural objects including: stones, leaves, twigs, branches and the like. The definition also includes dung and worms, insects and the like, and the casts and heaps made by them. These items qualify as loose impediments provided they are not:

· fixed or growing,
· solidly embedded, or
· adhering to the ball.

Sand and loose soil are loose impediments on the putting green, but not elsewhere. Snow and natural ice, other than frost, are either casual water or loose impediments, at the option of the player. Dew and frost are not loose impediments.

You also want to bear in mind the other part of Rule 23-1— If the ball lies anywhere other than on the putting green and the removal of a loose impediment by the player causes the ball to move, Rule 18-2a applies. Rule 18-2a basically states that you must replace your ball and incur a one stroke penalty. So be careful when you moving loose impediments.

Now here is a tip that you might not think about that much. The first part is common sense, but may not be common practice. Doing a little extra clean up around your golf ball gives you a much better chance at a good shot. It’s easier to get solid contact with the golf club on the ball when you don’t have all that trash around your ball.

I see golfers that move big stuff out of the way of their golf swing, but don’t clean up much around the golf ball itself. Or they just move the one or two big pieces around the golf ball. And not only is it simple mechanics that you can get better contact, but I also think that it helps you mentally.

There is something a little intimidating about trying to get your golf club on the ball when it’s not sitting cleanly on that sweet, short fairway grass. A little extra clean up helps you relax and, as I’ve said many times, relaxation is key to tempo which is key to a good golf swing.

Now one final comment in light of the rule discussed above. It doesn’t take much to accidentally cause your ball to move. So you may want to do a little practice on this. In fact, I read about a golfer who used to have a little contest with his teammates, sort of like pick up sticks. They would set up a bunch of debris around their golf balls and see who could remove the most stuff without their ball moving. Not a bad idea.

]]> http://www.the-golf-nut.com/golf-nut-question-debris-golf.html/feed 0 http://www.the-golf-nut.com/drop-golf-shot.html http://www.the-golf-nut.com/drop-golf-shot.html#comments Fri, 10 Apr 2009 09:23:17 +0000 David Stargel http://174.132.76.219/~dstargel/?p=579 Golf Nut, on a par 4 I hit my second shot over a water hazard (yellow stakes) onto the green side of the hazard but off to the left, well clear of the hazard and playable. In trying to chip my third shot onto the green I shanked it back into the water. Do I have the option to play the golf ball from my original position left of the green and in front of the hazard, or am I forced to take the second option of a drop behind the hazard?

Ok, first let’s look at what the Rules of Golf say about your options. Rule 26 and specifically 26-1 deals with relief for a golf ball in a water hazard. And one of the nuances of this rule that some golfers miss is the following: “In order to apply this Rule, it must be known or virtually certain that the ball is in the hazard.” That quote is direct from the Rules of Golf. If you are not sure, you proceed under the rules for a lost ball. I’ve seen a number of golfers take a drop after mumbling ” Well, I’m pretty sure it went into the hazard”.

Now since your shot did go into the hazard, your two primary options are to: 1. play the golf ball from where you hit the previous shot with a one stroke penalty or 2. Drop a ball behind the hazard. To take option two, you mark the point at which your shot crossed the edge of the water hazard and then you can drop your ball anywhere backwards on a line directly behind that spot and the hole. So in almost all cases this means you draw a line from the golf hole to the spot your ball entered the hazard and drop on that line on the far side of the hazard. And you can go back as far as you need to.

One other option can apply if the ball last crossed the margin of a lateral water hazard, you can drop a ball outside the water hazard within two club-lengths of and not nearer the hole than (i) the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard or (ii) a point on the opposite margin of the water hazard equidistant from the hole.

Now to your specific golf situation where your original shot was nearer to the hole than the hazard. Decision 26-1/6 ruled that if your shot was hit into the water hazard from the putting green side of the hazard, you can play from the spot of the original shot under the stroke and distance penalty.

And that is probably the best option in this case. Unless you just want to hit it over the water hazard one more time for practice.

Good luck and good golfing!

Well this question brings a couple of different thoughts to mind. The first one is addressing the issue of artificially warming your golf balls. There is not a specific rule about warming your golf balls. Rule 14-2 deals with artificial devices and unusual equipment. It states that

The player must not use any artificial device or unusual equipment, or use any equipment in an unusual manner:

a. That might assist him in making a stroke or in his play; or
b. For the purpose of gauging or measuring distance or conditions that might affect his play; or
c. That might assist him in gripping the club, except that:
(i) plain gloves may be worn;
(ii) resin, powder and drying or moisturizing agents may be used; and
(iii) a towel or handkerchief may be wrapped around the grip.

Now decision 14-3/13.5 does talk specifically golf balls artificially warmed. It says “Use of a ball that has been purposely warmed during a stipulated round with an artificial device constitutes a breach of Rule 14-3.” Now interestingly it also says that it is not a breach to use a ball that has been artificially warmed prior to the round.

Nothing that I saw or read says that keeping a golf ball in your pocket during a round would be considered “artificially warming the ball”.

Now the second thought that came to mind had to do with using the golf ball that you have been keeping in your pocket. You need to bear in mind the rules require you to finish a hole with the ball that you started the hole with unless the ball is lost or becomes unfit for play. And you must play the entire round with the same type of golf ball. Just be careful not to get yourself in trouble when substituting a ball during a round.

Good golfing to all you golf nuts out there!

Sometimes when you are checking the rules of golf, you have to dig a little to get an answer. In the official rules of golf there is a section for each rule called decisions. This is where the USGA has made a ruling on a particular or unusual situation that has come up on the golf course. Your question is answered in one of these decisions.
Decision 15-1/2 addresses this situation. It states that if it cannot be determined that you switched balls during the play of a hole, you get the benefit of the doubt. As a result the Rules of Golf treat this particular situation just like you had accidentally switched balls without realizing between holes rather than during play of a particular golf hole. So no
penalty is imposed on you or your partner.
This is a situation that you don’t see that much with the Golf Rules. What I would call a little compassion and understanding. So many times, the rules are unbending, even with inadvertent mistakes. So thank the golf gods on this one and thanks for the question!

Obstructions are covered in Rule 24 of The Rules of Golf. Now the interesting thing that a lot of golfers miss is the definition of what an obstruction is, whether movable or immovable. A golfer may take relief from both a movable and immovable obstruction under varying circumstances. But the key is the definition of an obstruction: An “obstruction” is anything artificial, including the artificial surfaces and sides of roads and paths and manufactured
ice.
So a tree doesn’t qualify as an obstruction. As I understand the rules, it is part of the course and you must find a way to play around it.
Now the second part of what your golf buddy did is interesting and I couldn’t find an exact rule on it but here is how I interpret the rules. The rule says that a player may not take relief under this rule if interference by a immovable obstruction would occur only through an unusually abnormal swing. So he loses on both counts as I read the rules.
Thanks for the question and good golfing.

The answer to this golf rules question is not if he is penalized or not, because he is. The question is really how much. Let me explain what I mean by that.
Rule 15-3 deals with playing the wrong golf ball. 15-3b deals with what happens if this occurs during stroke play. You didn’t indicate, but I am assuming that you were playing stroke play and not match play. First if he makes a stroke or strokes at a wrong ball, he is penalized two strokes. This rule also states that if the golfer doesn’t correct his mistake before the next tee, he is disqualified. So part of the answer depends on when he started using the wrong golf ball, which it appears that you guys didn’t know.
Decision 15-1/3 deals with this situation, the golfer doesn’t know when he started playing the wrong golf ball. And it clearly says that under Rule 15-3, unless the golfer can verify that he started playing the wrong golf ball on the current hole, he is disqualified. Decision 15-1/3 clarifies some other scenarios around this but the end result is the same. Difficult ruling to say the least.
Now, for me, unless we were in tournament play, obviously I would let him keep playing and probably assess two strokes. But if you guys were in a big golf tournament or one of the competitors decided to enforce the rules, your buddy is fresh out of luck.
Thanks for the question and good golfing.

An interesting question because I have also seen this done before. You see it a lot on the driving range, but what about on the golf course during an actual round? Well, yes I have seen it done on tee boxes and I didn’t think anything about it the first few times that I saw golfers doing this.
But here is what the Rules of Golf say about this. Rule 8 deals with Advice: Indicating line of play. Now if you look specifically at Rule 8-2a, here is what it says: Except on the putting green, a player may have the line of play indicated to him by anyone, but no one may be positioned by the player on or close to the line or an extension of the line beyond the hole while the stroke is being made. Any mark placed by the player or with his knowledge to indicate the line must be removed before the stroke is made.
Now when I read this, it doesn’t seem to talk about a golf club laying on the ground. It says that no “one”, I assume meaning a person, can be positioned by the golfer during the stroke and any mark must be removed. So what is the problem with a golf club lying on the ground. This rule seem to indicate that you are ok.
But you also have to look a little deeper in the rules and look at Decision 8-2a/1. This decision says that the golfer can lay the club on the ground to help with his alignment as long as he picks it up before playing his stroke. Otherwise it is a violation of Rule 8-2a noted above. Now it doesn’t explain exactly why it is a violation, but it clearly states what you can or cannot do.
So it is not legal to do what your buddy is doing. Hope you won the bet!
Good golfing.

I like this question because it addresses not only this situation, but some situations where I see golfers applying this ruling incorrectly on a very regular basis. So let me answer your golf rules question and address the other situation as well.
Let’s look at Rule 24 of the Rules Of Golf which deals with obstructions. This rule states that “Interference by an immovable obstruction occurs when a ball lies in or on the obstruction, or when the obstruction interferes with the player’s stance or the area of his intended swing.” So in your case the cart path interferes with the area of your intended swing.
Sounds like you get relief. Let’s make sure by reviewing what an obstruction is. According to the Rules of Golf:
An “obstruction” is anything artificial, including the artificial surfaces and sides of roads and paths and manufactured ice, except out of bounds markers and any immovable obstruction that is out of bounds.
So the cart path is an immovable obstruction and you are entitled to relief. That is the first part of this. The second part of this has to do with how golfers mess this one up. Many golfers, whether intentionally or not, take a lot of natural objects like trees and shrubs and count them as immovable obstructions and take relief. It may sound surprising, but I see this happen quite a bit.
Remember that an obstruction is anything artificial. So you don’t get relief from trees, shrubs etc. And the next time one of the golfers in your foursome tries it, you can call him on it if you want to or need to.
Good golfing and have fun.

Well I must admit that this is the first time that I have received this question on the rules of golf. And I agree that a hole in one might have been an easier golf shot to accomplish.
It looks like you made the correct ruling as I understand the applicable section of the rules of golf. Rule 19 is the rule that involves a golf ball in motion deflected or stopped. The general ruling on Rule 19 says that any golf ball in motion that is accidentally deflected or stopped by an outside agency is played as it ends up or “as it lies”
Now what is an outside agency. Well in stroke play (assuming you weren’t in a match play golf competition at the time) it is any agency except your competitors, their caddies, or any golf ball played by them on that particular golf hole.
Now Rule 19-5b. specifically addresses a ball in motion deflected by another golf ball and says that your ball should be played as it lies. So, unfortunately, your golf ball ended up in the water and that is how you must play it. Very strange and very unfortunate, but you played it correctly by the Rules of Golf.
Now I hope that you get that hole in one or at least bought a lottery ticket that very same day. Good golfing!

You really have two golf questions here so let’s take them one at a time. The Rules of Golf clearly state in Rule 3-2 that if any golfer fails to hole out and does not correct his mistake before he makes a stroke on the next tee, then he is disqualified. That, plain and simple, is the rule.
However, since you are a beginner, let me add this. I have only seen this enforced in tournament play. All golfers that I know and play with allow a frustrated partner to pick up and move on to the next hole. We have all been there where we just can’t seem to mentally finish a golf hole and the best thing for our round is to pick up and start again on the next tee. It’s technically against the rules but most golfers do it.
Now as to the recorded score. If you are following the rules, it’s a moot point because you are disqualified. However, the handicap system addresses this issue of what is the correct score to record. And this is how the golf groups that I play with handle this.
First, the USGA handicap system states: “If a player does not finish a hole or is conceded a stroke, record the most likely score for handicap purposes. A most likely score is the number of strokes already taken, plus in the golfer’s best judgment, the number of strokes needed to complete the hole from that point more than half the time.”
Second, the handicap system has a maximum score that a player should record on a hole when he scores a number significantly higher than normal. It is based upon his/her handicap. So when someone scores an 8, 9, 10, 11 etc. the score that they should record for turning in the card for their handicap goes as follows:
Handicap————Score to Record
9 or less———— Double Bogey
10-19———————7
20-29———————8
30-39———————9
40 and above————–10
Most golfers I know just use the above handicap rule and tell them to record a double through 10 depending on their handicap when a golfer picks up. It keeps it easy and consistent. So your buddy was wrong that the highest you can record is an 8.
Thank you for the question and good golfing.

It seems kind of crazy doesn’t it? Can you invoke this rule to end up closer to the hole than where your last golf shot landed? Well the answer is, actually, yes.
Rule 28 deals with a “ball unplayable”. And the rule reads “The player may deem his ball unplayable at any place on the course, except when the ball is in a water hazard.” And the rules state that the golfer is the person that makes the call on declaring the golf ball unplayable.
So this golf rule implies that the answer to your question is yes. But I still was wondering the same thing that you were. So I wanted to double check. And in the rules of golf, there are things called decisions. These are situations and questions that clarify interpretations of the rules. And one of these answers your question.
Decision 28/8 discusses a golf ball striking an object and landing farther away from the hole. And it says that, yes, a golfer may declare his golf ball unplayable in this situation.
Thanks for the question and enjoy the upcoming golf season!

Well let’s address the bigger golf ball at rest moved question as a part of your answer. Rule 18-1 of the Rules Of Golf states “If a ball at rest is moved by an outside agency, there is no penalty and the ball must be replaced.” Now here is the definition of an outside agency: An “outside agency’’ is any agency not part of the match or, in stroke play, not part of the competitor’s side, and includes a referee, a marker, an observer and a forecaddie. Neither wind nor water is an outside agency. So a golf ball moved by the wind should not be replaced.
Now there are a lot of variations to when a ball is moved, such as the ball moving after the golfer has addressed it, the golf ball moved as part of measuring, etc. But in your case, it appears to be straight forward. Since wind is not an outside agency, and you were not addressing the ball, the ball is played where it ends up after being moved by the wind.
I have seen golfers think that they needed to move their golf ball back to where it was before the wind moved it. But if they move it back and play it from the spot where it was before the wind affected it, it is actually a two stroke penaly. Yes, TWO strokes golfers, so pay attention here.
Decision 18-2a/7 states that if a golfer replaces his golf ball moved by the wind he “incurred one penalty stroke under Rule 18-2a, and, before playing his next stroke, he should have replaced the ball on the spot where it came to rest after being moved by the wind. If he did not do so, he incurred a total penalty of two strokes”
Let’s clarify. Rule 18-2a states that if a golfer moves his ball, except as permitted by the rules, he incurs a one stroke penalty. Now having moved his ball back when it was not moved by an outside agency, he incurs that penalty stroke. But if he doesn’t correct the error, he is playing his next shot from the wrong place and incurs a penalty stroke under Rule 20-7a(ii).
It can be confusing, but a good question. I hope this clears it up for all of you golf nuts out there!

Here is a summary of the major changes for 2008:
1. A golfer will be allowed to lift a ball for identification in a bunker or water hazard. However there now will be a two-stroke penalty for playing the wrong golf ball from a hazard. You will incur loss of the hole in match play.
2. Rule 24-1 was amended to allow a flagstick, whether attended or not, to be moved when a golf ball is in motion.
3. Rule 16-1e was changed to say that no penalty is incurred if standing astride or on the Line of Putt if the act was inadvertant or to avoid standing on another golfer’s line of putt.
So there was not that much changed this year. Several definitions and clarifications were done, but I won’t bore you with the details.
I just encourage all golfers to know and apply the rules of golf. It is one of the things that makes golf great and also makes it unique: that the participant calls their own penalties. So make sure that no one in your foursome has to call you on something that you don’t call on yourself. Know the rules and enjoy the game of golf to the max!!
The Golf Nut

Let’s look at the rule on this. The rule that addresses this is 24-2. First, interference by an immovable obstruction happens when your golf ball lies in or on the obstruction, or when the obstruction interferes with the your stance or the area of your intended swing. Now in the case that you described, it appears the that fence (which is an immovable obstruction by the way) interferes with his swing.
So normally the golfer would be entitled to relief (a free drop) in this situation. But you need to also check on the following:
1. The nearest point of relief cannot be in hazard under this rule.
2. The golfer may not take relief under this rule if interference by an immovable obstruction would occur only through use of an unnecessarily abnormal stance, swing or direction of play.
Based on what you have told me, whoever the golfer was (I hope you didn’t have money riding on him not being able to drop) would be entitled to a drop as I understand your question.
Good golfing!

This is a golf rule that a lot of golfers get confused about. And reading the rules of golf on this one takes a little thinking through. I can’t say for sure who is right based on what you told me, but here is how I read the rules.
You cannot just abandon the ball that you hit into the heavy brush because you think that it’s out of bounds. However, you can declare that ball unplayable and drop and hit from the original spot. In this case you are not playing a provisional ball because you have declared your golf ball unplayable immediately. This is from Decision 28/1 under Rule 28.
Now if you called the second shot a provisional ball, then you would have to attempt to locate the first shot and have it either not found or declare it unplayable when you found it.
So you could play the shot that ended up on the green under two conditions. One, you called the second ball that you hit from the original spot a provisional ball and the original ball was lost or out of bounds. This is under Rule 27. Or, two, you declared it unplayable immediately and did not call the second ball a provisional.
It’s a little confusing, but I hope that this helps.