Golf rule question

[judgesmails]

I am an absolutist when it comes to recording my golf score.

I never take a "mulligan," never give myself a putt, and play by all the rules to the best of my knowledge. However, I am not a rules expert and need some help on recording my score on a hole I played yesterday.

This may come across as bragging, and I suppose it is, as I could tell the story without these self-aggrandizing details - but I chose not to.

The hole in question, the 14th at Desert Pines in Las Vegas, was playing at 285 yds and a par 4. I chose to hit a 3-wood as I was concerned a driver would be too much and I have hit this green with my 3-wood on other occasions. I crushed my 3-wood and my ball landed just to the right of the green and rolled a little long (yeah, thats right - 285 yd carry with a 3-wood).

As I was waiting for others in my group to hit their approach shots, a player from an adjacent hole drove by my ball and picked it up. All the players in my group witnessed the theft. I drove over to him and told him I saw him pick up my ball and asked him for it back and to help me place it back in the original location.

He was a drunken yahoo who was probably on his first or second ever visit to a golf course. He denied taking my ball even though I could see his golf partners were extremely embarassed and he was so obviously lying. Since I did not feel like getting in a fight over a $3 golf ball, I blew it off and dropped as close to spot I witnessed him steal my ball from.

I chipped to 2 feet and made the putt. What score should I record?

It was not practical for me to return to the tee to hit 3 from there as there were 2 groups backed up on the tee wating.

This sort of things happens often on public golf courses. What is the proper way to score these situations?

[MoreWineII]

18-1/1 Treating Ball as Moved by Outside Agency Rather Than Lost

To treat a ball which cannot be found as moved by an outside agency rather than lost (Rule 27), there must be reasonable evidence to that effect. All available testimony should be considered. In the absence of such evidence, the ball must be treated as lost.

In your case, I think you'd be entitled to a drop in a spot where your witnessses agreed the ball had come to rest.

[fingokra]

If you and your playing companions saw him pick the ball up, you get a free drop. Your score should be a 3. If not it is a lost ball and you go back to the tee yada, yada.

[HDPM]

Nice birdie.

Clearly he is an outside agency, as the rule posted above speaks of. You need to feel less guilt. I think since you are an absolutist you should get the decisions on the rules of golf book. I don't have it, but have thought about getting it. You will know when you can take relief, etc... Go through the rules and decisions because if you are driving yourself nuts over this ruling, you will undoubedly drive yourself nuts over other stuff.:p


P.S. You may find the rules quizzes on the usga website amusing too.

[kyro]

I give myself a 3. I don't see any reason why anyone would care.

[tech]

[ QUOTE ]
I am an absolutist when it comes to recording my golf score. I never take a "mulligan," never give myself a putt, and play by all the rules to the best of my knowledge.

[/ QUOTE ]

Note to self: "Never play golf with judgesmails." /images/graemlins/tongue.gif