What to do when someone else plays your ball.

[Joe Schmoe]

You tee off and your ball goes in the rough, you have a good visual of where the ball ended but cannot see the ball due to a tree, or the rough itself. As your playing partners tee off you notice someone coming down the next fairway over go to the spot where your ball is and take a swing. You proceed to go to that area and find a ball that is not yours, you assume that the person on the other hole played your ball. Is there any rule that allows you to drop the ball there, or do you have to procedd under the lost ball rule.

 

Does this change if you can somehow verify 100% that the other player hit your ball. either by distinct enough markings on the ball, or retriving the ball from where the other player hit to.

[kklick]

15-3 Wrong Ball

a. Match Play

If a player makes a stroke at a wrong ball that is not in a hazard, he loses the hole.

There is no penalty if a player makes a stroke at a wrong ball in a hazard. Any strokes made at a wrong ball in a hazard do not count in the player’s score.

If the wrong ball belongs to another player, its owner must place a ball on the spot from which the wrong ball was first played.

If the player and opponent exchange balls during the play of a hole, the first to make a stroke at a wrong ball that is not in a hazard, loses the hole; when this cannot be determined, the hole must be played out with the balls exchanged.

b. Stroke Play

If a competitor makes a stroke or Strokes at a wrong ball that is not in a hazard, he incurs a penalty of two strokes.

There is no penalty if a competitor makes a stroke at a wrong ball in a hazard. Any Strokes made at a wrong ball in a hazard do not count in the competitor’s score.

The competitor must correct his mistake by playing the correct ball or by proceeding under the Rules. If he fails to correct his mistake before making a stroke on the next teeing ground, or in the case of the last hole of the round, fails to declare his intention to correct his mistake before leaving the putting green, he is disqualified.

Strokes made by a competitor with a wrong ball do not count in his score.

If the wrong ball belongs to another competitor,its owner must place a ball on the spot from which the wrong ball was first played.

(Lie of ball to be placed or replaced altered — see Rule 20-3b.)

(Spot not determinable — see Rule 20-3c.)

 

Looks like you both should have had to replay the shot from the nearest point of where the ball was with a 2 stroke penalty. You both obviously played the wrong ball. If you would have noticed the ball was not yours before you hit it you could have approaced the other guy and checked the ball. If it was yours place it back where it was and play on with no penalty.

 

Rule 12-2 allows you to pick up and identify any ball not in a hazard.

 

12-2 Identifying Ball

The responsibility for playing the proper ball rests with the player. Each player should put an identification mark on his ball.

Except in a hazard, if a player has reason to believe a ball is his, he may lift the ball without penalty to identify it.

Before lifting the ball, the player must announce his intention to his opponent in match play or his marker or a fellow-competitor in stroke play and mark the position of the ball. He may then lift the ball and identify it provided that he gives his opponent, marker or fellow-competitor an opportunity to observe the lifting and replacement. The ball must not be cleaned beyond the extent necessary for identification when lifted under Rule 12-2. If the player fails to comply with all or any part of this procedure, or if he lifts his ball for identification in a hazard, he incurs a penalty of one stroke.

If the lifted ball is the player’s ball he must replace it. If he fails to do so, he incurs the general penalty for a breach of Rule 12-2, but there is no additional penalty under this Rule.

*Penalty for Breach of Rule 12-2:

Match play — Loss of hole; Stroke play — Two strokes.

*If a player incurs the general penalty for a breach of Rule 12-2, there is no additional penalty under this Rule.

[Joe Schmoe]

If the wrong ball belongs to another competitor,its owner must place a ball on the spot from which the wrong ball was first played.

(Lie of ball to be placed or replaced altered â€â€ see Rule 20-3b.)

(Spot not determinable â€â€ see Rule 20-3c.)

 

I didn't play the wrong ball, I assume the other player played the wrong ball as i saw him play a ball, and when i got to the area, i found a ball that was not mine.

 

It looks like if you can identify your ball, that someone else played you place it where it origanlly was. What is the minimum needed to identify your ball. Just seeing where it landed, or seeing the identifying marks on the ball. Its frustrating because my friend and I do our best to play by the rules, but the other hackers on these public courses think every ball they see is theirs.

[kklick]

Ok I reread the firt post and see you didn't play the wrong ball. If I was pretty sure the other guy played my ball I'd have maked where his ball was and then took it with me and went up them. You have to find a way to be tactful as the opposing party may take offense to you saying they played your ball. If you can identify your ball as the one they played then you should be able to replace it without penalty and contiue on. The other party would then have to take the 2 stroke penalty and finish out from where his ball was.