Model Local Rule B3

[Axiom]

This is the second paragraph of Model Local Rule B3:

 

In playing the provisional ball, the player may use the stroke-and-distance relief option (see Rule 17.1d(1), the back-on-the-line relief option (see Rule 17.1d(2)) or, if it is a red penalty area, the lateral relief option (see Rule 17.1d(3)). If a dropping zone (see Model Local Rule E-1) is available for this penalty area, the player may also use that relief option.

 

I'm unclear as to how a player would play a provisional under 17.1d(2) of 17.1d(3). What would be the situation and procedure?

[Augster]

B3 is about offering the use of a provisional ball option in lieu of red or yellow PA options. Or in addition to. B3 is mostly used for PA’s that you can’t see over and you would have to walk all the way around it, and back, to play correct golf. 
 

PA (small lake) in front of the tee box with a 210 carry. From the tee box, you can’t see the landing area due to the rushes on the other side of the PA. The player hits his drive and doesn’t know if he cleared it or not. 
 

Without B3 in play, and the player doesn’t want to give up on his original ball as it may have made it over or it may almost be over the PA and playable inside the PA, the player would have to walk all the way around and look for his ball. If he didn’t find it, he’d have to walk all the way back and either take PA relief on the tee box side of the PA or take stroke and distance and rehit from the tee. 
 

With B3 in place, giving a provisional ball as an option, same drive, the player could announce a provisional and hopefully put that in play. Then when the player walks all the way around the PA he can either play the original ball, inside or outside the PA, or take the provisional ball if his original ball isn’t found or is found inside the PA and he doesn’t want to play it. 
 

What B3 does is remove the other options once the provisional option is used. In this situation if the player’s ball is found inside the PA and it is determined he could have taken 2 CL red relief across the PA based on ball flight etc., he no longer has that option once the provisional ball is put into play. 

[Colin L]

6 hours ago, Axiom said:

This is the second paragraph of Model Local Rule B3:

 

In playing the provisional ball, the player may use the stroke-and-distance relief option (see Rule 17.1d(1), the back-on-the-line relief option (see Rule 17.1d(2)) or, if it is a red penalty area, the lateral relief option (see Rule 17.1d(3)). If a dropping zone (see Model Local Rule E-1) is available for this penalty area, the player may also use that relief option.

 

I'm unclear as to how a player would play a provisional under 17.1d(2) of 17.1d(3). What would be the situation and procedure?

Normally,  if you know or are virtually certain your ball is in a penalty area, you can't play a provisional ball.  That's  because you have to  proceed under Rule 17.1d  with its various options.

 

If, however,  a particular penalty area meets the following conditions, MLR B3 allows you exceptionally to play a provisional ball:

     - the area is  such that if you can't find your ball outside the PA it must be in it  

        (for example where the ground  around It is closely mown and your ball would be clearly visible on it);

     - you can't  tell whether your ball has gone in it or not until you get to  the far side;  and  

     - it would be very time consuming to have players to go back  to take relief if it turned out the ball was in the PA.

 

The ball under this Local Rule is played provisionally in case your original ball is in the penalty area.  Consequently all the relief options for a ball in a penalty area are available.

 

Does that make sense? 

 

 

 

[Axiom]

5 hours ago, Augster said:

B3 is about offering the use of a provisional ball option in lieu of red or yellow PA options. Or in addition to. B3 is mostly used for PA’s that you can’t see over and you would have to walk all the way around it, and back, to play correct golf. 
 

PA (small lake) in front of the tee box with a 210 carry. From the tee box, you can’t see the landing area due to the rushes on the other side of the PA. The player hits his drive and doesn’t know if he cleared it or not. 
 

Without B3 in play, and the player doesn’t want to give up on his original ball as it may have made it over or it may almost be over the PA and playable inside the PA, the player would have to walk all the way around and look for his ball. If he didn’t find it, he’d have to walk all the way back and either take PA relief on the tee box side of the PA or take stroke and distance and rehit from the tee. 
 

With B3 in place, giving a provisional ball as an option, same drive, the player could announce a provisional and hopefully put that in play. Then when the player walks all the way around the PA he can either play the original ball, inside or outside the PA, or take the provisional ball if his original ball isn’t found or is found inside the PA and he doesn’t want to play it. 
 

What B3 does is remove the other options once the provisional option is used. In this situation if the player’s ball is found inside the PA and it is determined he could have taken 2 CL red relief across the PA based on ball flight etc., he no longer has that option once the provisional ball is put into play. 

Yes, there were two questions. When and how to play the provisional back on the line and laterally.  You've given a pretty good example of back on the line.

Edit: As a secondary question, if the player played a provisional ball from the tee when he gets to where he thinks his ball might be, he sees it in the lateral hazard, but decides not to play it. Instead he drops and plays a ball under 17.1d(3). What is the ruling?

 

Edited September 11, 2021 by Axiom

[rogolf]

1 hour ago, Axiom said:

Yes, there were two questions. When and how to play the provisional back on the line and laterally.  You've given a pretty good example of back on the line.

Edit: As a secondary question, if the player played a provisional ball from the tee when he gets to where he thinks his ball might be, he sees it in the lateral hazard, but decides not to play it. Instead he drops and plays a ball under 17.1d(3). What is the ruling?

 

Imo, he would be playing a substituted ball from a wrong place.  Model Local Rule B-3 only gives him two choices - play the original ball as it lies or play the provisional.

[rogolf]

Just now, rogolf said:

Imo, he would be playing a substituted ball from a wrong place.  Model Local Rule B-3 only gives him two choices - play the original ball as it lies or play the provisional - it's quite generous as it is.

 

[Axiom]

17 minutes ago, rogolf said:

Imo, he would be playing a substituted ball from a wrong place.  Model Local Rule B-3 only gives him two choices - play the original ball as it lies or play the provisional - it's quite generous as it is.

So would he be lying 3, the same as the provisional, or would there also be a penalty stroke under 17.1, and play the hole out with the dropped ball?

Edited September 11, 2021 by Axiom

[rogolf]

55 minutes ago, Axiom said:

So would he be lying 3, the same as the provisional, or would there also be a penalty stroke under 17.1, and play the hole out with the dropped ball?

He would incur a penalty of two strokes (provided there was not a serious breach) plus the one stroke penalty for the penalty area - total penalty strokes = 3.

[antip]

3 hours ago, Axiom said:

Yes, there were two questions. When and how to play the provisional back on the line and laterally.  You've given a pretty good example of back on the line.

Edit: As a secondary question, if the player played a provisional ball from the tee when he gets to where he thinks his ball might be, he sees it in the lateral hazard, but decides not to play it. Instead he drops and plays a ball under 17.1d(3). What is the ruling?

 

Putting all of ROs guidance together: if the player puts another ball into play rather than play the original from a known position in the penalty area or the provisional from wherever it lies, this means the player has substituted for the provisional ball (which is the only ball that can substitute for the original without incurring more penalties) and done so from a wrong place. So that new ball is currently lying 5 (there are two counting strokes - the original and the provisional, one rule 17 penalty and two strokes penalty for substituting at a wrong place).

If the player plays that newly substituted ball, we need to know whether it is a serious breach (when comparing its position with that of the provisional ball). If yes, the stroke doesn't count but the player must correct by returning and playing the provisional - next stroke will be #6. No correction means DQ. If not a serious breach, the substituted ball is in play lying 6. Serious breach can only be decided by the Committee.

If the player has not yet played the substituted ball, he can correct the error (rule 14.5 allows this) by lifting it or abandoning it and proceeding correctly with the provisional ball which is lying 3.

MLR B-3 is misused on many courses and then misapplied by many players. There was a stronger health warning about this local rule under the old rule book.

 

[TerpFangolfer]

I had this exact situation in a comp 2 weeks ago - a par 3 over a yellow PA. And no MLR B-3 in effect 😪

 

At the green edge of the PA it is fairly shallow with lots of vegetation - you can frequently get playable lies there...so I had to go all the way around (fortunately we were using carts - Sr comp), check my lie. Could see the ball, but was not playable. So then I had to drive back around and I proceeded under 17.1d(2). Dropping on the forward tee which was on the line back.

Was glad that we had some cushion to the group behind - so no one had arrived to the tee box yet (that's always embarrassing!)

 

This was the only hole on the course that it would really apply - have you all seen where is says MLR B-3 is in effect for 1 hole only? How often" - I know B-3 is not on hard card for the State comps (like D-7, E-13, F-7 all are) - not sure I have seen it in effect for any comps I have played in the past 2 years.

Similar to how MLR B-2  is sometimes for one hazard only, correct?

[Halebopp]

2 hours ago, TerpFangolfer said:

I had this exact situation in a comp 2 weeks ago - a par 3 over a yellow PA. And no MLR B-3 in effect 😪

 

At the green edge of the PA it is fairly shallow with lots of vegetation - you can frequently get playable lies there...so I had to go all the way around (fortunately we were using carts - Sr comp), check my lie. Could see the ball, but was not playable. So then I had to drive back around and I proceeded under 17.1d(2). Dropping on the forward tee which was on the line back.

Was glad that we had some cushion to the group behind - so no one had arrived to the tee box yet (that's always embarrassing!)

 

This was the only hole on the course that it would really apply - have you all seen where is says MLR B-3 is in effect for 1 hole only? How often" - I know B-3 is not on hard card for the State comps (like D-7, E-13, F-7 all are) - not sure I have seen it in effect for any comps I have played in the past 2 years.

Similar to how MLR B-2  is sometimes for one hazard only, correct?

 

Yes, you need to identify the particular penalty areas for which it is in use. The local rule creates the unwanted situation in which the player might get to choose from two known outcomes (play the ball as it lies in the PA or continue with the provisional) and therefore its usage should be limited.