What would have happened

[zebra2955]

Watching the tournament last weekend. A player hits his tee shot. A flock of birds flew by. the ball didn't hit anything. 

What would the case be if it did hit one of the birds ?

[sui generis]

Same as if the ball hit a tree. 

 

https://www.usga.org/rules/rules-and-clarifications/rules-and-clarifications.html#!ruletype=fr&section=rule&rulenum=11&subrulenum=1

[Pepperturbo]

37 minutes ago, zebra2955 said:

Watching the tournament last weekend. A player hits his tee shot. A flock of birds flew by. the ball didn't hit anything. 

What would the case be if it did hit one of the birds ?

Played from where it lies, I think?  

 

There's a course we frequent that has a 200yd par 3.  From the tee box, wire cables crossing in front of the tee box are in play, reachable with my 4i.  Over the years, I've hit them 2 or 3 times. 

 

We have been told the course has a local rule saying if you hit a wire, you get to re-tee without penalty.  Only we play the ball from where it lands.  Not sure what the exact rule is, though.  One thing is annoying, hitting those wires puts one helluva black mark on the ball.

[alittleoverpar]

4 minutes ago, Pepperturbo said:

Played from where it lies, I think?  

 

There's a course we frequent that has a 200yd par 3.  From the tee box, wire cables crossing in front of the tee box are in play, reachable with my 4i.  Over the years, I've hit them 2 or 3 times. 

 

We have been told the course has a local rule saying if you hit a wire, you get to re-tee without penalty.  Only we play the ball from where it lands.  Not sure what the exact rule is, though.  One thing is annoying, hitting those wires puts one helluva black mark on the ball.

 

One of the courses I often play has the same arrangement, except it's a short par 4.  Their local rule is that you "must" replay the shot.  Seems strange, but that is what pretty much everyone does there.  It's interesting how many times the wire gets hit by a ball.  You would think it would never happen but I have hit the wire several times and seen others do so as well.

 

[nsxguy]

15 minutes ago, Pepperturbo said:

Played from where it lies, I think?  

 

There's a course we frequent that has a 200yd par 3.  From the tee box, wire cables crossing in front of the tee box are in play, reachable with my 4i.  Over the years, I've hit them 2 or 3 times. 

 

We have been told the course has a local rule saying if you hit a wire, you get to re-tee without penalty.  Only we play the ball from where it lands.  Not sure what the exact rule is, though.  One thing is annoying, hitting those wires puts one helluva black mark on the ball.

 

10 minutes ago, alittleoverpar said:

 

One of the courses I often play has the same arrangement, except it's a short par 4.  Their local rule is that you "must" replay the shot.  Seems strange, but that is what pretty much everyone does there.  It's interesting how many times the wire gets hit by a ball.  You would think it would never happen but I have hit the wire several times and seen others do so as well.

 

 

E-11 Ball Deflected by Power Line

Purpose. If a permanent overhead power line may interfere with the reasonable play of a hole, a Committee can require that if a ball hits the power line (and towers, support wires or poles supporting the power line), the stroke does not count and the player must play the stroke again. This Local Rule should not generally be used for power lines that do not interfere with play of a hole or are out of bounds.

A Local Rule that gives a player the option to replay the stroke for a ball that hits a power line should not be implemented.

Model Local Rule E-11

“If it is known or virtually certain that a player’s ball hit a power line [or tower or a wire or pole supporting a power line] during the play of [specify hole number], the stroke does not count. The player must play a ball without penalty from where the previous stroke was made (see Rule 14.6 for what to do).

Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a.”

 

 

I'm not a rulie but, absent this local rule, I believe the overhead line would simply be an obstruction. i.e. play it as it lies.

 

That said, I would think any golf course with this sort of issue, whether using such a local rule or not, would state something about those overhead wires somewhere, usually on the scorecard.

[Jayjay_theweim_guy]

56 minutes ago, sui generis said:

Same as if the ball hit a tree. 

 

https://www.usga.org/rules/rules-and-clarifications/rules-and-clarifications.html#!ruletype=fr&section=rule&rulenum=11&subrulenum=1

That.  I've told the story before of, I think it was Sandy Lyle, killing a seagull with an approach to 17 in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.  (The crowd was hushed, until someone---I don't have that kind of timing---in the large, wet crowd asked, "They mate for life, don't they?"  Laughter erupted) 

 

I think they ended up playing where the ball dropped.  Probably not far from where the seagull did.

[Imp]

Powewrlines. Got 'em local. It's a "must" replay as NSX said. My record on same "shot" is 4 in a row. Felt like Roy out there. "Gimme another". 

[Colin L]

2 hours ago, zebra2955 said:

Watching the tournament last weekend. A player hits his tee shot. A flock of birds flew by. the ball didn't hit anything. 

What would the case be if it did hit one of the birds ?

Concussion, possibly

[azone]

happened to me in a tournament last year.  competitor's ball hit bird, ball and bird dropped in front of green.  Competitor left bird alone (bird recovered shortly) and played next shot from where the ball came to rest.

[grm24]

3 hours ago, zebra2955 said:

Watching the tournament last weekend. A player hits his tee shot. A flock of birds flew by. the ball didn't hit anything. 

What would the case be if it did hit one of the birds ?

It's happened on the PGA Tour in the past. Player is out of luck.

 

https://www.ajc.com/sports/golfer-tee-shot-hits-bird-mid-air-pga-tour-event/rMbry48NoxYODbxpEDrn5K/

Edited March 6 by grm24

[Pepperturbo]

3 hours ago, nsxguy said:

 

 

E-11 Ball Deflected by Power Line

Purpose. If a permanent overhead power line may interfere with the reasonable play of a hole, a Committee can require that if a ball hits the power line (and towers, support wires or poles supporting the power line), the stroke does not count and the player must play the stroke again. This Local Rule should not generally be used for power lines that do not interfere with play of a hole or are out of bounds.

A Local Rule that gives a player the option to replay the stroke for a ball that hits a power line should not be implemented.

Model Local Rule E-11

“If it is known or virtually certain that a player’s ball hit a power line [or tower or a wire or pole supporting a power line] during the play of [specify hole number], the stroke does not count. The player must play a ball without penalty from where the previous stroke was made (see Rule 14.6 for what to do).

Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a.”

 

 

I'm not a rulie but, absent this local rule, I believe the overhead line would simply be an obstruction. i.e. play it as it lies.

 

That said, I would think any golf course with this sort of issue, whether using such a local rule or not, would state something about those overhead wires somewhere, usually on the scorecard.

The course has it posted in the clubhouse and stated on a sign on the tee box.

[Pepperturbo]

3 hours ago, alittleoverpar said:

 

One of the courses I often play has the same arrangement, except it's a short par 4.  Their local rule is that you "must" replay the shot.  Seems strange, but that is what pretty much everyone does there.  It's interesting how many times the wire gets hit by a ball.  You would think it would never happen but I have hit the wire several times and seen others do so as well.

 

Almost everyone who hits a hybrid off that tee clears well above the wires.  Us iron guys using long irons always fly close to them.

[antip]

Another variation on the bird theme

 

[DCSerafin]

Tom Kite in 2001 at the FleetBoston Classic, on par 3 17th, 1 shot down to larry Nelson. Tee shot over water, hits bird, ball goes in the water results in a double and eventual loss.