Written by: Darin Green, Senior Director of Rules and Competitions
Learning the Rules of Golf is a very difficult task. If you are determined in learning the Rules, taking multiple-choice test questions is part of the process. Below is a typical test question for you to read and answer.
Sara and Jane are playing in the same group together in their individual club championship. Both of their balls lie just off the putting green. Sara is farther away and Jane’s ball is on her line to the hole. Sara tells Jane her ball is interfering with her play and asks her to please mark and lift her ball. Jane refuses and tells Sara she cannot move her ball because it is off the putting green.
Which of the following is TRUE?
A) Even though her ball is interfering with Sara’s shot, Jane is not allowed to mark and lift her ball because it lies off the putting green. Sara must play with her Jane’s ball in place.
B) If Jane refuses to lift her ball and Sara plays her shot with Jane’s ball in place, Jane is disqualified.
C) If Jane refuses to lift her ball and Sara plays her shot with Jane’s ball in place, Jane gets the general penalty (loss of hole in match play or two strokes in stroke play).
What is your answer?
Answer A is not correct, because Rule 15.3b(2) says if a player reasonably believes that another player’s ball anywhere on the course might interfere with the player’s own play they may require that player to mark and lift the ball.
Answer B is not correct, because the penalty statement for breaching Rule 15.3 is not disqualification.
Answer C is the only TRUE STATEMENT. The penalty statement for breaching Rule 15.3 (Ball Interfering with Play) is the general penalty. Jane would lose the hole in match play or earn a two-stroke penalty in stroke play.
In a stroke play competition, Jane could have played first rather than marking and lifting her ball.
When answering multiple-choice questions, always be sure to prove each option true or false.
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