Now guys can drop balls out of their pocket "legally"
LOL
New Rules of Golf - 2019
Stroke and distance for OB will change to 2 strokes and drop where the OB went out by local rule to allowed should speed up play for those not already doing it outside the rules?
No you don't play from where the ball went out. You move to the fairway (not nearer the hole than where it went out). Determine the relief area and play from anywhere in that area with a 2 stroke penalty.
See this link for a full explanation and very good video.
http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/rules-modernization/major-changes/golfs-new-rules-stroke-and-distance.html
Yo may be confusing two new rules.
1) see post above
2) Merging water hazards, lateral water hazards and disaster areas (ravines, jungle etc) into one new Penalty Area.
Relief from such an area would cost 1 PS and the process would be the same as a yellow WH if it is marked yellow. If it is marked red, there is an option to play from the side (a la re WH) BUT not to be able to play from the 'other side'.
If you choose to play it as it lies in the PA, then you may ground your club, touch the ground on a practice swing and move loose impediments.
- Edited
The other important thing to remember is this ( and a few others) are not universal in their application.....they are only additional options available to local rules commitees. As such its entirely possible that leagues and competions etc could choose to stick with the S &D rule as it is now. A recreational player may still choose to play by the existing S& D rule. For example, if i snap hook or pull a ball left that goes OB 150 yards out, i'm probably going to rehit ( shooting 3) from the tee and hopefully play my 4th shot to the green from a point 250 yards ahead rather than hit 4 (original tee shot plus 2 penalty strokes under new option ) from only 150 yards ahead.
""The purpose of this Local Rule is to allow a Committee to provide an extra relief option that means that a player may play on without returning to the location of the previous stroke."
At least now though amateurs have another option. Pros and elite level events will continue as before.
I can see the "no closer to the hole" drop in the fwy on OB shots being buggered. Easy with a GPS or possibly with a range finder....otherwise it's going to be a guesstimate!
ode
1.3b(2) Accepting Player’s “Reasonable Judgment” in Determining a Location When Applying the Rules.
• Many Rules require a player to determine a spot, point, line, area or other location under the Rules, such as:
Estimating where a ball last crossed the edge of a penalty area,
Estimating or measuring when dropping or placing a ball in taking relief, or
Replacing a ball on its original spot (whether the spot is known or estimated).
•
• So long as the player does what can be reasonably expected under the circumstances to make an accurate determination, the player’s reasonable judgment will be accepted even if, after the stroke is made, the determination is shown to be wrong by video evidence or other information
- Edited
I can see it adding to the pace of play even when players are using a GPS or range finder.
1. Identify the point where ball came to rest or went OB
2. Identify point of nearest fairway edge making sure its no closer to the hole.
3. now go and triangulate and choose a spot between 1 and 2 that is no closer to the hole which provides you with the best lie, angle and least obstruction.
Hitting a provisioanl ball is much quicker. The only situation where i would see the new rule being quicker is if the player did not hit a provisional ( when in doubt you should always hit one) and has to walk back to where the last stroke was played from. In 30 years of playing golf , I have only wver had to do this twice.....once when my ball , a good shot embedded in wet/soft turf and we couldnt find it. Another on a tee shot that gently rolled across a cart path into a sparsely populated tree area between two holes that was open and clear , should easily have been found but was probably played by a guy on the adjacent holw who had just hit and walking away as we got to the spot. 2nd was in a tournament with a group on the tee ( walk of shame) . 
Just a point of clarification, i dont believe the new rule states that a player drops in the fairway , its between the nearest edge of the fairway and where ball went ob/came to rest if lost.
- Edited
From the Rule. "A line from the hole through the fairway reference point (or within two clublengths to the outside of that line)."
That 'two clublengths' extends into the fairway.
See the diagrams in the link
http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/rules-modernization/major-changes/golfs-new-rules-stroke-and-distance.html
- Edited
Never knew you could estimate, that must be a new rule as well.
Not every golf hole is perfectly straight. I don't think its as simple as walking to the edge of the fairway and dropping for the following:
1. there could be 50-60 yards from the point of exit and edge of fairway so it would be easy to make a significant error in no closer to the hole.
2. if a player loses a ball way right on a dogleg left. the closest edge of the fairway will be much closer to the hole as will pretty much any point between the exit area and the fairway so the player will have to move well back to find a point on the edge of the fairway that is no closer, maybe 30-40-50 yards from the nearest edge. In that case the point in the rough might be the better option and produce a better view or angle. Nonetheless it probably requires measuring. in this situation I am 100% hitting again from the tee .
3. likewise if a player loses a ball right on a dog leg right.
personally, unless its a really tough shot, I'm likely sticking with hitting a provisional unless I was trying to drive a green or reaching a par 5 in 2 and the shot was was way up there and the next shot with 2 stroke penalty makes more sense.
i think there will be abuses in terms of where people drop, but I guess that happens now. i do like the fact that its 2 strokes instead of 1 s I have lots of buds who just dropped at point of entry and counted 1 before, now they will count two so I have a better chance since I play provisionals
- Edited
I am confused you can drop anywhere in between the dotted lines of A and B (also factoring in 2 clublengths), no closer to the hole?
