- A player's ball lies 2 in a greenside bunker. In taking their stance the player knocks down the side of the bunker to get a better stance. Unable to get a good stance, the player decides to take unplayable ball relief outside the bunker using the back-on-the-line option. The player properly drops the ball, chips onto the green and 2 putts. What is the player's score for the hole.

A.      7

B.      8

C.      9

This week’s question doesn’t seem to be too complicated and while it can be answered fairly quickly there are several rules that apply in deciding the outcome of the players actions. I’m fairly confident that you are aware that for one penalty stroke a player can take unplayable ball relief under Rule 19.1 anywhere on the course with the exception of a penalty area. What you might not be aware of is that there is an additional option, for 2 penalty strokes, to drop a ball outside of a bunker when using back on the line relief, Rule 19.3b.

19.3b Extra Relief Option (Two Penalty Strokes)

As an extra relief option when a player's ball is in a bunker, for a total of two penalty strokes, the player may take back-on-the-line relief outside the bunker under Rule 19.2b.

See Rule 25.4n (for players who use a wheeled mobility device, Rule 19.2c is modified to expand the lateral relief area to four club-lengths).

Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Rule 19.3: General Penalty under Rule 14.7a.

The tricky part of this week’s scenario is the players actions when trying to take their stance in the bunker as Rule 8.1a(2) advises us of what we are not allowed to do to improve the Conditions Affecting the Stroke. Experienced Rules Officials often use the acronym “CATS” when dealing with what is allowed versus what is not allowed to be done by the player.

8.1a Actions That Are Not Allowed

Except in the limited ways allowed in Rules 8.1b, c and d, a player must not take any of these actions if they improve the conditions affecting the stroke (CATS):

(1) Move, bend, or break any:

• Growing or attached natural object,
• Immovable obstruction, integral object, or boundary object, or
• Tee-marker for the teeing area when playing a ball from that teeing area.

(2) Move a loose impediment or movable obstruction into position (such as to build a stance or to improve the line of play).

(3) Alter the surface of the ground, including by:

• Replacing divots in a divot hole,
• Removing or pressing down divots that have already been replaced or other cut turf that is already in place, or
• Creating or eliminating holes, indentations, or uneven surfaces.

(4) Remove or press down sand or loose soil.

(5) Remove dew, frost, or water.

Penalty for Breach of Rule 8.1a: General Penalty. 

Under the guidance of Rule 8.1a(2) we now know that we are unable to build a stance for a stroke anywhere on the course as this improves the players CATS. But how does this rule apply to a stroke from a bunker? And what is meant when we say, “building a stance in a bunker”? Is this CATS related and if so, what rule applies? For guidance we can review Clarification 8.1a/6 which describes what leads to a breach of this rule. 

Clarification 8.1a/6 Altering Surface of Ground to Build Stance Is Not Permitted

A player is allowed to place their feet firmly in taking a stance but is in breach of Rule 8.1a if they alter the ground where the stance will be taken if altering the ground improves the area of intended stance (CATS).

Examples of altering the ground that are likely to improve conditions affecting the stroke include:

• Knocking down sand on the side of a bunker with a foot to create a level area to stand on.
• Excessively digging feet into soft ground to gain a firmer foundation for the stance.

A player is in breach of Rule 8.1a as soon as they have improved conditions by altering ground conditions to build a stance and cannot avoid a penalty by attempting to restore the ground conditions to their original state.

The restriction on altering the ground (Rule 8.1a(3)) does not include removing loose impediments or movable obstructions from the area of intended stance, such as removing large amounts of pine needles or leaves from where a player will stand to play the ball.

Based upon this clearly, we now know that the player did in fact commit a rules infraction when building a stance, CATS, to attempt this shot. But having chosen to not play from here and take relief outside the bunker does this penalty still apply? Clarification 8.1a/3 provides us the answer.

Clarification 8.1a/3 Player Who Improves Conditions for Intended Stroke in Breach Even if Different Stroke Is Made

If a player intends to play a ball in a certain way and improves conditions affecting the stroke for that particular stroke, and the penalty cannot be avoided by restoration, the player is in breach of Rule 8.1a whether they go on to play the ball in that way or plays it in a different way that is unaffected by that improvement.

For example, if a player breaks a branch that interferes with their area of stance or swing for an intended stroke when a stance could have been taken without breaking the branch, a penalty cannot be avoided by playing the ball in a different direction or by taking relief to a different location where that branch would have had no effect on the stroke. This also applies if a player broke the branch when starting a hole and moved to a different location within the teeing area.

Do you have a rules question that you have often wondered about? If so, please send it to dmiller@mvgolf.org for an answer and who knows it could very well be our next “Rules Question of the Week”.