A ball comes to rest out of bounds and then is moved onto the course by wind or gravity. What is the status of the ball?

A.      It’s the players Ball in Play

B.      It’s a Wrong Ball

C.      It’s now a Substituted Ball

Link to Answer

For those that choose to become Rules Officials though the USGA, Status of the Ball may very well be the most difficult portion of the exam to understand. And rightfully so as the status of the ball relates to almost every ruling in golf.

Questions like when does a provisional ball become the ball in play, when has a ball been substituted for, and when does a ball become a wrong ball are critical to our game. This week’s question seems simple as it relates to a ball being out of bounds.

But when is a ball out of bounds and when is that determination made? To gain a proper perspective we need to consult rule 18.2a(2) which advises us that a ball at rest is out of bounds only when all of it is outside the boundary edge of the course. Once the determination that a ball is out of bounds has been made, it therefor becomes a wrong ball under rule, and once the ball becomes a wrong ball it cannot later become the player’s ball in play because it was moved by Natural Forces.

18.2  Ball Lost or Out of Bounds: Stroke-and-Distance Relief Must Be Taken

a. When Ball Is Lost or Out of Bounds

(1) When Ball Is Lost. A ball is lost if not found in three minutes after the player or their caddie begins to search for it.

If a ball is found in that time but it is uncertain whether it is the player’s ball:

• The player must promptly attempt to identify the ball (see Rule 7.2) and is allowed a reasonable time to do so, even if that happens after the three-minute search time has ended.
• This includes a reasonable time to get to the ball if the player is not where the ball is found.

If the player does not identify their ball in that reasonable time, the ball is lost.

(2) When Ball Is Out of Bounds. A ball at rest is out of bounds only when all of it is outside the boundary edge of the course.

A ball is in bounds when any part of the ball:

• Lies on or touches the ground or anything else (such as any natural or artificial object) inside the boundary edge, or
• Is above the boundary edge or any other part of the course.

A player may stand out of bounds to play a ball on the course.

·         A stray ball.

• The player's own ball that is out of bounds, has become lost or has been lifted and not yet put back in play.

Definition of a Wrong Ball

Any ball other than the player's:

• Ball in play (whether the original ball or a substituted ball),
• Provisional ball (before it is abandoned under Rule 18.3c), or
• Second ball in stroke play played under Rules 14.7b or 20.1c.

Examples of a wrong ball are:

• Another player's ball in play.
• A stray ball.
• The player's own ball that is out of bounds, has become lost or has been lifted and not yet put back in play.

Definition of Natural Forces

The effects of nature such as wind, water or when something happens for no apparent reason because of the effects of gravity.

By understanding Rule 18.2 and knowing the definition of both a wrong ball and natural forces we can easily determine that the answer to this week’s question is B, It’s a Wrong Ball. This now requires the player to proceed under stroke and distance penalty under 18.2.

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”.