Rules of golf: What happens when you hit a ball on an ant pile and declare to opponent you took unplayable lie?
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010 at
10:05 am
jeff s asked:
match play. took one club length relief from ant pile where ball rested and declared to opponent I took unplayable lie and hit 2nd shot. When got on green opponent picked up my marker and said I lost hole because ball was not on ant pile. Doesn’t he incur a one stroke penalty for picking up my marker or is he conceding put in match play? Am I lying three for declaring it an unplayable lie?
match play. took one club length relief from ant pile where ball rested and declared to opponent I took unplayable lie and hit 2nd shot. When got on green opponent picked up my marker and said I lost hole because ball was not on ant pile. Doesn’t he incur a one stroke penalty for picking up my marker or is he conceding put in match play? Am I lying three for declaring it an unplayable lie?
Tagged with: Ant • Match Play • Stroke Penalty
Filed under: Golf Rules
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you’re right- he’s wrong….
Well apparently, you needed to take a penalty stroke on that hole. This is a ruling by the USGA. Fire ants would be a different situation. That said, your opponent was a complete *** – acting without discussing this with you shows no class at all.
33-8/22 Local Rule Treating Ant Hills as Ground Under Repair
Q. An ant hill is a loose impediment and may be removed, but there is no other relief without penalty. Some ant hills are conical in shape and hard, and removal is not possible, but relief under Rule 25-1b is not available since an ant is not a burrowing animal. If such ant hills interfere with the proper playing of the game, would a Local Rule providing relief be authorized?
A. Yes. A Local Rule stating that such ant hills are to be treated as ground under repair would be justified.
Such a Local Rule is also justified on courses where fire ants exist. A fire ants’ mound or hill is removable, but its removal will cause the fire ants to swarm out of the ground. When this occurs, anyone in the vicinity is in danger of being bitten by the ants, and the bite of a fire ant can cause serious illness.
If a Local Rule giving relief from fire ants
If you took an unplayable lie, you incur a one stroke penalty, and continue playing the hole. So, yes, you are lying three for declaring the unplayable lie.
It doesn’t matter whether or not your ball was on the anthill. You are the sole judge as to whether a lie is unplayable. You can declare an unplayable lie in the middle of the fairway if you want.
For unplayable lie, you must drop within two club lengths. So, dropping one club length away was fine.
As noted in the other answer, you do not get free relief from the ant hill.
Your opponent has no authority to pick up your marker. He gets a one-stroke penalty for lifting your ball marker.
Sounds to me like you got it totally correct.
What he really should have done is continued playing the hole. Then, bring it up to the committee before signing his card.
Jeff, the other answerer’s said it right. And you are also right. Unplayable lie is a one stroke penalty and so is picking up a marker (golf ball) on putting green.
Spartawo…
you should have declared to him b4 the drop but hes just acting petty, you were right
I didn’t consult a rule book but here’s my take… Fire ants, yes, imho, you can take relief with no penalty if there is danger (alligator, mountain lion, angry geese…). Regular ants, no, you can take an unplayable lie, but it’s a penalty. You should have asked your opponent to take a look at your lie, if you both determined there was danger, free drop.