Nobody wants to find their ball resting in a hazard. However, with the changes made to the Rules of Golf for 2008, it is important to make sure the golfer finds their ball and not an abandoned ball in order to avoid a penalty.
Comparing the 2006-2007 Rules of Golf to the 2008-2009 Rules of Golf:
Out with the old.
In reviewing the 2006-2007 Rules of Golf please notice Rule 15-3, Substituted Ball; Wrong Ball states, “There is no penalty if a competitor makes a stroke at a wrong ball in a hazard.”
In with the new.
In the 2008-2009 Rules of Golf Rule 15-3, Substituted Ball; Wrong Ball now states, if a wrong ball is played, including a wrong ball played from a hazard, a two-stroke penalty is incurred in stroke play and the hole is lost in match play. Therefore, to avoid a penalty, ensure it is your ball laying in the hazard before making a stroke.
If in a stroke play competition a wrong ball is accidentally played from a hazard the mistake must be corrected before teeing off on the next hole (or in the case of it being the last hole of play, correct your mistake before leaving the putting green) to avoid being disqualified. In order to correct the mistake, you have the option to play the correct ball or proceed by taking hazard relief, if applicable.
In order to avoid playing a wrong ball from a hazard, steps you must follow to properly identify your ball are outlined in Rule 12-2, Searching for and Identifying Ball. Before doing anything, you must first have reason to believe the ball in question is yours and then determine that there is no way to identify the ball, other than to check by lifting.
If both of these things are true, proceed with the identification process.
Step 1: Announce to your fellow-competitor or opponent (the people you are playing with) that the ball in question needs to be identified.
Step 2: Mark the position of the ball.
Step 3: Carefully lift the ball while allowing fellow-competitors or opponents (the people you are playing with) to observe. The ball must not be cleaned beyond the extent necessary to identify the ball.
Step 4: Assuming the ball is yours, place the ball back on the spot you marked. If the original lie of the ball is altered in the process of identifying your golf ball, Rule 20-3, Lifting Dropping and Placing; Playing from Wrong Place then applies. The Rule instructs that your ball should be placed in the nearest lie most similar to the original lie that is not more than one club-length from the original lie, not nearer the hole and is still in the hazard. If your lie is altered in the process of identifying your golf ball in a bunker, the original lie must be re-created as nearly as possible.
Proceeding properly when identifying and replacing your ball can save you from a two- stroke penalty in stroke play and the loss of hole in match play.
Now that the Rules have changed, keep in mind that now a wrong ball cannot be played from anywhere on the golf course.
