In the March-April 2025 issue of Virginia Golfer, we presented an 18-question quiz designed to test your knowledge of the Rules of Golf. We received nearly 200 responses trying to solve the quiz, and only one person got all 18 right: Springfield Golf & Country Club’s Charles Rolen. Please see below to access answers and explanations for all 18 questions.
1 – On the third hole, a player’s ball comes to rest in the general area. Which of the following is not considered part of the general area?
- The rough on Hole #2
- A puddle in the middle of the fairway on Hole #3
- A pond marked as a red penalty area
- A practice putting green
Answer: (c) The definition of “general area” is the area of the course except for the other four defined areas. Penalty areas are another defined area of the course so it cannot be a part of the general area.
2 – In stroke play, in which one of the following situations does the player get the general penalty?
- A player fixes an animal hoof print on the putting green that is on their line of play
- A player fixes an aeration hole that is on their line of play on the putting green
- A player fixes a spike mark on the putting green that is on their line of play
- A player removes the sand from their line of play on the putting green
Answer: (b) In Rule 13.1c(2) there is an internal definition of “damage on the putting green”. Damage does not include normal practices for maintaining the overall condition of the putting green, such as aeration holes. The line of play is protected under the conditions affecting the stroke and the player would get the general penalty under 8.1a.
3 – In stroke play, after the player’s first stroke from within the teeing area, the player’s ball hits a tree and comes to rest within the teeing area. The player alters the surface of the ground in the teeing area because it interferes with their stance. The player then makes their stroke. What is the ruling?
- There is no penalty
- The player gets a one-stroke penalty
- The player gets the general penalty
- The player is disqualified
Answer: (a) In Rule 6.2 it states what is allowed when playing a ball from the teeing area. These rules apply whenever a player is required or allowed to play a ball from the teeing area. Altering the surface of the ground is allowed under these rules, so there is no penalty.
4 – In a four-ball stroke play event, the player’s ball lies on the putting green. Who is allowed to mark and lift the player’s ball without penalty?
- The player’s caddie
- The player’s partner
- Another player in the group
- All of the above
Answer: (d) Rule 14.1b states the caddie can lift the player’s ball without authorization on the putting green. In Rule 23.5a a player’s partner can take any action concerning the partner’s ball, such as marking the ball. Another player in the group is considered an outside influence and Rule 9.6 says there is no penalty if a player’s ball was lifted or moved by an outside influence.
5 – Which is correct regarding a player who decides to take unplayable ball relief?
- The player may drop a ball back-on-the-line outside the penalty area for two strokes if their ball is in a penalty area
- The player may drop a ball in a penalty area if the original ball lies in the general area
- The player may decide to take unplayable ball relief when their ball lies anywhere on the course
- The player does not have to identify their ball before deciding to take an unplayable ball
Answer: (b) When taking relief, the player can drop the ball in any area of the course, including a penalty area. However, a player cannot use the unplayable ball rule if their ball lies in a penalty area. In addition, the spot of the ball becomes the reference point when taking relief, so the player needs to identify their golf ball before using this rule.
6 – In which of the following situations is the ball not in a bunker?
- The ball is at rest on a leaf that is lying in the bunker
- The ball lies in temporary water in the bunker
- The ball lies in a bush that is rooted in the bunker, but the ball is not touching the sand
- The ball lies on an abandoned towel that is lying in the bunker
Answer: (c) Rule 12.1 explains when a ball is in a bunker. When a ball is touching sand in the bunker or is lying on a loose impediment (leaf), movable obstruction (abandoned towel), or abnormal course condition (temporary water), it is in the bunker. If a ball lies in a growing natural object inside the bunker without touching the sand, the ball is not in the bunker.
7 – Which is incorrect regarding a player searching for a ball?
- A player has three minutes to search for a ball before it is lost under the Rules
- If a player moves their ball while searching for it in a penalty area, they are penalized for causing it to move
- A player may move sand in a bunker when searching for a ball, but must re-create the lie if it is found in time
- The player may direct their caddie to delay search for their ball until they can assist
Answer: (b) Rule 7.4 states that there is no penalty if the player’s ball is accidentally moved by the player while trying to find or identify it. The definition of lost says the player has three minutes to search before it considered lost. Rule 7.1a says that players can move sand in a bunker to fairly search, but must re-create the lie if it is found. There is a clarification in 18.2a(1)/2 that a player may instruct their caddie not to begin searching for a ball.
8 - A player’s ball lies on a red penalty area line that is painted within a bunker next to the green. The player grounds their club and hits their shot onto the green. What is the ruling?
- There is no penalty
- The player gets a one-stroke penalty
- The player gets the general penalty
- The player is disqualified
Answer: (a) The first step is to figure out which part of the course the ball lies in, since a ball can only be in one part of the course at a time. In the definition of “penalty area” it explains that when penalty areas are marked with lines, the line is part of the penalty area. Rule 2.2c explains that if a ball is touching both penalty area and bunker, it is in the penalty area, so the rules for a ball in a penalty area apply (i.e. player may ground their club) and the rules for a ball in a bunker do not apply.
9 – Which of the following is not a loose impediment?
- A half-eaten banana
- Spider webs
- Worms and insects
- Grass clippings sticking to the player’s ball
Answer: (d) Loose impediments are unattached natural objects. A clarification states that fruit that is detached from its tree is a loose impediment. Worms and insects are also included in the definition of “loose impediments”. There are a couple special cases, including spider webs, that they are considered loose impediments even though they are attached to another object. Grass clippings that are unattached are loose impediments, except they are not loose when sticking to the ball.
10 – A player intends to take relief for a ball that lies in ground under repair on a slope. Before taking relief, they break off a branch from a bush that is located a few yards from the relief area and down the slope because they are concerned that the ball might roll down the hill after taking relief. Which of the following is true?
- There is no penalty. They have not improved the conditions affecting the next stroke from the relief area.
- They can avoid penalty only if they decide not to take relief and play their ball as it lies in the ground under repair.
- They get a one-stroke penalty.
- They get the general penalty.
Answer: (d) Rule 8.2 applies in this situation since it is not one of the conditions affecting the stroke that is being improved. But this is still a prohibited action since a player must not deliberately take any actions listed in Rule 8.1a (breaking any attached natural object) to affect where the player’s ball might go or come to rest if it moves before the stroke is made.
11 – A player believes that their ball lies on the putting green, they mark its spot and lift the ball. They later found out that their ball was not on the putting green. What is the ruling?
- There is no penalty and the ball must be replaced.
- There is no penalty so long as they did not clean the lifted ball and the ball must be replaced.
- They get one penalty stroke and the ball must be replaced.
- They get two penalty strokes in stroke play and the ball must be replaced.
Answer: (c) Since the ball was not on the putting green, the player caused their ball to move by picking it up. Rule 9.4 states that the player receives one penalty stroke, and the player needs to replace the ball.
12 - In taking relief from a cart path (immovable obstruction), a player picks up their ball and drops it within the relief area. The ball rolls and comes to rest outside of the relief area, so they pick it up to drop a second time and notice a scuff on the ball, which was caused when their shot hit the path. Although the ball is not cut or cracked, they decide to get another ball from their bag. They drop the new ball in the right way and it comes to rest in the relief area. Which one of the following is correct?
- They are not allowed to use a substituted ball because the original ball was not cut or cracked. The second drop does not count and they must drop the original ball a second time to avoid penalty.
- They are not allowed to use a substituted ball because the original ball was not cut or cracked. They must mark the location of the substituted ball, lift it, and place the original ball on that spot.
- They have proceeded correctly and must continue with the substituted ball.
- They would have been allowed to substitute a ball before dropping the first time, but once a ball is dropped, they must continue with that ball for any further drops. If they play the substituted ball, they get the general penalty.
Answer: (c) Because the player was taking relief from an abnormal course condition, they are entitled to substitute a ball. Rule 14.3a states that the player may use the original ball or another ball when dropping in a relief area. This means that the player may use any ball each time they drop or place a ball under this Rule, so it didn’t matter that it was the second drop that the player decided to substitute.
13 – Which one of the following is not an option for a ball in a yellow penalty area?
- Play the ball as it lies.
- Play a ball from where the previous stroke was made with a one-stroke penalty.
- Play a ball that was dropped outside the penalty area within two club-lengths and no closer to the hole from the point where the ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area.
- Play a ball that was dropped outside the penalty area 50 yards back-on-the-line from the hole through the point where the ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area.
Answer: (c) Rule 17.1d explains the options for taking relief from a penalty area. Lateral relief, or measuring two-club lengths from the spot where the ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area, is only an option for a red penalty area.
14 – Which of the following statements is true regarding an embedded ball?
- A player’s ball lands in the general area and is known to have bounced out of its own pitch-mark and into another, older pitch-mark. The ball may be lifted, cleaned, and dropped, without penalty.
- A player believes their ball may be embedded in its own pitch-mark in the general area. They may lift the ball to determine whether it is embedded.
- A player’s ball lies on a steep bank in the fairway. They play a stroke and drive the ball straight into the bank (the ball was never airborne). The player may take relief under Rule 16.3b.
- A player takes relief from an immovable obstruction and drops the ball in the fairway. The ball embeds on impact. The player may take relief without penalty for an embedded ball.
Answer: (b) The rules are very specific in what is considered an embedded ball. Rule 16.3a(2) states that a player’s ball is embedded only if it is in its own pitch-mark made as a result of the player’s previous stroke, and part of the ball is below the level of the ground. This does not include a ball that is driven straight into the ground without becoming airborne, or if the ball was dropped in taking relief from a Rule. If a player reasonably believes that their ball lies in a condition where free relief is allowed, but cannot decide that without lifting the ball, they are allowed to mark and lift the ball (Rule 16.4). However, this is one of the four times a player is not allowed to clean their ball when relief is not allowed under the Rules (Rule 14.1c). If the player’s ball is embedded, they would then be allowed to clean their ball before replacing.
15 – A provisional ball may not be played:
- When the player has played their original ball towards a penalty area and the player sees a splash.
- When the player has played their original ball towards a penalty area that is surrounded by deep rough and woods.
- When the player has played their original ball into an area where the ball may be unplayable or lost outside a penalty area.
- After the player has gone forward 20 yards to retrieve a different club from their golf bag.
Answer: (a) Rule 18.3a states a provisional ball may be played if a ball might be lost outside a penalty area or might be out of bounds. If a player knows that the ball is in a penalty area, they are not allowed to play a provisional ball.
16 - In stroke play, a player substitutes a ball when dropping to take relief from temporary water. The original ball was immediately recoverable. What is the ruling if they have not yet made a stroke at the dropped ball?
- The player must mark the substituted ball, lift it and place the original ball on the spot where the substituted ball lay.
- The player must lift the substituted ball and drop the original ball.
- The player must play the substituted ball as it lies.
- The player can choose to play the substituted ball or drop again with the original ball.
Answer: (c) A player is allowed to substitute a ball whenever they are taking relief under a Rule (Rule 14.3a). Since the player dropped correctly, the substituted ball is now the ball in play and the player must play that ball.
17 – In the general area, a player grounds their club next to their ball, which immediately moves 1/8th of an inch towards their club. What penalty, if any, does the player get?
- No penalty and they must play the ball as it lies
- No penalty and they must replace the ball
- One stroke and they must play the ball as it lies
- One stroke and they must replace the ball
Answer: (d) If the player causes their ball to move, they receive a one stroke penalty and the ball must be replaced (Rule 9.4)
18 - In stroke play, a player’s tee shot deflects off a maintenance cart and it goes into a red penalty area 10 yards to the left. The player drops a ball at the spot where the ball deflected off the cart and completes the hole in 4 more strokes. They tee off on the next hole. What is the player’s score for the hole?
- 5
- 7
- 8
- They are disqualified
Answer: (c) This player had 5 talent strokes: the tee shot and 4 more to complete the hole. Rule 11.1 covers when a ball in motion accidentally hits a person or outside influence. The maintenance cart is an outside influence and since this was accidental, there is no penalty to the player for the ball hitting the maintenance cart. The next part of the Rule, 11.1b explains where the ball is played from. Since the ball was originally played from anywhere except the putting green, the ball is played as it lies (in the red penalty area). When the player dropped where the ball deflected off the cart, they were taking penalty area relief (one penalty stroke) as this was the only Rule that could apply in this situation, but dropped in a wrong place (general penalty, or two strokes in stroke play). Rule 14.7 explains what to do when a player plays from a wrong place, and since the player dropped 10 yards from the penalty area, this is not a serious breach, so they are not disqualified. So, 5 talent strokes, 1 penalty stroke for relief from a penalty area, and 2 penalty strokes from playing from a wrong place results in a score of 8 for the hole.