December 2017 | 31 Subscribe today at juniorgolfmag.net 1. Santa and Frosty the Snowman go out to play a round of golf. While driving their shared golf cart, Santa accidentally runs over Frosty’s golf ball in a perfect lie in the fairway. Under what circumstances, if any, does Santa incur a penalty? (a) This is a trick question because Santa is Santa, so he never incurs a penalty! (b) If Santa and Frosty are playing each other in stroke play, Santa incurs a one- stroke penalty. (c) If Santa and Frosty are playing each other in match play, Santa incurs a loss of hole penalty. (d) If Santa and Frosty are playing each other in stroke play, Santa incurs no penalty. 2. AfterSanta has driven the golfcart overFrosty’s ball and has pressed his ball into the ground, how must Frosty proceed? (a) He must play his ball as it lies, embed- ded in the ground. (b) Frosty must place his ball 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 not in a hazard. (c) He may take relief for an embedded ball by dropping his ball as near as possible to the spot where it lay, but not nearer the hole. (d) Frosty must drop his ball within one club length from the original lie, not nearer the hole and not in a hazard. (e) Frosty must deem his ball unplayable. 3. By the time Santa and Frosty reach the first green, it is covered with snow. Santa carefully clears the snow away from his line of putt and tells Frosty not to remove any of the snow beyond the hole. Has Santa proceeded correctly? (a) No, because snow is casual water and casual water may not be removed. (b) Yes, provided he did not touch or move his ball in the process of removing the snow. (c) Yes, provided he removed the snow without pressing anything down. (d)No,becausehedidnotallowFrostytoremoveanyofthesnowbeyondthehole. ANSWERS: 1. (d) Since Santa is driving the cart, the cart is deemed to be Santa’s equipment. According to Rule 18-4 [Ball at Rest Moved by Fellow-Competitor …], there is no penalty in stroke play if a fellow competitor or his equipment moves another player’s ball. According to Rule 18-3 [Ball at Rest Moved by Opponent …], in match play Santa would incur a one-stroke penalty, rather than a loss of hole penalty. Also in match play, there would have been no penalty if Santa had accidentally moved Frosty’s ball while searching for it. 2. (b) Pursuant to Rule 18 [Ball at Rest Moved], when a ball at rest has been moved, it must be replaced. However, since the original lie of Frosty’s ball has been altered, Frosty must abide by the requirements of Rule 20-3b [Lie of Ball to Be Placed or Replaced Altered], which requires that the ball must 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 not in a hazard. Rule 25-2 [Embedded Ball] is not applicable because Frosty’s ball was not embedded in its own pitch mark. 3. (c) The Definition of “Casual Water” points out that snow is either casual water or loose impediments, at the option of the player. Thus, Santa can deem the snow to be loose impediments, and Rule 23 [Loose Impediments] allows Santa to remove loose impediments on a putting green. If his ball is moved in the pro- cess of removing the loose impediments, Santa must replace his ball without penalty, so long as the movement of the ball was directly attributable to the removal of the loose impediments. Rule 16-1 [Touching Line of Putt] allows Santa to touch the line of putt in order to remove loose impediments, provided he does not press anything down. As for Frosty wanting to remove the snow beyond the hole, Decision 23-1/10 [Removal of Loose Impediments Affecting Player’s Play] indicates that Frosty must not remove any of the snow beyond the hole because Santa has requested that he refrain from doing so. Paul Kruger is a PGA Professional at The Canyon Club in Albuquerque, NM. He has authored numerous articles on the Rules of Golf, all with the goal of making them fun and interesting to learn. Applying the Rules to a Merry Little Round RULES OFTHE GAME BY PAUL KRUGER You never know who you’re going to run into on a golf course, especially during the holidays. So consider this unlikely twosome and the problems they’re creating for themselves during their round. Now let’s see if we can figure out how to rule on their various incidents.