ruling on a plugged ball

[focal]

play as it lies or free lift?

[mikejb]

I am not sure, but I have to ask.

Ground under repair?

Or are the course conditions lfit clean and place? Or did you just sky a ball and plug it?

I think if it is normal conditions it would be play it as it lies unless the course conditions and your playing partners say otherwise.

[el tigre]

It depends where it is plugged:

25-2. Embedded Ball
A ball embedded in its own pitch-mark in the ground in any closely mown area through the green may be lifted, cleaned and dropped, without penalty, as near as possible to the spot where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course through the green. “Closely mown area” means any area of the course, including paths through the rough, cut to fairway height or less.


In many tournaments there is a local rule that extends the application of this rule to all areas on the course - not just fairways and tee boxes. When the course is wet they will often specify "lift, clean and place" instead of the usual "lift, clean and drop" noted above.

[focal]

I am not sure, but I have to ask.

Ground under repair?

Or are the course conditions lfit clean and place? Or did you just sky a ball and plug it?

I think if it is normal conditions it would be play it as it lies unless the course conditions and your playing partners say otherwise.


just a morning round so the ground was a bit wet, but nothing out of the ordinary....we weren't betting or playing competitive golf so we just lifted it out and played from a clean lie. didn't want to dig up the fairway with an attempted shot.

[haribo]

It depends where it is plugged:

25-2. Embedded Ball
A ball embedded in its own pitch-mark in the ground in any closely mown area through the green may be lifted, cleaned and dropped, without penalty, as near as possible to the spot where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course through the green. “Closely mown area” means any area of the course, including paths through the rough, cut to fairway height or less.


In many tournaments there is a local rule that extends the application of this rule to all areas on the course - not just fairways and tee boxes. When the course is wet they will often specify "lift, clean and place" instead of the usual "lift, clean and drop" noted above.

El Tigre is correct. The way it looks in the pic in question it's a free lift, clean and drop. If you have the same situation in a bunker (fried egg) you are on your own.