ONLY WHEN THE FORM OF PLAY IS A FACTOR WILL IT BE STATED If you do not have a Rules of Golf book handy, go to: http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Rules-and-Decisions/ If you have any questions pertaining to this or previous quizzes, please ask. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Question from week #200 Jerry’s ball hit rocks inside a water hazard and bounced back into play. He thinks to himself that his ball may be damaged because of its contact with the rock. He marks and lifts the ball to inspect it. He finds no other damage other than brown scuff mark on the ball where it impacted the rock. Choose the correct statement: A. If Jerry correctly concludes this ball is not unfit for play and replaces it, there is no penalty. B. If Jerry replaces the ball he incurs a penalty of one stroke. C. If Jerry cleaned his ball beyond what is necessary to inspect it for damage before replacing, he would be penalized a total of two strokes. D. If Jerry incorrectly substitutes another ball by placing it on the original spot, he is immediately penalized a total of two strokes or in a match, would lose the hole, but there is no additional penalty under R5-3.
Answer: B is the correct answer. Jerry might think his ball is damaged, but he must inform somebody of that thought and what he intends to do in case they want to watch his inspection and perhaps view the ball as well. [A] is incorrect because the procedure for inspecting a ball for damage (R5-3) is identical to the one for lifting a ball for identification (R12-2). The player must: 1. Announce to his opponent, fellow competitor or marker his intention to lift the ball. 2. Give that person the opportunity to observe the lifting/inspection/replacement. 3. Mark the ball before lifting. 4. The ball must not be cleaned beyond what is necessary to inspect. 5. Replace Failure to comply with any of 1 thru 4 results in a 1 stroke penalty. Jerry didn’t comply with 1 or 2. [C] is incorrect because any breach of the procedure is a 1-stroke penalty and other breaches are not accumulative. [D] is incorrect because the penalty for an improper substitution only applies if the player makes a stroke at the ball. If Jerry realized his mistake before the stroke, he could correct his error under R20-6. Something to consider: When lifting a ball because the player is unsure of its identification, meaning it might be his, this procedure should be used even if the ball the player lifts turns out to be a stray ball. When there is doubt as to the identification of your ball—for any ball you lift—you should adhere to the requirements for proper lifting/inspecting/identification. The reason I emphasize this is because if the ball is your ball in play and you neglected to follow the procedure, you will be penalized one stroke. While you would not be penalized for improper procedure if the ball is deemed a stray ball, why take that chance? | 
