Uh Oh, Wrong Ball
By Kurtis Bettencourt, NCGA Manager of Junior Golf
In golf, playing the correct ball is essential in upholding fair competition while maintaining the integrity of the game.
The Wrong Ball Rule, found in both the definition of Wrong Ball as well in Rule 6.3c of the USGA’s Official Guide to the Rules of Golf, addresses what happens when a player plays a ball that is not the ball in play during play of a hole. This includes a ball belonging to their partner, competitor, a stray ball that happens to be on the course or even the player’s original ball if it becomes lost after a 3-minute search time. This Rule guarantees that players are held accountable for recognizing and identifying their ball before making a stroke.
Let us dive into how we proceed once a Wrong Ball has been played by a player themselves or another player:
Once it is known that a player has played a Wrong Ball, the stroke made with the wrong ball and any more strokes before the mistake is corrected, including strokes made and any additional penalty strokes solely from playing that ball, do not count.
What do we do when another player plays our ball as a Wrong Ball?
If you are playing a round where it is known or virtually certain that your ball has been hit by another player on the course, you must replace the original ball or another ball on the original spot. Which if not known must be estimated. This is a time where the Rules allow the player to substitute a ball into play without penalty.
Penalty for playing a Wrong Ball in breach of Rule 6.3c(1) is the general penalty in both Stroke Play and Match Play (two stroke penalty in Stroke Play – loss of hole penalty in Match Play). In Stroke Play, the player must also correct the mistake by continuing play with the original ball or a substituted ball by playing it as it lies or taking relief under the Rules. In Match Play, once a player has made a stroke at a Wrong Ball, that player has lost the hole and they can move on to the next hole. If both the player and opponent play each other’s ball, to decide who gets the loss of hole penalty is based on who made a stroke first at a Wrong Ball.
Do note that playing a Wrong Ball in Stroke Play, is one of those instances within the Rules of Golf where we must correct our mistake prior to teeing off on the next hole. Or if it is the final hole of the round then prior to signing and returning a scorecard to the Committee. Any breach of a must-correct situation will automatically result in disqualification from the competition.
What's an example of a must-correct situation?
An excellent example of a must-correct situation regarding a Wrong Ball during Stroke Play can be pulled from one of our most recent Junior tournaments. Player A and Player B, tee off on the 504-yard par-5 final hole where both players land their tee shots in the fairway. Player A walks up to a ball and makes a successful stroke with a 3-wood landing short of the green. Player B lines up and makes a successful stroke with a 4-iron which also lands a few yards off the front of the green. Each player then chip their shots up onto the putting green and hole out their putts. While at the scoring table, and prior to signing their scorecards, it becomes known that both Player A and Player B have finished the hole with the wrong ball. A tournament official instructs them to correct their mistake by heading back to the fairway, placing a ball on the original spot of where their tee shots landed, and finish play of the hole (including the two-stroke penalty) or risk being disqualified if they sign their scorecards. Both players comply and do so in quick fashion by heading back to the fairway, wedged in between two groups who are also finishing their round. Player A holes out with the correct ball this time and suffers only the two-stroke penalty (Wrong Ball Rule 6.3c). Unfortunately, Player B after playing their ball from the correct spot on the fairway proceeds to make a stroke at another Wrong Ball near the putting green from one of the groups waiting for these players to finish their round.
Thankfully this time around Player B was able to police themselves and fix their mistake, holing out with the correct ball and tallying up a total of four penalty strokes – two separate breaches of playing a Wrong Ball which had intervening events.
Remember that playing a Wrong Ball is always a must-correct situation!
Want to learn more about the Rules of Golf? Attend an NCGA Rules of Golf Seminar! There are both In-Classroom Seminars and On-Course Seminars.