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Immovable object/free drop

• andwhy67 2,816 Posts

  Fri, Jun 21 2013 1:32 PM

  Help please,

  l was playing in the legend RG @ St Andy's, tee'd of on 17, the wind was moderate and blowing from 10 to 5. Aimed for the edge of the fairway left and hit. The ball ended up by the hotel, the words "lmmovable object" appeared and then "free drop".

  I was then playing my 3rd from about 25 yards from the tee in 25% rough.

  My question is:- was it my third or my 2nd if it was a free drop?

  Asked the question because l've not played 'real' golf for over 10 years and not sure of the rules. If it was my second then l wouldn't have ended up with a 5, maybe a 4 and a place up the leader board.

  andy

   *edited i did bogey the hole and it said 3rd with drop*

• alosso 21,094 Posts

  Fri, Jun 21 2013 1:57 PM

  This is a kind of guesswork because the exact circumstances are unknown.

  It has been more than an "immovable" which in itself would have been free of penalty.

  An immovable object - what ever that might be between hotel. wall, road and course, would entitle to a free drop in the "nearest point of relief" which would be close to it. But, once there is no NPR available inside the course, the player will be forced to take an unplayable ball which costs a penalty shot and may result in a drop further back. Usually, one would repeat the tee shot instead of dropping in the rough, but that is caused by their poor dropping management.

  My 2 Pfennig.

• donsprintr 2,063 Posts

  Fri, Jun 21 2013 2:07 PM

  The only time I've gotten an immovable obstruction on here was on Kiawah #2 when my ball came to rest on the steps leading down into the bunker just short of the fairway. 

  I received a free drop on the fairway and played my second .... I don't know why it gave you a one stroke penalty.

• oneeyedjohn 9,589 Posts

  Sat, Jun 22 2013 12:49 AM

  An immovable object is just that , and a free drop is given, in pro golf it could be a television tower, or an electricity fuse box, or a road across the fairway. Whatever you get a free drop at the nearest point of relief no nearer the hole.

  What may have happened at STA is that u wound up next to the wall, short of hotel, but to take u back that far doesn't make sense nor does the penalty.

  U shuld have submitted a bug to WGT