A Fellow Player Measured Two Club-Lengths Instead Of One And Took Her Stroke. Is That A Penalty?

The first thing to ascertain when answering this question is, why was she measuring two club lengths?

If the player was taking an unplayable ball under Rule 19, one of her options would be to take a two club-length lateral drop from the spot of the original ball, under penalty of one stroke.

If, for instance, she found her ball in a bush, she could take a two club-length lateral drop from the spot of that ball in any direction, no closer to the hole.

She could then drop a ball within that relief area of two club lengths under penalty of one stroke. If she played her next shot from within that relief area, there would be no penalty for measuring two club-lengths, only a penalty for taking an unplayable ball under Rule 19.

Also, if the player’s ball was in a red penalty area, under Rule 17.1d she would have the option of a lateral two club-length drop, under penalty of one stroke, from the estimated point where the ball had crossed the edge of the penalty area. Measuring two club-lengths would be the correct procedure.

However, if the player were taking free relief (from an abnormal course condition or immovable obstruction for instance,) she should measure one club-length from the nearest point of complete relief and drop within that one club-length, no closer to the hole.

If she dropped the ball and it ended in a position more than one club-length from the reference point (the nearest point of complete relief) she would be penalised if she played from that spot. It’s a general penalty of two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play to play from a wrong place under Rule 14.7a.

The act of measuring two club-lengths is not a penalty in itself and if (having done so) she then dropped the ball and it ended within one club-length of the reference point and played from there, she would not face a penalty. The penalty would come if she played a ball from outside the one club-length relief area.

The act of measuring two club lengths is not a breach of a golfing Rule but playing from the wrong place is.

If the player measured two club-lengths for a penalty drop and dropped within those two club-lengths she would face no further penalty. But if she measured two club-lengths when the relief area was only one club-length and played from outside one club-length she would incur a general penalty.

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