Even though we all like to think that we “know” the Rules of Golf, there are moments when it’s unclear to everyone involved how to proceed during a game. And what ought to you do in that situation?
As an illustration, consider this: Playing a four-ball match (think of it as your team’s best ball), you discover that the golf ball you and your opponent are using is identical, right down to the number. When you get to the location where both balls are, you can’t tell which ball belongs to which. How would you respond in that circumstance?
Requesting an official ruling from a rules official is usually impractical. If you and your friends are just playing a friendly round, perhaps there aren’t any official rules. Could you just reach a consensus between the parties and continue playing? It sounds too simple, doesn’t it?
You can, in fact. Players in a match may agree on how to resolve a rules dispute, according to Rule 20.1b. Furthermore, the agreement is still in effect even if it turns out that a rule was applied incorrectly—as long as the players didn’t consent to disobey a rule or penalty they were aware applied.
To be clear, if the agreement works out to be advantageous to you or your side, you cannot act foolish and claim you are unaware of the rule. However, if a ball is discovered in a penalty area and neither team is sure where to drop it, you can decide as a foursome and continue playing, which saves a ton of time.
Last but not least, keep in mind that you CANNOT play two balls on a hole and then take the matter up with a committee (or the head pro) to settle the disagreement after the round if there is uncertainty regarding the application of a rule in match play. The two-ball protocol is exclusive to stroke play.
