Page 39 - RCGC Mag

Know Your Rules by Nemesis

Felicity and Melissa were playing their approach shots to the 9 green, and
th
Felicity noticed that an errant dog had appeared from nowhere, taken up her ball
in its teeth, and deposited it on the green ahead. As she drew nearer it took the
ball up again and carried it off, never to be seen again. What should Felicity do?

Know Your Rules by Nemesis – Answer

Because Felicity’s ball was moved by an outside agency, it should be replaced
without penalty on the spot where the ball was first taken up by the dog. If it
were subsequently lost, it should be replaced with a substitute ball.

If the ball had been simply stopped or deflected by the outside agency, it should
be played as it lies (rub of the green). If it is moved by an outside agency after a
stroke on the putting green the shot is cancelled and replayed (See Rule 19.1 –
Ball in Motion Deflected or Stopped by Outside Agency).

An outside agency is anything, either animate or inanimate, that does not include
the player, his partner, their balls, equipment or their caddies. It includes
spectators, course officials, other players in stroke play, and their balls and
caddies. Wind, rain, worms and insects are not outside agencies (See Definition
of Outside Agency).