Happy New Year from the AJGA! As another fun-filled year of "By the Book" gets underway, we will start 2007 with a very important rule for stroke play events. Rule 3-3, Doubt as to Procedure, details how a competitor should proceed if he is doubtful of his rights or the correct procedure during the play of a hole. Here is a common example of a situation concerning Rule 3-3 and how the competitor should proceed under the Rule.

Rule 3-3: Doubt as to Procedure

In stroke play, a competitor's ball came to rest on a cart path. The competitor, not sure whether he gets relief from the path without penalty, invoked Rule 3-3 and announced that he wished his score with the second ball to count. He played his original ball as it lay then dropped and played a second ball under Rule 24-2b(i). He met all the requirements of that Rule, and dropped the second ball within one club length from the nearest point of relief. The competitor finished the hole with both balls making a four (4) with the original ball and a five (5) with the second ball. What is the players score for the hole?