Golf Penalty Stroke

February 29, 2008

Golf Virgin, is it considered to be a golf penalty stroke if I accidently bump the ball off of the tee? - Shane in Helena, MT

Do you have shaky hands? Are you worried that you will have to take a golf penalty stroke over and over and over again? Do you find that your balls fall off the tee all on their own and you wonder if you’re racking up penalty strokes left and right? I pity you. I truly do. Honestly Shane, there is really nothing to worry about.

If you are about to address the ball and have not actually made the attempt to swing… but due to a shaky grip bump the ball off the tee. Then no, it would not be counted as a penalty. You see, a penalty stroke in golf would only apply in this situation if you were about to take a mighty swing and did, yet there was no crack of the club head hitting the ball and definitely no golf ball shooting through the sky.

You look down and see to your dismay and your buddies amusement that the ball is still sitting there on the tee, completely untouched. If that happened, which I know that at one point all of us as golf virgins have experienced this embarrassing moment. Then yes you would deserve a golf penalty stroke and rightfully so. This is because you have made the intent to hit the ball, taken a stroke and even though you did not hit the ball, the ball is now in play.

However, this is where it becomes sticky for all the virgins out there. Another variation could be that after you have made that awe-inspiring swing which did nothing, the ball is still considered to be in play and you have 1 penatly stroke against you. If while making a second attempt to hit the ball you accidently bump the ball off of the tee, guess what? Go ahead and count another golf penalty stroke against you for touching a ball that is in play with your club.

Shane, see what happens when you touch balls with your equipment at inappropiate times? You have to take a golf penalty stroke. The best advice I can give you is to relax and focus… relax and focus.

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Posted by The Golf Virgin | Filed Under Golf Questions 

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