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Rules Guy: What happens if your ball is deflected off an abandoned push cart?

June 26, 2019

TheĀ Rules of GolfĀ are tricky! Thankfully, weā€™ve got the guru. OurĀ Rules GuyĀ knows the book front to back. Got a question? Heā€™s got all the answers.

During a match I was playing with a friend in Portugal, I teed off on a dogleg-left hole. As my draw disappearedĀ around the bend, we suddenly heard a loud clank! As we approached the spot, we saw two abandoned pull carts at the fairwayā€™s edge. My ball had apparently struck one and deflected backward into heavy rough instead of continuing on its path to the fairway. I argued that the carts should be considered an outside agency, and at worst I should get a drop from there, if not from where my ball likely would have gone. My friend said, ā€œNo way ā€” play it as it lies,ā€ which I reluctantly did.
ā€”BRUCE B. CLEEREMANS, MD, IRVINE, CALIF.

Never mind the Rules, Doc ā€” aren’t you curious about these ghost golfers? Where in the world did they disappear to? Off for a mid-round siesta? Some canoodling in the woods? Abducted by aliens? Inquiring minds want to know! Anyway, the new-for-2019 Rules call those pesky carts an ā€œoutside influenceā€ (as would be the adorable, furry ball thief, above) rather than an ā€œoutside agency,ā€ but the answer is the same.

Itā€™s an accidental deflection, and you indeed should have played the ball as it lay ā€” and later circled back to solve ā€œThe Case of the Abandoned Carts.ā€

Got a rules question? Of course you do! Whatever it may be, send yours to rulesguy@golf.comĀ and the question may be answered in an upcoming issue of GOLF. Until then, play by the Rules!