Not mulligans, but sometimes during a round you bungle a shot. Maybe its twilight, the course is empty and maybe nobody's pushing up behind. So before continuing to the next shot, you drop a ball from the same spot and just for your own satisfaction, to prove to yourself that you don't suck completely, you try the shot again.

But is this a kosher practice? I have not studied the rules but my gut tells me that if its a regular scoring round, it is not. It's basically giving yourself extra practice in between your legitimate shots isn't it? Anyways I am sometimes tempted but if I'm entering the score for handicap calculation (which is nearly all of the time) I will slap myself on the wrist and say No!

Can anyone tell me what the good book has to say about this?

The good book would tell you that is an illegal practice stroke.
The Rule is http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Rule-07/#7-2


Others will tell you to just ignore it and do what you like but you posted in the section "What's the right Ruling".

legitimatebeef wrote:

Can anyone tell me what the good book has to say about this?

The question is, Which book? The USGA publishes 2 books. 1) the Rules of Golf, and 2) the Handicap Manual.

I agree the Rules Of Golf do not allow it. But your question seemed to ask if you could post an "acceptable score" for purposes of maintaining a valid USGA Handicap Index. I think the answer is clear that you may hit the do-over and still post an acceptable score.

In the Manual the USGA does not require amateurs to play by the Rules of Golf to post an acceptable score. All we need to do is play by the principles of the Rules of Golf. See section 4-2 and Decision 4-2/1

And that of course is a weakness of the USGA handicapping system

With all due respect, this subforum is named "the right Ruling" and thus the Rules of Golf apply, not the rules of old granddad. That the USGA accepts scores for handicap-purposes doesn't mean it's within the Rules.

Note that in the rest of the world scores to be used for handicapping purposes need to be played within the Rules of Golf.

It would be stroke and distance(rule 27-1)

player wrote:

It would be stroke and distance(rule 27-1)

What makes you think that?
There is no suggestion that it was intended as a scoring stroke.

Rulesman wrote:

player wrote: It would be stroke and distance(rule 27-1) What makes you think that? There is no suggestion that it was intended as a scoring stroke.

You are venturing into dangerous territory trying to dissect what or why Player thinks or does anything.

The OP says "So before continuing to the next shot, you drop a ball from the same spot and just for your own satisfaction, to prove to yourself that you don't suck completely, you try the shot again".

That tells us why he did it.

i do that almost every round that i score here on oob just for the same reasons you do, to prove i can do it. as long as you are not counting that second stroke who cares in the grand scheme of things, unless its you who cares then just dont do it and practice on the range or play a practice round.

If you are playing stipulated round, any do over would be considered playing the wrong ball. If, however, you are just out swatting balls during a round that you are not submitting (practice round) there is nothing wrong.

Wes11point5 wrote:

If you are playing stipulated round, any do over would be considered playing the wrong ball.

You would be considered to be practising during the round. Rule 7-2.

Rulesman wrote:

Wes11point5 wrote: If you are playing stipulated round, any do over would be considered playing the wrong ball. You would be considered to be practising during the round. Rule 7-2.

I think Rule 15 is more applicable.

15-1. General
A player must hole out with the ball played from the teeing ground, unless the ball is lost or out of bounds or the player substitutes another ball, whether or not substitution is permitted (see Rule 15-2). If a player plays a wrong ball, see Rule 15-3.

Wes, the guy is not counting this extra ball. If it was a wrong ball, he would not be allowed to continue play with his original ball either. Further more, he states he plays it "to see he still knows how to do it" - if that's not practice, what is?

jev wrote:

Wes, the guy is not counting this extra ball. If it was a wrong ball, he would not be allowed to continue play with his original ball either. Further more, he states he plays it "to see he still knows how to do it" - if that's not practice, what is?

True, but if you are playing strictly by the rules, as soon as you drop another ball. That becomes the ball in play. Once you take a whack at it, you are playing the wrong ball. Hence the penalty. At least that was the way it was explained to me at a rules course. As soon as you drop any additional ball it becomes the ball in play (except for a provisional).