Quirky rules question.

[drewspin]

Scenario 1. A player strikes his tee shot and it comes to rest on the teeing ground of the next hole to be played.  The player then takes his foot and presses down the turf behind the ball before hitting his second shot.  Legal or not?

Scenario 2. A player strikes his tee shot and it flies straight up in the air, strikes a tree and comes to rest back on the teeing ground where he hit his first shot.  The player then takes his foot and presses down the turf behind the ball before hitting his second shot.  Legal or not?


Hint: See Rule 13-2 and Rules Decision 13-2/2

The answer hinges on whether or not the phrase in the rules "the teeing ground" is specific to the teeing ground of hole being played.

[limpwrist]

I'd say not legal in scenario 1 because his ball is not within the teeing ground of the hole he is playing.  See definition of teeing ground...it specifically says "the teeing ground is the starting place for the hole to be played."  Anything outside of that area, including the teeing ground of another hole, is not the teeing ground for the purposes of interpreting the rules in these scenarios.

I'd say legal in scenario 2 as long as the ball actually lands within the teeing ground and not just on the tee box (i.e. within a rectangular area two club lengths wide bounded on the front and sides by the tee markers). 

[BigLeftyinAZ]

I say not legal in any of the two cases.Tee shot has already been played

[rehorneman]

Either scenario,the ball is in play. You can not improve your lie by using your foot to tap down anything behind the ball

[limpwrist]

You guys need to read Decision 13-2/2.

"13-2/2  Player Who Misses Tee Shot Presses Down Irregularities Before Next Stroke
Q. In playing a tee shot A misses the ball. Before playing his next stroke, A presses down turf behind the ball. Is this permissible, since the ball is in play?
A. Yes. Rule 13-2 permits eliminating irregularities of surface on the teeing ground, whether or not the ball is in play."

Then to support my point against allowing the player to press down the turf on the teeing ground of the next hole, see the definition of teeing ground:

Teeing Ground
The "teeing ground" is the starting place for the hole to be played. It is a rectangular area two club-lengths in depth, the front and the sides of which are defined by the outside limits of two tee-markers. A ball is outside the teeing ground when all of it lies outside the teeing ground."

[mr_divots]

Hmmm... interesting.

The tee box of another hole doesn't surprise me in the least, but being able to improve your lie if the ball didn't go anywhere surprises me.
The chances of that happening are probably more remote than thinking a bare patch of dirt is a bunker, however.