See below for the quiz questions for the "Dropping Procedures" edition (Round 4) of the Short Course on the Rules. The first 9 questions (the "front nine") are easier questions and the second 9 questions (the "back nine") are more difficult. If you would like these questions in PDF form, they are available below.
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THE FRONT NINE
1) As you are attempting to drop a ball correctly in the relief area, the ball accidentally hits the tee you placed in the ground to indicate the nearest point of complete relief. The ball strikes the tee before it hits the ground, but the dropped ball remains in the relief area. You play the ball as it lies. How many penalty strokes do you get, if any?
(a) 0
(b) 1
(c) 2
2) In taking relief from a cart path (immovable obstruction), you pick up your ball and drop it within the relief area. The ball rolls and comes to rest outside of the relief area, so you pick it up to drop a second time and notice a scuff on the ball, which was probably caused when your shot hit the path. Although the ball is not cut or cracked, you decide to get another ball from your bag. You drop the new ball in the right way and it comes to rest in the relief area. Which one of the following is correct?
(a) You are not allowed to use a substituted ball because the original ball was not cut or cracked. The second drop does not count and you must drop the original ball a second time to avoid penalty.
(b) You are not allowed to use a substituted ball because the original ball was not cut or cracked. You must mark the location of the substituted ball, lift it, and place the original ball on that spot.
(c) You have proceeded correctly and must continue with the substituted ball.
(d) You would have been allowed to substitute a ball before dropping the first time, but once a ball is dropped, you must continue with that ball for any further drops. If you play the substituted ball, you get the general penalty.
3) True or False: If your caddie drops a ball for you in taking relief and drops the ball from knee height, the ball has been dropped in the “right way” according to Rule 14.3b.
(a) True
(b) False
4) You are dropping your ball when taking embedded ball relief in the fairway. The dropped ball hits your club that you left on the ground in the relief area and the ball comes to rest in the relief area. Which one of the following is false?
(a) If the ball accidentally hit your club before first hitting the ground in the relief area, you must drop again, and this drop does not count as one of the two drops required before a ball must be placed under Rule 14.3c(2).
(b) If the ball hit the ground in the relief area and then accidentally hit your club, you must drop again, and this drop does not count as one of the two drops required before a ball must be placed under Rule 14.3c(2).
(c) If the ball hit the ground in the relief area and then hit your club that you left in position to keep the ball from rolling into a divot hole within the relief area, you get the general penalty for deliberately deflecting the ball and this drop does not count as one of the two drops required before a ball must be placed under Rule 14.3c(2).
5) In stroke play, with no Local Rules in effect, your ball comes to rest in the general area close to a sprinkler head that interferes with your area of intended stance. The sprinkler head is in the fringe, two feet from the putting green. Which one of the following is true about taking free relief from the sprinkler head?
(a) If part of your one club-length relief area includes the putting green, you may place a ball in the relief area on the putting green.
(b) If part of your one club-length relief area includes the putting green, you may drop a ball in the relief area on the putting green.
(c) If you drop a ball in the relief area that first hits the ground in the fringe and it rolls and comes to rest on the putting green in the relief area and within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of complete relief, you may play the ball from there without penalty.
(d) If you drop a ball in the relief area that first hits the ground in the fringe and it rolls and comes to rest on the putting green in the relief area and within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of complete relief, you must drop a second time.
6) Which one of the following statements is true about dropping a ball in the “right way” according to Rule 14.3b?
(a) You are not required to drop the ball from a standing position.
(b) You may spin or roll the ball, so long as it hits the ground in the relief area and stays in the relief area.
(c) You cannot stand inside the relief area when dropping the ball.
7) You are taking relief from a red penalty area and want to use Rule 17.1d(3) – Lateral Relief. You drop a ball from knee height and it lands in the relief area, but rolls and comes to rest in the same penalty area. You drop a second time from knee height and the ball lands just outside the relief area and comes to rest inside it. Knowing you get one penalty stroke for taking relief from the penalty area, what must you do to avoid further penalty?
(a) Play the ball from where it came to rest after the second drop.
(b) Place a ball at the point it first touched the ground on the first drop.
(c) Drop a ball again in the relief area. If it comes to rest in the relief area, play it from there, if not, place it where it first hit the ground on the third drop.
(d) Drop a ball again, using any of the other options available under Rule 17.1d – Relief for Ball in Penalty Area.
8) True or False: When you are required or allowed to take stroke-and-distance relief, your relief area may include more than one area of the course.
(a) True
(b) False
9) You find your ball in a bush left of the fairway near a bunker. You decide to take lateral relief under the unplayable ball Rule. To get as far away from the bush as possible, you try to drop on the grass near the bunker. When attempting to drop a ball in the grass, it first touches sand in the bunker and embeds. You measure and find that the ball in the bunker is within two club-lengths of and no closer to the hole than where the ball was in the bush. Which one of the following is correct?
(a) The drop does not count and you must drop again. The bunker is not part of the relief area when taking lateral relief under the unplayable ball Rule for a ball in the general area.
(b) Although part of the relief area was in the bunker, this drop does not count and you must drop again because your intent was to drop in the general area and not in the bunker.
(c) You must continue with the ball dropped in the bunker.
(d) You have the option of playing the ball as it lies in the bunker or taking embedded ball relief.
THE BACK NINE
10) You make a stroke from the 10th tee and return to the half-way house to grab a couple of to-go lunches for you and your partner who are playing in a Four-Ball stroke-play competition. Your partner finds your ball in a red penalty area, and because your group is slightly behind pace, he decides to take lateral relief for you under Rule 17.1b. He determines your relief area by using his driver that happens to be a couple of inches longer than yours. To ensure the ball is dropped as far from the penalty area as possible, he drops a ball in the right way, at the outer edge of the relief area. The ball bounces out of the relief area but then rolls and comes to rest back in the relief area. He proceeds to the other side of the fairway and as you arrive at your ball, he makes his stroke to the green. Being completely unaware of what has transpired, you play your ball as it lies and it comes to rest on the green. Which one of the following is true?
(a) Neither you nor your partner gets a penalty.
(b) You get one penalty stroke; your partner gets no penalty.
(c) You and your partner each get one penalty stroke.
(d) You get two penalty strokes; your partner gets no penalty.
11) In taking relief from an abnormal course condition, you drop a ball that lands inside the relief area but, before it comes to rest and while it is still inside the relief area, your caddie stops the ball so it will not end up in a divot hole inside the relief area. In stroke play, what is the ruling?
(a) There is no penalty, and you must play the ball from where it came to rest.
(b) There is no penalty, and you must drop a ball again.
(c) You get two penalty strokes and must play the ball from where it came to rest.
(d) You get two penalty strokes and must drop a ball again.
12) In stroke play, you decide to take relief because your tee shot came to rest in ground under repair near the course boundary. The ground under repair is defined by green stakes and out of bounds is defined by a white line on the ground. You correctly determine your relief area, which is between the ground under repair and the course boundary, and drop a ball into it. The dropped ball comes to rest within one club-length of the reference point, not nearer the hole and free from interference by the ground under repair, but it is also resting on the white line and part of your ball is out of bounds. Thinking your ball has come to rest outside the relief area, you lift your ball and drop it a second time in a different part of the relief area. This time it rolls toward the ground under repair and comes to rest touching one of the green stakes. Again thinking your ball has come to rest outside the relief area, you then place your ball on the spot where it first touched the course on the second drop, play your next stroke to the green, and hole out after two putts. What is your score for the hole?
(a) 4
(b) 5
(c) 6
(d) 7
13) In stroke play, with Model Local Rule E-12 in effect, your ball is in an animal hole in a bunker and you decide to take back-on-the-line relief outside the bunker. You place a tee in the ground to create a reference point on the reference line and drop a ball in the relief area. The dropped ball first touches part of the ground in the general area in your relief area, but it then bounces and accidentally hits your foot that is outside the relief area. After hitting your foot, the ball rolls and comes to rest on a spot that is within one club-length of where it first touched the ground when dropped, but on the line marking a red penalty area. You play the ball from where it came to rest. How many penalty strokes do you get, if any?
(a) 0
(b) 1
(c) 2
(d) 3
14) Your ball ends up in a red penalty area defined by a red line. You decide to take lateral relief, but your relief area is on a steep slope. Any ball you drop into the relief area will roll into the penalty area, and not wanting to lose any more balls, you set down your golf bag in the relief area near the red line so that it will stop your ball from rolling into the water when you drop. You drop into the relief area twice, and each time the ball comes to rest in the relief area against your golf bag that you positioned to stop your ball. You then place a ball where it first hit the ground on the second drop. At this point another player in your group questions this and you consult an official. What is the ruling in stroke play?
(a) You get no penalty and must continue with the ball you placed.
(b) Neither drop counts and you must start again with your first drop. You get four penalty strokes (two general penalties) for deliberately stopping the dropped ball.
(c) Neither drop counts and you must start again with your first drop. You get two penalty strokes for deliberately stopping the dropped ball, since each drop was a related act.
(d) Neither drop counts and you must start again with your first drop. You get no penalty for your equipment stopping the ball after dropping.
15) Your ball comes to rest on a cart path in the general area. You decide to take relief under Rule 16.1b. You determine your nearest point of complete relief in the general area and drop your ball in the one club-length relief area. The relief area is closely mown and on a steep slope. The ball rolls and comes to rest outside of the relief area, so you drop a second time and the ball rolls and comes to rest outside of the relief area again. You twice attempt to place the ball on the spot where it first touched the course on the second drop, but it won’t stay at rest on that spot. You begin to search for the nearest place where it will stay at rest. In finding the nearest place where your ball will remain at rest when placed, on which one of the following locations are you allowed to place your ball?
(a) At a spot in the general area, not closer to the hole than where your ball first touched the ground on the second drop, but where you would be standing on the path.
(b) At a spot in a nearby penalty area that is no closer to the hole than the nearest point of complete relief.
(c) At a spot inside the original relief area that is nearer the hole than where the ball first touched the course on the second drop.
(d) At a spot in the general area that is outside the relief area, but within another separate area of ground under repair, and is not closer to the hole than where the ball first touched the course on the second drop.
16) Your tee shot comes to rest in a yellow penalty area. You decide to take back-on-the-line relief and visually select a reference point on the reference line. Before dropping a ball to take relief, you replace a divot into a divot hole that is also on the reference line and about a foot behind the reference point you selected. You then drop a ball in the right way and it first touches the course about a foot behind the replaced divot but then rolls forward two club-lengths. You walk forward to get your ball to drop a second time and on your way back you notice the turtle is slowly walking toward your relief area. Not wanting to disturb the turtle, you decide to select a different reference point on the reference line about 10 yards closer to the hole. You drop your ball in the right way and it comes to rest in the relief area and you make the stroke. Which one of the following is true?
(a) You proceeded correctly and get no penalty.
(b) You proceeded correctly and get one penalty stroke.
(c) You are not allowed to change relief areas when dropping a second time. You get two general penalties, one for improving the conditions affecting the stroke and one for playing from a wrong place.
(d) You were allowed to change relief areas when dropping a second time, but you still get the general penalty for improving the conditions affecting the stroke in the original relief area.
17) In stroke play, your tee shot comes to rest in a red penalty area. You choose to take relief using the lateral relief option of Rule 17.1d. You measure two club-lengths to the left and right of where the ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area. You drop a ball in the right way on the right side of the relief area. The ball rolls across the relief area, coming to rest within the relief area but nearly three and a half club-lengths from where it first touched the course. You play the ball from there, but another player questions your actions, so you call for a referee. What is the ruling?
(a) You have proceeded correctly and get one penalty stroke for taking relief under Rule 17.1d.
(b) You should have dropped a second time. Since you did not do that, you get the general penalty for playing from a wrong place in addition to the penalty under Rule 17.1d, for a total of three strokes.
(c) You should have dropped a second time. Since you did not do that, you get the general penalty for playing from a wrong place in addition to the penalty under Rule 17.1d for a total of three strokes, and you must correct the mistake.
18) In stroke play, your second shot comes to rest in the general area amongst a pile of rocks near the putting green and you decide to take unplayable ball relief. When measuring under the lateral relief option, part of the two club-length relief area is on the putting green. You drop a ball in the part of the relief area that is on the putting green. It rolls to a different part of the relief area and comes to rest on the fringe, overhanging but not touching the surface of the putting green. You putt from there and take two more putts to finish the hole. What is your score for the hole?
(a) 5
(b) 6
(c) 7
(d) 8