Lost ball plugged

[manxmanc]

If you lose your ball by it plugging but in the fairway, clearly seen by you and your partners is this a lost ball or can you take free relief?

[TaylormadePhil]

no.. i believe that you can get a free drop at the rough point of entry, under the abnormal ground conditions ruling

[Keve]

nope, it's a lost ball I'm afraid, 3 off the tee

[Tomba]

nope, it's a lost ball I'm afraid, 3 off the tee

Kev, I'm almost 100% sure its a free drop.

[freded]

I'm with Kev on this and think its a lost ball.

I think the only time you can get away with this is if you've hit it into area marked GUR and can't find it.

I'm sure Nick will know the answer.

[Tomba]

Kev, I'm almost 100% sure its a free drop.

Maybe i'm not 100% now 

I was thinking it is a free drop if it plugs in the fairway but not sure about not finding it.

However, there is a case for abnormal ground as Freded says.

[freded]

Maybe i'm not 100% now 

I was thinking it is a free drop if it plugs in the fairway but not sure about not finding it.

However, there is a case for abnormal ground as Freded says.

i think the rule only applies in GUR and not just unmarked fairways that happen to be wet.

[Tomba]

Rule 25-1 c. Covers ball not found in abnormal ground. But you'd need to decide if the area where it plugged was actually abnormal ground.

[Vince Baby]

+1 for 3 off the tee.

Apart from GUR, in bunkers you can go digging for it.

On a fairway, you can't prove it hasn't bounced off somewhere else so it's a lost ball.

[Tin Pot]

I'm going to disagree

A fairway so sodden your ball disappears in it is abnormal ground conditions. You saw it land on and plug in it, so that is 'certain or virtually certain'.

Consequently you can substitute the ball under 25-c

[Tin Pot]

i think the rule only applies in GUR and not just unmarked fairways that happen to be wet.

In Defintiions, casual water is also abnormal ground conditions so it doesn't have to be marked.

[ask3l]

25 1 c if Abnormal ground conditions and "clearly seen" by partners as in OP
But if the condition cant be defined as abnormal its lost!
The information as to what the ground conditions were at the point the ball went missing need to be known before a decision can be made!

[Keve]

What is the definition of abnormal? If it's been raining for 2 weeks it's normal for the ground to be soft and for balls to plug.

[ask3l]

What is the definition of abnormal? If it's been raining for 2 weeks it's normal for the ground to be soft and for balls to plug.

If there is casual water that would obviously be abnormal. Too many other options so will wait to see what the OPs conditions were first, without the usual theoretical if, but and mibee that hasn't occured sidetrack.

[Tin Pot]

What is the definition of abnormal? If it's been raining for 2 weeks it's normal for the ground to be soft and for balls to plug.

The examples are casual water and gur, can't copy/paste at the moment, but Just using the dictionary definitions, a fairway isn't normal if it swallows balls. In my opinion of course.