Please note that the Rules of Golf have had a lot of changes as of 1st January 2019. This Mystery Cache has been edited to reflect the NEW RULES
Its a beautiful day, early in the morning and you are about to play in a stroke competition where the rules are very strictly adhered to. You step up on to the teeing ground, tee up your ball and prepare to hit a perfect drive. Oh Dear! As you address the ball, it topples off the tee.Which is the correct answer?
A) You place the ball back on the tee and hit it with no penalty.
B) You place the ball back on the tee but you have a penalty and this is now counted as your second shot.
C) You do not re-tee, but hit your shot from where it lies.
Your next shot is not too good. It goes off to the right and lands near a small tree. There is an overhanging branch in your way. Do you
D) Gently ease your bottom into the tree in such a way as to bend the branch out of the way as you take your stance and hit your ball.
E) Try to thread the branch behind another branch... ooops it accidently is broken so is no longer a problem
F) Take a penalty of one shot and move the ball two club lengths sideways out into the open, not nearer the hole, where you can get a clear shot.
The next hole is a short Par3 with two bunkers in front of it. Determined not to land in a bunker, you hit your shot too hard and it goes into some bush You go to the bush and realise the ball is lost . Do you
G) Drop a new ball within two clublengths of the bush, but not closer to the hole and continue, counting this as the third shot.
H) Walk back to the tee and hit another ball from the tee, counting this shot as your third.
I) Take a penalty and drop a new ball behind the bush, keeping the bush between you and the hole.
You have hit another ball and are now on the green with this shot and suddenly see your first ball is on the green. What luck. It must have hit something hard in the bush and bounced back on to the green. It is quite close to the hole. You could get a birdie. Which is correct?
J) You pick up the second ball and putt the original ball because it has by far the better lie. You are extra careful and get it in the hole. Your score is two.
K) You pick up your first ball and continue playing your second ball. You have two putts after landing on the green with your second ball. Your score is five.
L)You putt the first ball but have a penalty for hitting a second ball. You get it in the hole and your score is three.
Next hole you have to hit over a small lake. You do it beautifully but at the last minute your ball seems to take a turn and lands right up against the boundary fence. It is the fence on the left hand side and you are right handed and you cannot play it as it lies. Do you
M) Move the ball two clublengths away from the fence. No penalty as it is a man made object.
N) Move the ball two clublengths away from the fence with one stroke penalty.
O)Move the ball just enough away from the fence so that you can at least attempt a shot. No penalty
The next few holes go much better and you begin to relax into the game. Then an extraordinary thing happens. You take your shot. It hits your opponent's ball which causes his ball to jump to the right and your ball then veers off to the left and hits his buggy and bounces from the fairway on to the green... and DOWN THE HOLE. Which is correct?
P) Everything is fine . You have been lucky since your ball is in the hole. You just need to put his ball back where it was before you hit it. No penalty
Q) You put his ball back where it was and you hit again from the place where you hit this extraordinary shot. No penalty.
R) You take a penalty of one stroke for hitting your opponent.
Last hole . It has been raining and someone wearing spikes on their shoes has made a real mess of the putting surface just where you need to putt. Do you
S) Putt without doing anything.
T)Mark your ball and move it one club head to the side so as to miss the rough area.
U) Flatten the area with the head of your putter
Oh no something else has gone wrong. It is not your day. As you take your putt, the person tending the flag is dreaming of that cup of coffee and does not lift the flag out of the hole. Your ball hits the flagpole and glances off. No par for you or could you have another go?
V) You don't get a penalty but you must play the ball where it lies
W) Of course you get to putt again. It is an important putt and it was not your fault.
X) No, sorry, and you get a two stroke penalty
A=0 B=1 C=9 D=7 E=9 F=8 G=7 H=6 I=5 J=8 K=7 L=6 M=6 N=7 O=8 P=5 Q=4 R=6 S=8 T=6 U=7 V=6 W=7 X=5
As a check....Total of unknowns = 46
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.