Optional Rethrow from Tee?

[jenb]

The rule says:

803.06 Optional Rethrow
At any time, a player may elect to rethrow from the previous lie as evidenced by the marker disc or, if the marker disc has been moved, from an approximate lie as agreed to by the majority of the group or an official. The original throw plus one penalty throw are counted in the player's score.

So if your tee shot goes deep in the woods, or in a spot that you just don't feel safe playing from, can you retee and take the one throw penalty? I know you can retee if you go OB, but what if you don't go OB? It sounds like you could, but the rule specifies the previous lie as evidenced by the marker disc. The tee is not a lie, is it?

I'm just wondering if one of the girls in a group at my last tournament could have reteed instead of taking five shots to get back out of the woods and then going OB for a circle nine. Also, I was playing a course recently that has a lot of tight lines, and some of the trees have low thin branches that stick straight out at eye level and are broken off. I almost put my eye out twice trying to play my tee shots. It seemed like I couldn't turn my head safely in proximity to those trees.

[Apothecary]

if you have not put your mini down, the previous lie would be the tee.

youd be taking a stroke and shooting for a 3(p) from the tee.

[Chuck Kennedy]

I'm just wondering if one of the girls in a group at my last tournament could have reteed instead of taking five shots to get back out of the woods and then going OB for a circle nine.

Yes, that's an example where the rule can be real helpful. However, the player has to decide to use the Optional Rethrow before taking their second shot from the deep woods. It's too late after they make their next throw that goes maybe 25 feet because the previous lie would not be the tee any more but still deep in the woods.

[discraft]

I didn't realize that.I have seen some tee shots go off a mountain top where you would never want to be .A stroke saver for sure to retee and take the penalty stroke.

[mark12b]

A point I've seen emphasized elsewhere is that the optional rethrow can now be used to "erase" a 2m penalty -- if you throw up into a tree when the 2m penalty is in effect, you can rethrow, take the penalty for that, and forget the 2m shot ever happened. Correct, Chuck?

[Chuck Kennedy]

Correct. That's an example of what is meant by "double jeopardy is avoided" in the Summary of Rules Changes on page 19 of the new rulebook.

[JHern]

I'm just wondering if one of the girls in a group at my last tournament could have reteed instead of taking five shots to get back out of the woods and then going OB for a circle nine....

Yes, she should definitely have re-teed, and her group should have suggested the option as a courtesy!

I'm sure we've all seen those holes where a drive that hits the wrong line is sure to be an absolute disaster, and it is best to go back to the previous lie and re-load.

Note that mandos/OBs often have a defined drop zone that is much better located than re-teeing, while the effect on the number of throws is the same.