Every golfer knows the moment. You walk up expecting a routine shot, and instead you find your ball somewhere you didn’t plan for it to be, resting against a cart path, buried in a bunker lip, sitting in a penalty area, or just far enough off line that the next decision isn’t obvious. Almost immediately, the question shows up: What am I allowed to do here? Once doubt enters the decision, everything slows down. You hesitate. You second-guess. Some might even guess and hope for