SITUATION: Ball comes to rest in a branch of a tree

SOLUTION: first of all the player must be able to identify the ball in the tree as his. If he cannot, it is deemed lost and must proceed accordingly. If the player can identify the ball as his, he may proceed under the unplayable ball rule, one stroke penalty and either (i) drop within two-club lengths of the point on the ground directly below where the place where the ball lay, or (ii) play from the previous spot with a one-stroke penalty, (iii) drop behind the point on the ground directly below where the ball lay keeping the hole between the point and where the ball is dropped.

A player will not receive any addtional penalty if he thinks his ball is stuck in a tree and wants to shake the tree to retrieve the ball if he announces before any action that he will play under the unplayable ball rule if in fact the ball is his.