another question

if player 1 accidently banks a shot, can't player 2 just shoot 10 baby shots to win that hole by default?

Score do not count in a no banks tourney only number of strokes do and each hole is played as an individual game in itself.  Let me paste part of the rules here and then clarify: SCORES DO NOT COUNT in this game but NUMBER OF STROKES DO. The results of each hole stand on their own and scores are not accumulative. For example, players have tied up until hole 3. Player 1 makes it to hole in 3 strokes without banking , player 2 makes the hole in 4 strokes without banking, Player 1 would win even though player 2's score on the board may have been better due to a previous hole where both players touched the wall.   Okay think of each hole as an individual game. Forget scores totally. Hole 1 player took 3 strokes to get to the hole but banked..player 2 took 2 shots to get to the hole but banked. As both banked hole is tied scores would show as player 2 being ahead BUT scores do not count. So forget all about hole 1..both players are now on hole 2 and player 1 banks first shot and goes into the hole by accident player 2 takes 6 babyshots (small strokes) and sinks the ball without touching a wall.  Round is over Player 2 wins and both player return and report to the Tournament Director.  Scores of course would show player 1 as having the best score on the scoreboard BUT scores DO NOT count in a No banks tournament.

If a player banks a shot the other player must get the ball to the hole to win the game without banking..he can take 9 babyshots but the ball must be sunk for him to be declared the winner. This stops a player just tapping it back and forth. If the player who hasn't banked uses up his 10 shots without sinking the ball the hole would be declared a tie and they would move on to the next hole. 

Hole 18 has never been played in any of our tournaments. Two reasons for this. Once the game is over and the players can't query other player about a shot or whatever..also on slingo only your score would be displayed at end of hole 18.  Even during tied games where the players have continued on trying to break the tie, it only counts to hole 17 as the players can then agree they have tied and come back and report. The person who was the second player the first round sets the game for the tie breaker. Tie breaking rounds are sudden death so the first player to win the hole wins the round. If they continue to tie to hole 17 again they come back and report and are given a different game to hopefully break the tie quickly.  Another reason why our tournaments are usually limited holes ..being to hole 13 or whatever is that it takes so long to play and boring for other players who are waiting on a winner from one round so they can match them in the next.  Our tourneys usually last around an hour.  A no banks tournament would take forever to play to more than around 10 - 13 holes.  They are probably the slowest tournements we play and I rarely set them to more than 10 holes but if tied then the players do play on until the tie is broken but sudden death after hole 10.

As for the question about hitting a puddle or sandtrap.  YEP go for it...they are not hard objects like blocks or walls which cause the ball to bounce which is be classed as a bank. And the idea is to be able to sink the ball in the less number of strokes without banking so if you can use either a sandtrap or a puddle to get the ball in a good spot for your next stroke then go for it.

I know I have been a bit long winded in my reply but I wanted to clarify any questions you had in your mind about this.   I know it took us a few no banks tournaments over at slingo to work the rules out totally on this game which left little room for disputes. Any disputes takes all the fun out of any tournaments and that is our main rule to any game HAVE FUN