FORE!
No quiz, just a few answers to rules questions I had today.
1. No relief when your ball lies on dead grass from elk urine.
2. When can you take relief when your ball lies next to a Sprinkler box?
- First, the box is an Immovable Obstruction and under Rule 16.1, it's treated as a Abby-Normal (Abnormal) Course Condition.
- Second, Free Relief is ONLY allowed if the ball touches or is in or on the obstruction or when the box interferes with the player's area of intended stance or area of intended swing.
- Third, there is no relief even if the abnormal course condition is close enough to distract the player, or is the player's line of play.
On a side note, the EGC has Modified Local Rule (MLR) F-1, that specifies that the rocks that mark the 150 Yard distance to the green are integral parts of the golf course (and therefore not Immovable Obstructions) from which there is NO relief without penalty.
And while we're on the subject of Immovable Obstructions and MLRs, the EGC has another local rule, MLR F-5:
“Player may take relief under Rule 16.1b if an immovable obstruction within 2 club lengths of the green intervenes on the line of play and the obstruction is within 2 club lengths of the ball.”
Note that the rule doesn't mention anything about intent. Meaning, the sprinkler heads would interfere if you putted but not if you can chip over the sprinkler heads. Doesn't matter, it's on a reasonable line of play for any club or swing, free relief is granted. And since the sprinkler heads are in the rough or green fringe and therefore are in the General Area, the Free Relief area does NOT include the green, you rememmmber? Quiz question #8.
Tom McKernan
Rules & Handicaps
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