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Interesting Ruling(s) Re: Water Hazards at Conference Championship


iacas
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Some of you may recall that I was curious about mismarked hazards (i.e. those areas that courses will often mark as lateral water hazards to speed up play even though they don't even remotely match the definition of "water hazard" - stands of trees, areas of tall grass, etc.) because I'm coaching a college team and the coaches, in the smaller invitationals and tournaments, act as the committee but don't have the time to set up the course (or even check out the setup) prior to the beginning of play.

Well, it didn't come up during the fall season, but another situation did, and it was at the conference championships…


We played the AMCC Championships (we won, by 21, over two days… our fifth conference win in a row) at Avalon Lakes Golf & Country Club. It's a Pete Dye design and though there's it's not a Florida style course there's a reasonable amount of water.

At the dinner the night before play was to begin, we were told that the course was not allowing us to mark the course, so they had to make up some rules re: the water hazards (OB was defined by a fence around the property, so that was at least covered).

Initially, this is what we were told the rules would be: water hazards would begin two clublengths - players were welcome to use whatever club they wanted to measure - from the edge of the water.

I immediately raised my hand and questioned this, on two fronts:

  • The course has a number of rock walls on some of the water hazards (for example, the eighth green is a difficult par three with about a foot of fringe, six inches of rough, and then the rock wall and the water. You could have a ten-foot putt that's well inside the margin of the hazard, and then what: you can't ground your putter? You can't mark your ball? The rock wall is a pretty clear line, so why not just use that, I argued, as the natural line of the hazard?
  • Two clublengths is awfully generous, as well. The Rules of Golf already allow for the contestants to determine the natural boundary of the golf course and play it like that. There are Decisions where the boundary is mismarked or not marked already, and the players are tasked with using the Definition to determine where the water hazard lies. Why not just use that?

I forwarded the two relevant Decisions to the rules official.

The next day we arrive to find that the Local Rules sheet we were given described three situations for determining the margin of the hazard.

  1. If the border of the hazard is defined by a rock wall, the rock wall is the margin of the hazard. Fine. I don't know what you'd have done if your ball came to rest against the rock wall, since your only option would be to declare it unplayable and thus probably replay the shot, but I figured the odds of that were pretty low.
  2. For other situations, within one club length of the water was the water hazard.
  3. For situations where there's a slope into the water, where the ground "breaks down," the margin was to be determined from there.

That's what we had to go by. I, of course, had more questions:

  • Why weren't we just using the natural border of the water hazard? The course was not the type where the border was tough to discern, and worst case, a player could play two balls under 3-3 and seek a ruling later. I wanted to avoid at all costs a player, thinking because his ball was sitting on good grass clearly outside the water, grounded his club and signed his card but was either later DQed or penalized two strokes.
  • What is the definition of "breaks down"? Yes, I know it's mentioned in Decision 33-2a/4, but when I asked, they told me the definition was "the top of the hill." But have a look at these images:

17th_fairway.thumb.PNG.8dd241755b4ae521c

This is the 11th fairway. The distance from the fairway to the rather clear edge of the water is over 7.5 yards. Almost 25 feet of room that's technically in the hazard even though you could be a foot off the fairway. The entire area of rough there slopes down from the fairway to the water.

The 18th green has a water hazard too that I intended to add (because the green sits ten to twelve feet above the water hazard in the back, and yet I can't imagine anyone reasonably defining the margin of the hazard at the top of that hill on the back of the green and not a foot outside the actual water or so), but it doesn't have updated satellite imagery and just shows grass there.

Anyway…

Before I could get too bothered by this, it was explained to me that the margin stuff only applied if your ball went into the water! In other words, if you were six inches from the water, with your ball sitting in the grass, you were per their "local rules" not in the hazard, but if you were to bounce down into the water, for example on the 17th hole (the tees are bottom right at about a 30° angle), you could drop in the fairway because that would be well within two clublengths from where the ground "breaks down" to the margin of the hazard. In other locations you could drop about nine feet away.

This created a situation where the margin of the hazard was in technically an infinite number of places depending on the length of clubs, but ostensibly is at least in two places: "the water" if your ball was not in it (i.e. if you were a foot away from being wet, you could ground your club and treat your ball as not being in a hazard) and "one club length from the water" for some hazards and "where the ground breaks down" on many other holes. Sometimes that would be 25 feet away from the actual water.

To illustrate again why this is dumb, consider a tee shot from the bottom right on the 11th hole:

11th.jpg

Imagine two situations:

  1. A ball that bounces at A and kicks into the water as illustrated.
  2. A ball that bounces and comes to rest a foot forward of A (remember the width of the rough on the hill is about 23 feet).

In the first situation, per the "local rules" the player would get to drop at B even though his ball never crossed the margin of the hazard he's using to drop.

In the second situation, the player can ground his club and is not in the margin of the hazard, despite the fact that the guy playing in his group could have done the first situation and could be dropping 25 feet to his left.


I don't even really have an ending to this… I just couldn't believe that this was the decision they'd reached over simply using the actual margins of the hazard. I could not believe that their solution was to define the margin of the hazard depending on whether the ball is in the water or not, as well as to define the margin of the hazard up to 25 feet away from the water on a gentle slope (I understand defining the margin at the top of steep hills… this slope on the 11th is nowhere near steep - it's maybe a 15° slope?).

:hmm::doh::-\

So yeah, that's the end of what I have to say. I'm still confused about it.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

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Is that the way the course typically defines the hazards?  If not, why did they feel the need to change it?

-Matt-

"does it still count as a hit fairway if it is the next one over"

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Is that the way the course typically defines the hazards?  If not, why did they feel the need to change it?

The course would not let them paint or mark the course. They did not have any stakes or painted lines.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

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The course would not let them paint or mark the course. They did not have any stakes or painted lines.

Understood.  

How does the course typically play though?  How is it defined on the courses scorecard?

-Matt-

"does it still count as a hit fairway if it is the next one over"

DRIVER-Callaway FTiz__3 WOOD-Nike SQ Dymo 15__HYBRIDS-3,4,5 Adams__IRONS-6-PW Adams__WEDGES-50,55,60 Wilson Harmonized__PUTTER-Odyssey Dual Force Rossie II

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How does the course typically play though?  How is it defined on the courses scorecard?

I don't know. The course scorecard isn't going to define them… they'd need to be marked with stakes or lines (or rely on the Decisions and Definitions).

There were some faint red lines around some hazards, but they were faint even when you could see them and they weren't everywhere, which is just more puzzling: the course agreed to host a championship (for the next three years) but wouldn't let us mark the course, and wouldn't mark it for us.

I'm going to lobby to have that changed for next year. It's not fair to the kids. What if a medalist is DQed? Or it costs a school a win or a high finish?

Some appalling stuff in there.  Are you looking for a specific analysis of all that is wrong for a purpose or just telling the story?

Mostly just telling the story. I have no idea how the "rules official" (I know his name but am not posting it here) allowed that to happen. Actually, he didn't allow it to happen: he is the one who determined this was how we'd play it.

I have no idea what he was thinking.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

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Sounds like they just were being lazy. Steep slopes are part of the course. If they wanted them inside the hazard then mark them. I think the course should be played as is. Water Hazards has a pretty solid definition as to what defines the hazard. 

Matt Dougherty, P.E.
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I'm with the crowd that is faint with astonishment.  This is the worst job of preparing a course and the field for a competition that I've ever heard of.  It would have been more appropriate to simply say nothing and seem ignorant than to post this and expose their stupidity to the world.  At least then the rules do provide an out for the players. 

If any of the competitors were even slightly conversant with the rules, the organizers will have totally forfeited any possible respect that they might have had.  It's like saying 2 + 5 = 24 unless 13 is 9. :-\

Rick

"He who has the fastest cart will never have a bad lie."

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Simple solution - go to a different course that has more respect/understanding of how to conduct a competition.

I know nothing of the logistics behind organizing a collegiate championship, but I'm going to guess that getting it moved (especially when you're not the organizer) isn't actually that simple.

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I know nothing of the logistics behind organizing a collegiate championship, but I'm going to guess that getting it moved (especially when you're not the organizer) isn't actually that simple.

Bingo.

I am going to make it a mission to get the course marked next year. And the year after that.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

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I emailed my local golf association on how the course was set up. The response I got basically said it would be against the rules of golf to set up course like that. 

So yea, this was an absurd ruling. In the end I think they should have just said all water hazards are defined by the hazard it self.

I wouldn't mind saying all stone walls are included in the hazard. In the end it pretty much plays identical to a water hazard in terms of dropping options if the ball is considered unplayable over being in a water hazard. 

Matt Dougherty, P.E.
 fasdfa dfdsaf 

What's in My Bag
Driver; :pxg: 0311 Gen 5,  3-Wood: 
:titleist: 917h3 ,  Hybrid:  :titleist: 915 2-Hybrid,  Irons: Sub 70 TAIII Fordged
Wedges: :edel: (52, 56, 60),  Putter: :edel:,  Ball: :snell: MTB,  Shoe: :true_linkswear:,  Rangfinder: :leupold:
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I emailed my local golf association on how the course was set up. The response I got basically said it would be against the rules of golf to set up course like that. 

Uh, yup. In their weird attempts to define the margin of the hazard, they ended up doing the opposite as the margin could move around and depended on a player's interpretation of "breaks down" or the length of the club he chose.

So yea, this was an absurd ruling. In the end I think they should have just said all water hazards are defined by the hazard it self.

That was my point…

The other coaches were bothered by the fact that the "local rules" for the water hazards bothered me, too.

I keep putting "local rules" lowercased and in quotation marks because obviously these aren't valid Local Rules.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

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The other coaches were bothered by the fact that the "local rules" for the water hazards bothered me, too.

I keep putting "local rules" lowercased and in quotation marks because obviously these aren't valid Local Rules.

This seems strange to me as well.  It seems like they would be on board with the idea that this way of defining the hazard is a bit off.

-Matt-

"does it still count as a hit fairway if it is the next one over"

DRIVER-Callaway FTiz__3 WOOD-Nike SQ Dymo 15__HYBRIDS-3,4,5 Adams__IRONS-6-PW Adams__WEDGES-50,55,60 Wilson Harmonized__PUTTER-Odyssey Dual Force Rossie II

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This seems strange to me as well.  It seems like they would be on board with the idea that this way of defining the hazard is a bit off.

To be honest, most of them just don't really seem to care all that much.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

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To be honest, most of them just don't really seem to care all that much.

Hmm.  That's to bad.  

Maybe they are just in it for a pay check??

-Matt-

"does it still count as a hit fairway if it is the next one over"

DRIVER-Callaway FTiz__3 WOOD-Nike SQ Dymo 15__HYBRIDS-3,4,5 Adams__IRONS-6-PW Adams__WEDGES-50,55,60 Wilson Harmonized__PUTTER-Odyssey Dual Force Rossie II

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Maybe they are just in it for a pay check??

I doubt it. I'm paid less than some of the local high school coaches, for example. They're not getting much more.

The guy who headed up this particular championship is his school's AD, I think. Anyway… :offtopic: :-) 

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

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I agree the 'breaks down' definition / rule is pretty vague & murkily worded. But, wasn't the likely intent behind that to mean 'top of the bank' bordering the exposed water versus 'top of the hill / slope'? Water hazard banks are usually low & close to the water, but may in some spots (along streams) be higher and further from the water's edge. It could have been implemented a bit like the bunker rule at Pinehurst where some of the borders were vague and might require a ruling, but most would be pretty clear.

Kevin

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