Natural hazard?

noobgolfer · August 6, 2011

My dad and I and a friend were playing a round of golf when I hit a great fairway wood shot that landed in the bunker. When I got to the bunker there were about 5 yellow jackets flying around. I asked if could move it because I was afraid that if I swung and hit the sand it would anger the yellow jackets. What is the rule about playing a ball when it is close to yellow jackets?

kinetiqueman · August 7, 2011

The rule is that you must play the ball as it lies or take the required penalty for unplayable lie. That being said, there are numerous times where, whether in the rough or fairway, if I need to stand in a fire-ant mound to hit the ball I take relief to the nearest similar lie and do not take a penalty. Call me a cheater if you must!

**Ignorant** · August 7, 2011

Originally Posted by kinetiqueman

The rule is that you must play the ball as it lies or take the required penalty for unplayable lie. That being said, there are numerous times where, whether in the rough or fairway, if I need to stand in a fire-ant mound to hit the ball I take relief to the nearest similar lie and do not take a penalty. Call me a cheater if you must!

Check this out http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Decision-01/#1-4/10 . If it is a dangerous situation then you may get a relief.

**ThominOH** · August 7, 2011

Originally Posted by Ignorant

Check this out http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Decision-01/#1-4/10. If it is a dangerous situation then you may get a relief.

exactly.. we do allow this many times in sand traps in Ohio.. For some reason come August we get a lot of the ground hornets that make their nest in sand traps... FREE relief.. thank goodness

**Fourputt** · August 7, 2011

Originally Posted by kinetiqueman

The rule is that you must play the ball as it lies or take the required penalty for unplayable lie. That being said, there are numerous times where, whether in the rough or fairway, if I need to stand in a fire-ant mound to hit the ball I take relief to the nearest similar lie and do not take a penalty. Call me a cheater if you must!

This:

1-4/10 Dangerous Situation; Rattlesnake or Bees Interfere with Play

Q. A player's ball comes to rest in a situation dangerous to the player, e.g., near a live rattlesnake or a bees' nest. Does the player have any options in addition to playing the ball as it lies or, if applicable, proceeding under Rule 26 or 28?

A. Yes. It is unreasonable to expect the player to play from such a dangerous situation and unfair to require the player to incur a penalty under Rule 26 (Water Hazards) or Rule 28 (Ball Unplayable).

If the ball lay through the green, the player may, without penalty, drop a ball within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest spot not nearer the hole that is not dangerous and is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.

If the ball lay in a hazard, the player may drop a ball, without penalty, within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest spot not nearer the hole that is not dangerous. If possible, the ball must be dropped in the same hazard and, if not possible, in a similar nearby hazard, but in either case not nearer the hole. If it is not possible for the player to drop the ball in a hazard, he may drop it, under penalty of one stroke, outside the hazard, keeping the point where the original ball lay between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped.

If the ball lay on the putting green, the player may, without penalty, place a ball at the nearest spot not nearer the hole that is not dangerous and that is not in a hazard.

If it is clearly unreasonable for the player to make a stroke because of interference by anything other than the dangerous situation or if the situation would be dangerous only through the use of an unnecessarily abnormal stance, swing, or direction of play, he may not take relief as prescribed above, but he is not precluded from proceeding under Rule 26 or 28 if applicable. (Revised)

**Topper** · August 8, 2011

Let me extend this analogy a little further. A few weeks ago I was in a local golf shop having a club re-gripped. I don't remember how the shop employee and I got on the topic, but I mentioned that I don't waste much (like zero) time looking for my ball when I've hit it into heavy rough or woods where it wouldn't likely be playable even if I found it. Even if I thought I might have a shot at hacking it into the fairway, I won't wander through brush and high grass because I hate ticks and Lyme disease. I've had 3 coworkers treated for Lyme since last summer so no thanks.

Anyway, he proceeds to reference the above rule and indicates that I should be able to take free relief. I argued that I could load up on repellents and hope for the best (Screw that BTW). But he remained adamant that I could take relief. As much as I would like to, I don't think fear of Lyme disease meets the intent of the rule so I always play a provisional and take the penalty. Since I hate ticks (and bugs in general), I will learn to not hit the golf ball where ticks live.

It seems every rule has "room for interpretation" that can have a major impact on how individuals report scores. As a high handicapper, I could certainly help my score (a lot on some courses) by claiming a fear of Lyme disease and getting relief from heavy rough.

**Fourputt** · August 8, 2011

You are correct. The threat has to be real and immediate, not just a vague possibility. Out here I cold say that there was a threat of rattlesnakes every time I hit into the native grass. Somehow I don't think my buddies would go for that as an excuse.

**Sheriff420** · August 9, 2011

And here I thought I was cheating the other day. I was relieved when the ball stopped a few feet short of going into a bunker but when I went up to it so I could bump it onto the green I saw that it was sitting on the edge of a fire ant hole. Not only that but there was another one right where I would have been standing to hit the ball.

Last year I had them get me in the back yard, they got up to my thighs before they started biting and that made me do a backwards hop while kicking off my shoes and pants while swatting them off. Those things are vicious. So yeah, I didn't play the ball from where it was at.

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