Help Dealing with Green Plugs.

[InTheTwenties]

I play a muni in Westchester county NY- Saxon Woods Golf Course. Its a nice course, hilly, dog leggy and challenging. The fairways are fabulous, and rough is tough- eats clubs for breakfast. My only problem with this course is when they aerate their greens, they collect the plugs, then sprinkle the plugs around the rough of the green, and on the fringe.

My questions: Are these loose plugs- about 1/2 to 3/4 inch plugs of dirt and grass considered loose impediments?

If not, and I cant move them, how am I supposed to get decent contact with the ball- any tips?

This is the only course in westchester ny where I have encountered this, and its frustrating.

Help!

[DaveLeeNC]

Per the definition in the ROG (not fixed or growing, not solidly embedded, and not adhering to the ball) I would say that they are loose impediments.

"Loose soil" is only a loose impediment on the putting green. This doesn't seem to me to match the label "loose soil". It is soil and it is loose, but I don't believe that this is what the writers were intending to describe.

dave

[iacas]

Per the definition in the ROG (not fixed or growing, not solidly embedded, and not adhering to the ball) I would say that they are loose impediments.

Loose impediments is right.

[zeg]

Specifically, Ruling 23/12:

Q. Are plugs of compacted soil produced through aeration of fairways loose impediments? A. Yes. Loose soil is not a loose impediment. However, such plugs, since they consist of compacted soil, are loose impediments.

[iWALK18]

I feel you man. I was playing the par 3 16th, hit it right of the green up on top of that hill, and when i got up there my ball was resting against one of those plugs. I couldn't move the plug because My ball would certainly roll. I just chunked it down the hill, but it was really frustrating. Did they just aerate?

[MiniMoe]

Look at what purpose the plugs are serving. They greens keeper wants them to take root and grow. If you are not playing in a tournament, take a free drop and consider it ground under repair or what ever. If you want to play from those areas and are moving the plugs around and disturbing the area, the plugs will not grow properly. Let it go, man. It's not that big of deal. Take a drop and move on. The greens keeper will thank you later when the grass is nice and thick.

[iWALK18]

Look at what purpose the plugs are serving. They greens keeper wants them to take root and grow. If you are not playing in a tournament, take a free drop and consider it ground under repair or what ever. If you want to play from those areas and are moving the plugs around and disturbing the area, the plugs will not grow properly. Let it go, man. It's not that big of deal. Take a drop and move on. The greens keeper will thank you later when the grass is nice and thick.

Well I wish I knew that would be considered Ground Under repair. Might have saved me a shot, and a whole lot of frustration.

[MiniMoe]

In a tournament, the rules committee will either paint the area or state in the rules of competition about hole plugs. That is a different animal all together. On a casual round with your buddies, the most strict interpretation of the rules does not need to be applied. Golf courses will not spend the money on paint to let everyone know it is ground under repair, and the pro is not going to go the extra mile to put a written statement on the front counter to let all those playing either. Common sense tells me it has to be ground under repair because of why they are their.... even if they are not technically considered GUR. You just have to realize that in tournaments you have to be more careful. In casual rounds for handicap or for 10 bucks with the buddies... it does not really matter.

If that were not enough, the rules do call for plugs that are piled up to be removed later to be considered ground under repair.