local rules broken....penalty?

[Fat Slice]

Here's something I've wondered about. Let's say there is a local rule which says "stay out of the environmental areas!!!" and a golfer takes a stance INSIDE one of those areas and takes a shot. The ball was sitting in play, not in an environmental area, but the golfer was standing where he should not have been.

Any penalty?

[iacas]

Here's something I've wondered about. Let's say there is a local rule which says "stay out of the environmental areas!!!" and a golfer takes a stance INSIDE one of those areas and takes a shot. The ball was sitting in play, not in an environmental area, but the golfer was standing where he should not have been.

http://www.usga.org/bookrule.aspx?id=14322

Source: USGA Rules, Appendix 1 3. Areas of the Course Requiring Preservation; Environmentally-Sensitive Areas Assisting preservation of the course by defining areas, including turf nurseries, young plantations and other parts of the course under cultivation, as ground under repair from which play is prohibited. When the Committee is required to prohibit play from environmentally-sensitive areas that are on or adjoin the course, it should make a Local Rule clarifying the relief procedure.

[Fourputt]

From the speciment local rule for protection of environmentally sensitive areas:

III. Interference with Stance or Area of Intended Swing Interference by an ESA occurs when the ESA interferes with the player's stance or the area of his intended swing. If interference exists, the player must take relief as follows: (a) Through the Green: If the ball lies through the green, the point on the course nearest to where the ball lies must be determined that (a) is not nearer the hole, (b) avoids interference by the ESA and (c) is not in a hazard or on a putting green. The player must lift the ball and drop it, without penalty, within one club-length of the point so determined on a part of the course that fulfills (a), (b) and (c) above. (b) In a Hazard: If the ball is in a hazard, the player must lift the ball and drop it either: (i) Without penalty, in the hazard, as near as possible to the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole, on a part of the course that provides complete relief from the ESA; or (ii) Under penalty of one stroke, outside the hazard, keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the hazard the ball may be dropped. Additionally, the player may proceed under Rule 26 or 28 if applicable. (c) On the Putting Green: If the ball lies on the putting green, the player must lift the ball and place it, without penalty, in the nearest position to where it lay that affords complete relief from the ESA, but not nearer the hole or in a hazard. The ball may be cleaned when lifted under Clause III of this Local Rule. Exception: A player may not take relief under Clause III of this Local Rule if (a) it is clearly unreasonable for him to make a stroke because of interference by anything other than an ESA or (b) interference by an ESA would occur only through use of an unnecessarily abnormal stance, swing or direction of play. PENALTY FOR BREACH OF LOCAL RULE: Match play - Loss of hole; Stroke play - Two strokes. Note: In the case of a serious breach of this Local Rule, the Committee may impose a penalty of disqualification.