rules question of the day

[EightBlue]

is the black tarp that lines sand traps part of the hazard?

Here is the situation. I hit a shot about 3 inches behind a sandtrap. Due to high winds and lots of water, the tarp is exposed and has come out of the trap a bit. I would clearly have to hit the tarp in order to hit my ball on the green.

Should i be entitled to relief here?

[iacas]

  EightBlue said:

is the black tarp that lines sand traps part of the hazard?

More importantly, your ball wasn't in the sand trap. Why not just push the tarp out of the way?

Beyond that, and off the top of my head, the tarp may be an obstruction:

Source: Rules of Golf Obstructions An "obstruction" is anything artificial , including the artificial surfaces and sides of roads and paths and manufactured ice, except: a. Objects defining out of bounds, such as walls, fences, stakes and railings; b. Any part of an immovable artificial object that is out of bounds; and c. Any construction declared by the Committee to be an integral part of the course. An obstruction is a movable obstruction if it may be moved without unreasonable effort, without unduly delaying play and without causing damage. Otherwise, it is an immovable obstruction. Note: The Committee may make a Local Rule declaring a movable obstruction to be an immovable obstruction.

You may be able to call it an obstruction. 150-yard stakes are considered obstructions like this. Again, what's relevant too is that your ball was not in the hazard.

[EightBlue]

  iacas said:

More importantly, your ball wasn't in the sand trap. Why not just push the tarp out of the way?

are you assuming that the tarp is not part of the hazard? since the tarp is touching the sand doesn't that make it part of the hazard?

[iacas]

  EightBlue said:

are you assuming that the tarp is not part of the hazard? since the tarp is touching the sand doesn't that make it part of the hazard?

I don't see how that would matter. It's artificial and meets criteria a, b, and c.

You can move a twig in a bunker if your ball's not in the bunker. I don't think I'd consider the lining of a bunker to be part of the bunker. It's artificial, like a sprinkler head (you get relief from those too - though they're rarely in bunkers or water hazards ). Again that's just my initial thought. If I had more time I'd look through the Decisions and things too.

[MiniMoe]

the lining of the sand trap is an obstruction. It does not matter if you are in the bunker or not, you get a free drop, closest point of relief, no closer to the hole.

[2bGood]

  MiniMoe said:

the lining of the sand trap is an obstruction. It does not matter if you are in the bunker or not, you get a free drop, closest point of relief, no closer to the hole.

If it is in the bunker, I believe you do get a drop, but it has to still be in the hazard.

[Fourputt]

The tarp is an immovable obstruction. If the ball is outside of the margin of the hazard, then you get relief if the tarp interferes with your stance, the lie of the ball, or the area of your intended swing. If the ball lies within the margin of the bunker then you still get relief, but the nearest point of relief must be in the bunker, and the ball must be dropped in the bunker. You may drop outside of the bunker by taking a one stroke penalty. See Rule 24-2b for all relief options.

Just because part of the tarp has been shifted outside of the normal margin of the bunker, that doesn't change the margin of the bunker.

[zrlaegel]

  iacas said:

I don't see how that would matter. It's artificial and meets criteria a, b, and c.

+1 on relief.

[RS22]

  iacas said:

I always think of Tiger Woods back in the beginning of his career in that tournament where he had that big boulder in the way of his ball and some members of the gallery moved it for him. Unreasonable effort....hmmm lol.

[iacas]

  RS22 said:

I always think of Tiger Woods back in the beginning of his career in that tournament where he had that big boulder in the way of his ball and some members of the gallery moved it for him. Unreasonable effort....hmmm lol.

A rock isn't man-made (artificial). It was a loose impediment.

Source: Rules of Golf Loose Impediments "Loose impediments" are natural objects including: · stones, leaves, twigs, branches and the like, · dung, and · worms, insects and the like, and the casts and heaps made by them, provided they are not: · fixed or growing, · solidly embedded, or · adhering to the ball. Sand and loose soil are loose impediments on the putting green, but not elsewhere. Snow and natural ice, other than frost, are either casual water or loose impediments, at the option of the player. Dew and frost are not loose impediments.

Specifically, Rule 23 covers relief procedures for loose impediments. Tiger knew (and knows) the rules. What can ya say? All players should - they help more often than they hurt.