Half Eaten Pears..

[Maverick]

I ran across this today:

23/3 Half-Eaten Pear

Q. A half-eaten pear lies directly in front of a ball in a bunker and there is no pear tree in the vicinity of the bunker. In the circumstances, is the pear an obstruction rather than a loose impediment, in which case the player could remove it without penalty?

A. No. A pear is a natural object. When detached from a tree it is a loose impediment. The fact that a pear has been half-eaten and there is no pear tree in the vicinity does not alter the status of the pear.

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So, if the pear was WHOLE and un-eaten then it is a movable loose impediment..lol..crazy I assume this rule pertains to all fruits/vegetables as well?

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some others:

23/4 Fruit Skins
Q. Is a banana skin or other fruit skin a loose impediment?

A. Yes. (how is this different from a half eaten pear?!?)

23/5 Ant Hill
Q. Is an ant hill a loose impediment?

A. Yes. A player is entitled to remove an ant hill under Rule 23-1.

23/6 Dead Land Crab
Q. A ball lodges against a dead land crab in a bunker. May the crab be removed without penalty?

A. No. A dead land crab is a natural object and thus a loose impediment and not an obstruction. Removal of the crab would be a breach of Rule 13-4.

23/6.5 Snake
Q. Is a snake an outside agency or a loose impediment?

A. A live snake is an outside agency. A dead snake is a loose impediment.

23/7 Fallen Tree
Q. Is a fallen tree a loose impediment?

A. If it is still attached to the stump, no; if it is not attached to the stump, yes. (dang stumps!!)

23/10 Ball Embedded in Fruit
Q. A ball is embedded in an orange lying under an orange tree. What is the ruling?

A. The player must play the ball as it lies or deem it unplayable . Since the orange was adhering to the ball, it was not a loose impediment. (I'd love to see this!)

[cmarkmyers]

So a bananna skin is a loose impediment, but is a bananna not? I would guess so based on the pear.