Ruling: Golf Balls lies on tree mulch & sidewalk

[Dormie1360]

Originally Posted by jaysquared

What about if the sidewalk is not part of the golf course and is considered a public sidewalk? That has to be OB right???? My friend said that's a free relief and I said no.. Since the sidewalk is OB you play it how it lies just like if your ball is right by an OB fence.. Play it as it lies.. Was I correct??

You do not get relief from immovable obstructions that are OB.  So if the sidewalk was OB your are correct, no relief.

I'm assuming the ball was in bounds.  Obviously, if the ball is OB, non of this applies.

[jaysquared]

That's what I figured.. It didn't have white stakes but it was a public sidewalk and I assumed anything that's not golf purse property=OB.. He's ball was pretty much laying against te sidewalk..

[Rulesman]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

You don't get relief from the mulch, only from the sidewalk (obstruction - Rule 24).

I have only picked up this point in order to determine the background for the latest question posted.

But a path made of of wood chip (which is often used as a mulch of course) is an Immovable Obstruction.

23/14 Loose Impediments Used to Surface Road

Q . A player hits his ball onto a gravel-covered road. Even though he is entitled to relief from this obstruction, he prefers to play the ball from the road. May he remove gravel that might interfere with his stroke?

A. Yes. Gravel is a loose impediment and a player may remove loose impediments under Rule 23-1. This right is not cancelled by the fact that, when a road is covered with gravel, it becomes an artificially-surfaced road and thus an immovable obstruction

The same principle applies to roads or paths constructed with stone, crushed shell, wood chips or the like.

[Rulesman]

Originally Posted by jaysquared

What about if the sidewalk is not part of the golf course and is considered a public sidewalk? That has to be OB right????

Not necessarily. It depends on how the Local Rules are worded.

It is not uncommon for a public path to be part of a golf course.

If the sidewalk is OOB then if the ball is on it, it is also OOB. So S&D;!

If the ball is not on the sidewalk then there is no relief.

If the sidewalk is not OOB but the far side is, then the npr will be course side (not nearer the hole).