More rules drama..

[cougar978]

I played a 36-hole event this weekend.  We're on the 10th hole, and the guy I'm playing with hits his ball in a red-staked ditch.  He has a stance in the hazard, but moves a red stake directly in front of his ball (while it's in the hazard).  I saw him doing it, and wanted to yell out for him not to do it, but one of the other guys was hitting his shot, so I couldn't say anything.  He pulls the stake out, and I tell him that since his ball's in a hazard, you can't move the stake, since it's considered part of the hazard and it's a 2 stoke penalty.  Anyway, we finish our round and the tournament director decides there's no penalty for moving a hazard stake while your ball's in a hazard and his penalty is, in essence, reversed.

I was under the impression that when your ball is in a staked hazard, you aren't allowed to touch or move anything , under penalty of two strokes.

[Fourputt]

If the stake is designated as a movable obstruction, then he can move it - no penalty.  He can't move a loose impediment, nor can he take relief from an immovable obstruction.   It it was an out of bounds marker, then he is not allowed to move it no matter where his ball lies.

[Shorty]

Seems strange to me that you have a group of players and none of them know that you are allowed to move the stake.

Or, you were told, but you just thought you knew better, but why?

And then, the tournament director tells you that you were wrong. Still, you still say that you think he should have been penalised.

At some time you would have thought that someone would have looked up the rule and shown it to you. It seems that you doubt the decision.  Even if noone at the club has a rule book, why not just do a quick Google search when you got home?

You say that the penalty is "in effect" reversed, as if it's unfair.   The tournament director didn't have to "decide" anything. It's a well known rule.

A good way to avoid this sort of situation is to have a rule book in your bag and not try to enforce rules when you don't know them.

[cougar978]

A friend of mine was dinged for two strokes for doing the exact same thing last year.  This is why I brought it up.  I know, I'm a horrible person for doing what I did.

Originally Posted by Shorty

Seems strange to me that you have a group of players and none of them know that you are allowed to move the stake.

Or, you were told, but you just thought you knew better, but why?

And then, the tournament director tells you that you were wrong. Still, you still say that you think he should have been penalised.

At some time you would have thought that someone would have looked up the rule and shown it to you. It seems that you doubt the decision.  Even if noone at the club has a rule book, why not just do a quick Google search when you got home?

You say that the penalty is "in effect" reversed, as if it's unfair.   The tournament director didn't have to "decide" anything. It's a well known rule.

A good way to avoid this sort of situation is to have a rule book in your bag and not try to enforce rules when you don't know them.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by cougar978

A friend of mine was dinged for two strokes for doing the exact same thing last year.  This is why I brought it up.  I know, I'm a horrible person for doing what I did.

C'mon. You got a rule wrong, the committee ruled properly, and you want to play the "woe is me" card?

If your buddy knew the Rules he would have not gotten the penalty.

[cougar978]

I'm not trying to do that Erik, I just think the guy went a little over the top in being critical of me.  I was incorrect in my interpretation of the Rules.

[cougar978]

By the way, I took 13th in a field of over 100 guys and one of my best friends won the thing, so all in all it was a pretty good tournament.

[Zeph]

You can touch growing objects too. You can't touch loose impediments or the ground. You can obviously not bend away grass, branches etc.

[ejimsmith]

Originally Posted by cougar978

I'm not trying to do that Erik, I just think the guy went a little over the top in being critical of me.  I was incorrect in my interpretation of the Rules.

i agree, there's an internet tough guy in this thread.