wasps in bunker

[5ironkid]

Hey guys. i was playing a round today and i noticed all of the bunkers are filled with wasps flying around. i can see the holes where they burrow in, and i hit a shot into there by accident. i slowly moved into the bunker, retrieved my ball, and got out of their. i play on my highschool team, and i was wondering what the ruling on this would be. i remember something about there being free relief if the golfer is put into harms way, but i dont remember it fully. also i was wondering about when we play winter rules, with us being able to drop 1 clublength away, or to clean the ball. am i allowed to rake where my ball was? also if i was within one club length, could i take a drop from the bunker onto the surrounding rough? thanks guys

[Dormie1360]

Hi 5 iron,

1 penalty stroke to drop outside of the bunker.

As far as winter rules, you're sort of leaving the rules of golf and I'm not really an expert.  You can play under preferred lies but I don't believe that's allowed in hazards (which include bunkers).

1-4/10

Dangerous Situation; Rattlesnake or Bees Interfere with Play

Q. A player's ball comes to rest in a situation dangerous to the player, e.g., near a live rattlesnake or a bees' nest. In equity (Rule 1-4 ), does the player have any options in addition to playing the ball as it lies or, if applicable, proceeding under Rule 26 or 28 ?

A. Yes. It is unreasonable to expect the player to play from such a dangerous situation and unfair to require the player to incur a penalty under Rule 26 (Water Hazards) or Rule 28 (Ball Unplayable).

If the ball lay through the green, the player may, without penalty, drop a ball within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest spot not nearer the hole that is not dangerous and is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.

If the ball lay in a hazard, the player may drop a ball, without penalty, within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest spot not nearer the hole that is not dangerous. If possible, the ball must be dropped in the same hazard and, if not possible, in a similar nearby hazard, but in either case not nearer the hole. If it is not possible for the player to drop the ball in a hazard, he may drop it, under penalty of one stroke, outside the hazard, keeping the point where the original ball lay between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped.

If the ball lay on the putting green, the player may, without penalty, place a ball at the nearest spot not nearer the hole that is not dangerous and that is not in a hazard.

If interference by anything other than the dangerous situation makes the stroke clearly impracticable or if the situation would be dangerous only through the use of a clearly unreasonable stroke or an unnecessarily abnormal stance, swing, or direction of play, the player may not take relief as prescribed above, but he is not precluded from proceeding under Rule 26 or 28 if applicable. (Revised)

[Rulesman]

Dormie

You say 1 stroke penalty to drop out but then quote a decision which says there is no penalty.

I would say the decision is right and appropriate to this situation.

[Rulesman]

Originally Posted by 5ironkid

Hey guys. i was playing a round today and i noticed all of the bunkers are filled with wasps flying around. i can see the holes where they burrow in, and i hit a shot into there by accident. i slowly moved into the bunker, retrieved my ball, and got out of their. i play on my highschool team, and i was wondering what the ruling on this would be. i remember something about there being free relief if the golfer is put into harms way, but i dont remember it fully. also i was wondering about when we play winter rules, with us being able to drop 1 clublength away, or to clean the ball. am i allowed to rake where my ball was? also if i was within one club length, could i take a drop from the bunker onto the surrounding rough? thanks guys

The decision quoted above would apply to your wasps situation.

Winter Rules or Preferred Lies only apply to a ball on a closely mown area (ie grass cut to fairway length). No special treatment for a ball in a damp bunker.

Unless it is casual water. In which case see

http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Rule-25/#25-1

[zeg]

Originally Posted by Rulesman

Dormie

You say 1 stroke penalty to drop out but then quote a decision which says there is no penalty.

I would say the decision is right and appropriate to this situation.

They agree, making a couple assumptions. There's no penalty if you drop in the same bunker or in a similar, nearby hazard. I believe Dormie assumed the entire hazard was dangerous, and either there was no nearby hazard or such a hazard was also infested with ground wasps. If you drop outside a bunker, it's a penalty stroke.

[Dormie1360]

Originally Posted by Rulesman

Dormie

You say 1 stroke penalty to drop out but then quote a decision which says there is no penalty.

I would say the decision is right and appropriate to this situation.

Not sure what I'm missing.  The OP said he retrieved his ball from the hazard and " got out of there".  To me that implied he played from somewhere outside the hazard.  The decision says dropping outside the hazard is a 1 stroke penalty.

[5ironkid]

yeah i was just playing a casual round, so i didnt feel like getting stung. i picked up the ball and left the bunker so i wouldnt disturb any bees inder the sand in fear of being stung. so during match play would i be penalized for this, even though i was in the vicinity of sand wasps in the bunker? there was no other bunker to drop in and the hole bunker was filled with these things

[Rulesman]

Originally Posted by Dormie1360

Not sure what I'm missing.  The OP said he retrieved his ball from the hazard and " got out of there".  To me that implied he played from somewhere outside the hazard.  The decision says dropping outside the hazard is a 1 stroke penalty.

Yes, I missed that 'got out of there' was playing from outside the bunker.

[Dormie1360]

Originally Posted by 5ironkid

yeah i was just playing a casual round, so i didnt feel like getting stung. i picked up the ball and left the bunker so i wouldnt disturb any bees inder the sand in fear of being stung. so during match play would i be penalized for this, even though i was in the vicinity of sand wasps in the bunker? there was no other bunker to drop in and the hole bunker was filled with these things

Well, the rules are rather specific, I think generally the rules don't want to give a player a break for hitting into a hazard no matter what the reason.  If the committee had known about the problem before hand I suppose they could have deemed it an Abnormal Ground Condition, although I think there might be some restrictions with that also.

Not sure where you live, but here in KY we currently have Cicada Killers swarming  our greens and surrounding areas.   They appear for about 4 weeks.  They try to burrow into soft areas, including very sandy soil.  They look like huge hornets but are more scary than dangerous.  We occasionally have bunches buzzing around a person putting on the green.....but no one has ever gotten stung.  More disconcerting than anything else.

Check this out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphecius_speciosus

[5ironkid]

yeah, some of those recenty took over my neighbors lawn last summer. they burrowed into the ground near the side walks and would like catch the cicadas and drag them under ground. my neighbor showed me 2 dead ones, and they reminded me of those japanese giant hornets exept less agressive

[darkhunter139]

Originally Posted by zeg

They agree, making a couple assumptions. There's no penalty if you drop in the same bunker or in a similar, nearby hazard. I believe Dormie assumed the entire hazard was dangerous, and either there was no nearby hazard or such a hazard was also infested with ground wasps. If you drop outside a bunker, it's a penalty stroke.

How nearby does another hazard have to be? Could I dropped the ball in a bunker on the other side of the green and not take a penalty?

[Dormie1360]

Originally Posted by darkhunter139

How nearby does another hazard have to be? Could I dropped the ball in a bunker on the other side of the green and not take a penalty?

I had a feeling someone was going to ask that.  Not sure.   I've never seen the rule applied or discussed it in workshops.  I would imagine you try to comply with the rule as literally as possible which means a nearby similar bunker, no closer to the hole.  If that's the closest bunker and the drop in not nearer the hole ......seems plausible.  The shot could become harder, or easier depending on bunker depth, green contour, etc.

I think it would be highly unusual, OP's situation aside, that an entire bunker would be dangerous.  Alligator sitting in it, rattlesnake,.....probably doesn't happen that often.  You could always have your caddie shoo the alligator with a rake.