Standing water in bunker.

[Jeremie Boop]

Sunday I was playing at a local course and almost every bunker had a few inches of standing water in them from recent storms. I was actually able to avoid them the whole round except for 1 par 3 I was in a green side bunker off the tee. I played it by retrieving it from the water and dropping in the bunker *which was like concrete* and chipped it out to about 10 ft. I didn't take as stroke on the drop. Was this the right or wrong call?

[geauxforbroke]

As long as you drop in the bunker, you get free relief from casual water under rule 25-1.

[Jeremie Boop]

Originally Posted by geauxforbroke

As long as you drop in the bunker, you get free relief from casual water under rule 25-1.

That's what I thought, and yeah I made sure to drop in the bunker. I even dropped it further from the hole behind the water to be safe.

[Asheville]

Originally Posted by Jeremie Boop

Sunday I was playing at a local course and almost every bunker had a few inches of standing water in them from recent storms. I was actually able to avoid them the whole round except for 1 par 3 I was in a green side bunker off the tee. I played it by retrieving it from the water and dropping in the bunker *which was like concrete* and chipped it out to about 10 ft. I didn't take as stroke on the drop. Was this the right or wrong call?

Look in the Rules. Here's a place to start Rule 25-1b. but, then you'll be curious as to what is an "abnormal ground condition" and you'll want to look in the Definitions.

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

http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Definitions/

[geauxforbroke]

Originally Posted by Jeremie Boop

Quote:

Originally Posted by geauxforbroke

As long as you drop in the bunker, you get free relief from casual water under rule 25-1.

That's what I thought, and yeah I made sure to drop in the bunker. I even dropped it further from the hole behind the water to be safe.

You drop at the nearest point of relief that is still within the bunker . Sounds like you made the right call.

[vmsea]

what if the whole bunker is covered in water? and there's no where IN the bunker to drop where u don't have water?

bad drainage ok.. but what's the rule/play?

[Asheville]

Originally Posted by vmsea

what if the whole bunker is covered in water? and there's no where IN the bunker to drop where u don't have water?

bad drainage ok.. but what's the rule/play?

It's covered in Rule 25-1b. (I'm not trying to be difficult, but if you take the trouble to read the Rule for yourself, you'll stand a better chance of remembering it for the next time.)

[Jeremie Boop]

Originally Posted by Asheville

It's covered in Rule 25-1b. (I'm not trying to be difficult, but if you take the trouble to read the Rule for yourself, you'll stand a better chance of remembering it for the next time.)

While I understand the reasoning for the rule, I don't know that I'd be very happy if that situation happened.

[vmsea]

Originally Posted by Asheville

It's covered in Rule 25-1b. (I'm not trying to be difficult, but if you take the trouble to read the Rule for yourself, you'll stand a better chance of remembering it for the next time.)

essentially S.O.L.. either drop it in the bunker that looks like a pond, or take a stroke penalty and drop it outside? ok.. thanks!

[Asheville]

Originally Posted by vmsea

essentially S.O.L.. either drop it in the bunker that looks like a pond, or take a stroke penalty and drop it outside? ok.. thanks!

SOL would be if the Rules said that you had to quit and go home and you couldn't get your money back.

Two things need to be considered. One is that a bunker is a hazard and there are no provisions anywhere in the Rules for getting free relief from any hazard, ever. (If  your ball ended up next to a rattlesnake in the rough you'd be entitled to free relief, however if the same ball was next to the same rattlesnake but in a bunker it would cost you one penalty stroke to drop outside the bunker.) And, two, you hit it there.

[TJBam]

Also some courses will make it known in the pro shop that any ball lost into a bunker with deep standing water gives the player a free drop outside the bunker no closer to the hole.

For example my home course last weekend - some of the bunkers were overflowing with rain water from the night before.  They were "ground under repair" and any ball lost into their water or into the sand warranted a free drop behind the bunker no closer to the hole.

Edit: I would've liked to be there when the bunkers dried up.  Must've been a lot of balls sitting in those bunkers.  Water was muddy and balls were impossible to find in there.

[Jeremie Boop]

Originally Posted by TJBam

Also some courses will make it known in the pro shop that any ball lost into a bunker with deep standing water gives the player a free drop outside the bunker no closer to the hole.

For example my home course last weekend - some of the bunkers were overflowing with rain water from the night before.  They were "ground under repair" and any ball lost into their water or into the sand warranted a free drop behind the bunker no closer to the hole.

Any good course would do that probably. The courses I play... not so much.

[Rulesman]

Originally Posted by TJBam

Also some courses will make it known in the pro shop that any ball lost into a bunker with deep standing water gives the player a free drop outside the bunker no closer to the hole.

For example my home course last weekend - some of the bunkers were overflowing with rain water from the night before.  They were "ground under repair" and any ball lost into their water or into the sand warranted a free drop behind the bunker no closer to the hole.

This may be done as a Local Rule under the provisions of Decision 33-8/27.

But the bunkers must be individually identified and the conditions must be exceptional.

http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Decision-33/#33-8/27

[Rulesman]

Originally Posted by Asheville

if the same ball was next to the same rattlesnake but in a bunker it would cost you one penalty stroke to drop outside the bunker.)

Not so. You would be entitled to relief from the rattlesnake separately if the safest place was outside the bunker.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Jeremie Boop

Sunday I was playing at a local course and almost every bunker had a few inches of standing water in them from recent storms. I was actually able to avoid them the whole round except for 1 par 3 I was in a green side bunker off the tee. I played it by retrieving it from the water and dropping in the bunker *which was like concrete* and chipped it out to about 10 ft. I didn't take as stroke on the drop. Was this the right or wrong call?

For relief without penalty, you must drop in the bunker and not closer to the hole.  It is the only time when taking relief without penalty that complete relief is not required.  If there is no place not closer to the hole where complete relief is possible, then you can drop at a point offering the maximum possible relief.  That may mean that you are still standing in water or that the ball still lies in shallower water.  If that is not possible, then you may drop outside of the bunker with a one stroke penalty.  In no case are you allowed to drop closer to the hole.

[Asheville]

Originally Posted by Rulesman

Not so. You would be entitled to relief from the rattlesnake separately if the safest place was outside the bunker.

Decision 1-4/10 says that it'll cost you one!

" 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."

[vmsea]

Originally Posted by Asheville

SOL would be if the Rules said that you had to quit and go home and you couldn't get your money back.

A course that forces me to leave and not give me my money back for no reason is not SOL.. it's a reason for a law suit ;)

[Rulesman]

Originally Posted by Asheville

Decision 1-4/10 says that it'll cost you one!

"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."

You are of course correct. We don't see much in the way of rattlesnakes in this part of the world. Nor alligators.