Bubba's Ants

[iacas]

So the big ****ing ant hills that are in the woods around here, you do not get relief? I think the immovable obstruction rule would apply here. I mean in this case they're more like a building. They're about a foot high.

No. Don't hit your ball there ("in the woods").

[dkolo]

Ants, are insects, and are considered animals, just like any rodent. It's a bad rule where ants are concerned.   [URL=https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz;=1C1CHFX_enUS454US455&ion;=1&espv;=2&ie;=UTF-8#q=are%20ants%20animals]https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz;=1C1CHFX_enUS454US455&ion;=1&espv;=2&ie;=UTF-8#q=are%20ants%20animals[/URL]

You're misreading the definition. Saying "other than worm, insect, or the like" is merely excluding a subset of the term it's modifying, in this case "animals." It would be a misreading of that phrase to conclude it stands for the proposition that ants aren't animals. The ruling bodies just have some reason for excluding insects and worms and the like. I have some guesses about those reasons but the only important thing is ants don't count as the term of art "burrowing animal" for purposes of the rules of golf.

[David in FL]

So the big ****ing ant hills that are in the woods around here, you do not get relief? I think the immovable obstruction rule would apply here. I mean in this case they're more like a building. They're about a foot high.

You don't get relief from the trees either. Damn rules! ;-)

[Ernest Jones]

You don't get relief from the trees either. Damn rules! ;-)

Why not? Clearly they've burrowed, no?

[dkolo]

No. Don't hit your ball there ("in the woods").

Relief from ant hills and holes would turn into the same problem as divots in the fairway. Any little pile of dirt could be an ant hill if there's ants around, or even if there aren't. Any little tiny hole in the ground could conceivably have been made by an ant or a worm or the like. It could conceivably give you free drops on every shot that isn't on a cart path. And distinguishing between these small holes or hills and bigger ones is really tough to write out in a rule without being arbitrary so the rules just say "No relief for ant or worm hills or holes. Unless they could kill you. If it was made by a bigger animal, we can talk." You're always free to take an unplayable if they're just gross.

[Fourputt]

First of all, by burrowing animals the rules refer primarily to animals whose burrows are large enough for a ball to enter.  A little bit of history here.  On most of the original links courses in the UK, there were rabbit warrens, and they presented a significant hazard to play.  For that reason, they chose to include such burrows under their own rules definition.

I understand the point of an exceptionally large anthill being a "cast" that could apply to the definition, but the ruling bodies chose not to include it because that would open a whole new can of worms (or bugs if you like).  I'm thinking that if such an edifice was in an area considered as being in play, and as being a significant impediment to play, the committee might be justified in marking it as abnormal ground.  If it's so far out that they don't consider it in play, then you need to hit the ball straighter.

[ColinL]

First of all, by burrowing animals the rules refer primarily to animals whose burrows are large enough for a ball to enter.  A little bit of history here.  On most of the original links courses in the UK, there were rabbit warrens, and they presented a significant hazard to play.  For that reason, they chose to include such burrows under their own rules definition.

I understand the point of an exceptionally large anthill being a "cast" that could apply to the definition, but the ruling bodies chose not to include it because that would open a whole new can of worms (or bugs if you like).  I'm thinking that if such an edifice was in an area considered as being in play, and as being a significant impediment to play, the committee might be justified in marking it as abnormal ground.  If it's so far out that they don't consider it in play, then you need to hit the ball straighter.

That's all very helpful.

Even though the Committee is authorised to make any bit of the course GUR without the rules having to specify particular conditions, anthills are presumably seen as such a common problem that they get a special mention in 33-8/22.

I'm entirely with you on the matter of not marking GUR well off a reasonable line of play.  If a player  hits that bad a shot, he takes what comes.

By the way, rabbit holes still have a significant presence on many of our courses.

[DrvFrShow]

Are you aware of any genetic experiments being conducted in your area?

EDIT: Wow.

Anyway if  my ball goes in that i'm not going in after it.

[Rulesman]

A little bit of history here.  On most of the original links courses in the UK, there were rabbit warrens, and they presented a significant hazard to play..

On most courses (of any type) in the UK there are still rabbit warrens.