Relief from wood planks

[Fourputt]

48 minutes ago, Hardspoon said:

I think you still have to apply the rule...the "judgement call" is on whether the wall is in the hazard or not, right?  What if the ball came to rest on top of the wall?  You'd have to make a judgement call on whether the ball was in the hazard or not.

(I'm seriously asking - your comment made me wonder, and I know you know a lot more about the rules than I do)

I've seen courses marked both ways, so I don't know how you would judge it.  I've seen the retaining wall as part of the hazard, and I've seen it marked with a line putting the wall outside.  Impossible to be accurate without any more information.

[Hardspoon]

16 minutes ago, Fourputt said:

I've seen courses marked both ways, so I don't know how you would judge it.  I've seen the retaining wall as part of the hazard, and I've seen it marked with a line putting the wall outside.  Impossible to be accurate without any more information.

Agreed...but you said it was "impossible to apply the local rule."

I don't think you can disregard it. The decision on whether to grant relief must be based on the judgement call of whether the wall is in the hazard or not, right? 

[Gator Hazard]

I read page one of this and my head hurts. Tough call

[Asheville]

A water hazard is a water hazard whether or not if it's so marked.

An obstruction is thus by Definition.

An obstruction is only ever an intergral part of the course as a result of a Local Rule.

We cannot presume a Local Rule; it's either in effect or it is not.

[saevel25]

51 minutes ago, Asheville said:

A water hazard is a water hazard whether or not if it's so marked.

True, but what defines the margin of the hazard?

52 minutes ago, Asheville said:

An obstruction is only ever an intergral part of the course as a result of a Local Rule.

True, and that has been inferred above. 

Here are the standard local rules for the Miami Valley Golf Association that are always in play, http://www.miamivalleygolf.org/home-mvgolf/playing/rules-assistance/standard-rules-of-play-1480.html

Quote

Integral Parts of the Course— Include cables, rods, wires or wrappings when closely attached to trees; artificial walls and pilings when located in hazards, unless otherwise provided for in Notice to Players.

The question for this thread is. Are the artificial walls located in the hazard when there are no stakes or lines marking where the water hazard is located at?

55 minutes ago, Asheville said:

We cannot presume a Local Rule; it's either in effect or it is not.

Umm, yea we can if they are posted for the region you live in. 

2 hours ago, Hardspoon said:

I don't think you can disregard it. The decision on whether to grant relief must be based on the judgement call of whether the wall is in the hazard or not, right? 

That is how I view it. I've been on courses where they marked the wedge of the wood planks. I've been on courses where they marked the rough or maybe fringe area in between the green and the wood planks. I've been on courses where they don't mark the planks at all. Should I assume then if it isn't marked it's not in the water hazard because courses do or don't mark the area to inclusive to the water hazard? 

 

[Martyn W]

7 hours ago, saevel25 said:

8 hours ago, Asheville said:

We cannot presume a Local Rule; it's either in effect or it is not.

Umm, yea we can if they are posted for the region you live in. 

Umm, no we can't. 'Local' refers to a specific golf course, not a region.

[Rulesman]

4 hours ago, Martyn W said:

Umm, no we can't. 'Local' refers to a specific golf course, not a region.

It may well apply to all competitions run by the committee of one organisation on any course.

Local simply means set by the committee. (eg any competition run by the Scottish Golf Union on any course has the 'stones in bunkers' Local Rule in force).

[Martyn W]

13 minutes ago, Rulesman said:

It may well apply to all competitions run by the committee of one organisation on any course.

Local simply means set by the committee. (eg any competition run by the Scottish Golf Union on any course has the 'stones in bunkers' Local Rule in force).

Agreed, but in the scenario under discussion, this was neither a competition nor any kind of sanctioned event where Golf Association Hard Cards applied.

[saevel25]

The contact from my local Golf Association told me that I should just assume that all walls like that should be considered part of the hazard.

[Rulesman]

I hope he doesn't officiate as a referee

[saevel25]

A little email to the head of the golf division for the City of Dayton got some yellow paint and some yellow stakes installed over the weekend