Coach Holds Pine Tree Branch Back for Player

[CoachB25]

Player on a HS team hits a ball that is under a dense pine tree.  As the player evaluates the situation, the coach grabs onto a bigger branch and pulls it back significantly to allow the player to enter the area where the golf ball is.  As player turns back to the tree trunk, they snap a branch.  Coach continues to hold the branch while player punches the ball out.  Ruling?

 

 

Edited October 17, 2016 by CoachB25

[Fourputt]

2 strokes under Rule 13-2 for improving the area of his stance and swing.  

[iacas]

3 hours ago, Fourputt said:

2 strokes under Rule 13-2 for improving the area of his stance and swing.  

And the coach should be sentenced to a committed reading of the Rules of Golf.

[Club Rat]

4 hours ago, CoachB25 said:

the coach grabs onto a bigger branch and pulls it back significantly to allow the player to enter the area where the golf ball is.
Coach continues to hold the branch while player punches the ball out. 

Wouldn't that be a serious breech of rules to have anyone assist a player?

I do not know, but I would think the player would be DQ'ed.

 

[Fourputt]

1 hour ago, Club Rat said:

Wouldn't that be a serious breech of rules to have anyone assist a player?

I do not know, but I would think the player would be DQ'ed.

 

Not likely for a single offense.  That is usually reserved for situations where a player has committed such an egregious offense that a 2 stroke penalty can't make up for it.

The 2 stroke penalty in this case makes up for any advantage that might have been gained by the rules breach (the player could have punched out or declared the ball unplayable and dropped with a one stroke penalty - the 2 stroke penalty covers either possibility).   That is the point of penalty strokes - they aren't for punishment, but to ensure that they at least counteract any advantage. 

[Rulesman]

Or any potential advantage

[CoachB25]

First, the broken branch is a 2 stroke penalty.  I wonder if a coach holding the branch back is considered building a stance?  I know that I would never consider this as a coach.  My first thought was that this would be a DQ.  I don't know how this was decided since I had a family emergency and had to leave when my player signed her card.  (My daughter was hit in the face by a line drive in softball and was unconscious.   She was taken by ambulance to a hospital and I was 2 hours away.  I had to get home fast.  She has sustained a major concussion and, as recently as yesterday, which was 3 days later, she was still throwing up due to dizziness etc.  She will be evaluated again tomorrow.) 

[Abu3baid]

I hope she feels better soon.

[iacas]

14 hours ago, CoachB25 said:

First, the broken branch is a 2 stroke penalty.  I wonder if a coach holding the branch back is considered building a stance?  I know that I would never consider this as a coach.  My first thought was that this would be a DQ.

DQ penalties are rare. Most things are just assessed penalty strokes.

Why would you think it's a DQ?

[CoachB25]

6 hours ago, iacas said:

DQ penalties are rare. Most things are just assessed penalty strokes.

Why would you think it's a DQ?

IMO, the coach holding a branch back so that a player can take a stroke violate "fairly taking a stance."   The coach was assisting his player in taking a stroke.  How do you correct that? 

[Fourputt]

1 hour ago, CoachB25 said:

IMO, the coach holding a branch back so that a player can take a stroke violate "fairly taking a stance."   The coach was assisting his player in taking a stroke.  How do you correct that? 

It's really no different from the player accepting such assistance from any other person.  You correct it by assessing the appropriate penalty, and then by instructing both the coach and the player in the rules.

[CoachB25]

What would then be the appropriate penalty?

[Buckeyebowman]

On 10/17/2016 at 8:50 PM, iacas said:

And the coach should be sentenced to a committed reading of the Rules of Golf.

Amen! While I may feel that some of the rules of golf are silly, this whole situation is absurd on it's face!

[CoachB25]

I do apologize that I don't know what the result was.  This was not my group but my player had played in the rough next to this situation as it happened.  I have not heard that any player was DQ'd. 

BTW, my daughter was very sick for a few days throwing up and feeling dizzy.  Today, she said she still has a headache but made it through her day of work.  This was a very serious head injury. 

[Fourputt]

2 hours ago, CoachB25 said:

What would then be the appropriate penalty?

Just what was stated above.  2 strokes.  Nothing more for the player.

Conceivably, the coach could be disciplined by his school, or the school's athletic association, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting on that.  A couple of high school coaches I've known didn't have a clue about the rules, or for one, even the game.  He didn't even play golf!

[14ledo81]

Somewhat related question.  What if the player is moving branches to access his ball (to identify), and a branch breaks?  What would that ruling be?

[Martyn W]

3 hours ago, 14ledo81 said:

Somewhat related question.  What if the player is moving branches to access his ball (to identify), and a branch breaks?  What would that ruling be?

The player would be in breach of 13-2 if the action improves the lie of the ball, stance, area of intended swing or line of play. General penalty (2 strokes or loss of hole)

[Fourputt]

4 hours ago, 14ledo81 said:

Somewhat related question.  What if the player is moving branches to access his ball (to identify), and a branch breaks?  What would that ruling be?

 

57 minutes ago, Martyn W said:

The player would be in breach of 13-2 if the action improves the lie of the ball, stance, area of intended swing or line of play. General penalty (2 strokes or loss of hole)

The only time that is allowable is if it happens accidentally when the player is in the process of taking his stance by the most unobtrusive path possible, and a branch still breaks.