Rulesman

Some thing like this?

Not sure I'm picturing it correctly. Was the path parallel to or perpendicular to the line of play? How were the bushes orientated?

I suggest that you differentiate between 'advice' and 'information'. The latter (above) are information. There is a pond to the left behind those trees is information. Hit well right, there is a pond to the left behind those trees is advice.

Explain this: Send 3 and 4 pence we're going to a dance.

Indeed. I have finally retired after refereeing for over xx years at national level and have enjoyed every minute of it. I may have got some rulings wrong but can only remember one player disputing a ruling and he apologised later saying his caddie had encouraged him.

It was actually Mahonia Japonica. Brutes

Yes. They always seem to point their spikes at me when I am attempting to prune them

The OP says "under a prickly ugly bush" Not being there and in the absence of a clear photo of the situation, I am not entirely convinced about the reasonableness of the claim. However, DavePo43 is of course correct in all other aspects.

No Relief When Clearly Unreasonable to Play Ball. There is no relief under Rule 16.1: When playing the ball as it lies would be clearly unreasonable because of something from which the player is not allowed to take free relief (such as when a player is unable to make a stroke because of where the ball lies in a bush), or When interference exists only because a player chooses a club, type of stance or swing or direction of play that is clearly unreasonable under the circumstances. Either/both of the above would seem to apply

But remember that 'little stones' don't qualify. Ball-Marker An artificial object when used to mark the spot of a ball to be lifted, such as a tee, a coin, an object made to be a ball-marker or another small piece of equipment.

Are you suggesting there was significant other damage? Given that a club is “broken or significantly damaged” when: The clubhead is visibly and significantly deformed (but not when the clubhead is only cracked)

iacas mentioned G-9 earlier. Perhaps it's worth quoting G-9 Replacing Club That is Broken or Significantly Damaged Purpose: Rule 4.1a(2) allows a player to repair or replace a club that is damaged during the round, except in cases of abuse. But a Committee may adopt a Local Rule to restrict replacement of a club to cases where the club is broken or significantly damaged, which does not include a club that is cracked. A club is “broken or significantly damaged” when: The clubhead is visibly and significantly deformed (but not when the clubhead is only cracked) A club face or clubhead is not “broken or significantly damaged” solely because it is cracked.

1) They may do either. 2) No The wording of the suggested LR is sufficiently variable.

As did Bernhard Langer at Fulford

If the USGA/R&A had intended to restrict the options they would have used the word 'only' or some other limiting expression.