Cameron's Rules Corner
Last Updated on Wednesday, 07 March 2012 09:34 Written by Cameron Thomson Monday, 12 December 2011 21:07
Cameron is a qualfied EGU referee and is willing to help with questions you may have. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with your rules question now.
Here are some questions and answers that may be of interest to members and other playing at Beverley and East Riding Golf club.
Question
If your ball strikes the fence around the green when playing out from a bunker, you are entitled to play another ball from the same place. Is it allowed to rake the bunker before dropping the ball back into the hazard?
Cameron's Answer
The situation is analagous to the situation discussed in Decision 13-4/37 where a ball is played from a bunker out of bounds or is lost. So in our case the restrictions in Rule 13-4 do not apply as the ball has been played from the bunker and not lifted. Furthermore, Exception 2 under Rule 13-4 allows a player, after playing his ball out of a hazard, to smooth sand or soil in the hazard without restriction.
Therefore, after playing from the bunker and striking the fence, the player can rake the bunker before he retrieves his ball and drops it at the original spot in the bunker.
Question
If you incur a penalty before or after your ball strikes a fence around the green, does the penalty count?
Cameron's Answer
For a more generic answer to this question, we asked the R&A and their response is as follows:
If the player's ball strikes a protective fence around the green being played, any penalty strokes incurred by the player prior to the contact with the fence are retained.
If the player's ball strikes a fence and then the player incurs any penalty strokes, the penalty strokes incurred solely by playing that ball are cancelled if the ball is abandoned or retrieved.
Question
If I drop a ball for relief from the fence at the front of the 13th or 14th greens and the ball rolls down the hill can I stop it or does it have to come to a standstill itself?
Cameron's Answer
Under Rule 20-2c(vi) a ball must be re-dropped if it comes to rest more than two club-lengths from where it first struck a part of the course.
The answer is analagous to Decision 20-2c/4. There is no penalty if you stop the ball after it has rolled to a position from which you would be required to re-drop it under Rule 20-2c, provided it is reasonable to assume that the ball would not return to a poition at which Rule 20-2c would be inapplicable.
Plainly- if the ball rolls more than two club lengths from where it struck the course when you dropped it you can stop it, it doesn't have to roll all the way down the hill.
Question
My ball struck the wire that runs between the tree and the fence post on the 10th green, the wire is to stop people walking that way. Can I retake the stroke as the ball hit the wire.
Cameron's Answer
No, this wire is not part of the fence protecting the green. If your ball strikes this wire then it is the rub of the green.
Question
My ball struck the marker post that is an extension of the fence post, at the back of the 12th green, it struck the post about 6' above the ground. Can I retake the stroke as the ball hit the extension of the fence post.
Cameron's Answer
No, the marker post above the normal height of the fence is just a marker post, therefore if your ball strikes the marker post it is the rub of the green.