Dear Linda:
My friend’s ball came to rest under thick shrubs 8 inches
from a cart path. He cannot take a normal stance since shrubs would be broken
trying to take a normal stance. He can stand well in front of the ball with the
ball well back in his stance and strike the ball, however he would then be standing
on the cart path.
There is no local rule regarding this situation and the area
where the ball rests is not a garden. The area where the ball rests is not a
hazard.
I think the player must decide to take an unplayable or
strike the ball any way he can thereby avoiding the unplayable penalty. My
friend thinks he is allowed a free drop in such a situation.
Thank you in advance for your opinion.
Best regards,
Lou
Dear Lou,
This ball is unplayable. The player does not get free relief
from the cart path.
A player is not entitled to free relief from an immovable
obstruction (the cart path) if it is clear that something else interferes with
his stroke (the shrub). Nor is he entitled to free relief if the obstruction
interferes only if he takes an abnormal stance [Rule 24-2b, Exception].
In determining whether the cart path is the actual cause of
the interference, you have to ask yourself whether the ball would be playable
if the cart path were not there. The answer in this case is “no.” This ball is
unplayable due to its location under the thick shrubs, not because of the
proximity of the cart path.
Linda
Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
