Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Ask Linda #489a-Status of water hazard stakes


Several of my eagle-eyed, rules savvy readers pointed out an error in Ask Linda #489. The first e-mail I received is below, followed by my response. I have amended Ask Linda #489 to reflect this information.  Thank you for pointing out my mistake, Lulus!

Dear Linda,

Can you advise as to where in the Rules it states that stakes indicating or defining a Water Hazard may not be removed if they are movable? I thought that movable obstructions in a WH could be moved.

Yours aye,
Lulu from Holywood (Northern Ireland)

Dear Lulu,

You are absolutely correct. Stakes defining or identifying a water hazard are obstructions [Definition of Water Hazard]. If they can easily be moved, they are movable obstructions, and they may be removed regardless of whether your ball lies in or out of the hazard [Rule 24-1].

The story changes if the stakes are immovable. If stakes cannot be removed with reasonable effort, or removing them might damage the course, they are immovable obstructions. If a player’s ball does not lie in a hazard, he is entitled to free relief from an immovable water hazard stake under Rule 24-2b. However, if his ball lies in the hazard, there is no free relief [Rule 24-2, Note 1]. A player whose ball lies in a hazard who is unable to hit the ball due to interference from an immovable hazard stake must take relief under Rule 26-1 (Relief for Ball in Water Hazard). All of the relief options in 26-1 include a one-stroke penalty

Be aware that Committees are permitted to label all water hazard stakes as “immovable obstructions” [Definition of Obstruction, Note). In that case, players would be prohibited from removing any water hazard stake on the course. Players outside the hazard would be entitled to drop away from the stakes; players inside the hazard would have no free relief option.

Linda
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