Dear readers,
My column about the wind [Ask Linda #1028-Advice about the wind]
attracted an unusual number of responses. Here are three:
“If you
can tell someone there is a bunker in front of the green, I don't see why you
can't tell them which way the wind is blowing. Seems like the same thing.
It's not actually advice, it's fact.”
Lou
from Massachusetts
“I
have two remarks/questions.
1. If
giving information about wind direction is ‘advice,’ than I believe it’s the
most violated rule in golf. It happens all the time that, players standing on
the tee box, are debating where the wind is coming from. If a player for example
makes the statement out loud as a general remark (without anybody asking
anything) like: ‘the wind is coming over my right shoulder’ and a fellow
competitor says ‘no, it’s more across from the right,’ is any of the two or
both in breach of the rule? Or is anyone who holds a handkerchief to see the
wind direction or points to the windsock on the golf cart in breach?
As
far as I know, both the handkerchief and the windsocks are allowed.
2. In
the definitions it says: ‘Information on the Rules, distance or matters of
public information, such as the position of hazards or the flagstick on
the putting green, is not advice.’
I ask
myself why wind is not a matter of public information (everybody can see where
the wind is coming from).
Thanks
for looking into this.
Best
Regards,
Lou
from New Jersey
In my
opinion information about the direction of the wind or even the speed is public
information. Barry Rhodes gives in his blog several examples (copied without
permission, but it is on the Internet)
“A
asks B, "Is the wind behind us, or from left to right?" Not
asking for advice
A
asks B, "Do you think that the wind is stronger now than when we played
this hole on the front 9?" Not asking for advice
A
asks B, "Is one extra club enough in this wind?" Asking for
advice – A incurs penalty
B says
to A, "There's no wind here because we're in a shaded hollow but it's
pretty strong out there." Not giving advice
B
says to A, "There's a two-club wind blowing right against us."
Giving advice – B incurs penalty
B
says to A, "Don't forget to take the wind into account."
Giving advice – B incurs penalty”
I
agree it's better to talk about other subjects. Sometimes there is a fine line
between advice and casual remarks and advice and public information.
Kind
regards,
Lou
from The Netherlands
So…I would suggest that whether a conversation about the
wind constitutes “advice” is a bit of a gray area. Clearly it is not against
the Rules to say that it is a windy day, or that the wind is coming from the
East today. Those are matters of public information. Things get a little murky
when a player has selected a club, asks a fellow competitor if he thinks the
wind is stronger than it was on the last hole, the response is “yes,” and the
player returns to his bag to select a different club. Has he asked for advice?
Has he received advice?
The problem is that discussion of the wind is open to
interpretation. One Committee might rule that your question constitutes asking
for advice, while another would rule otherwise. I think it's best to take the
matter into your own hands and not discuss the wind beyond some relatively simple
observations. Why risk a two-stroke penalty based on the whim of a Committee
member? You should not need anyone's help in figuring out the wind; if you do,
you are more than likely asking for advice.
Linda
Copyright © 2015 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
