Dear Linda:
Our golfing group visiting Arizona faces a dilemma on desert
courses, some of which require on several holes a carry of 175 yards or more
from the tee over desert scrub to reach the fairway.
Although we are eight golfers with swings of unpredictable
consistency and control, we insist on playing from tees that challenge us. The
result is that some of us on occasion fail to carry the desert scrub more than
once and sometimes twice or thrice on a given hole, requiring re-teeing and
delay of play.
Assuming that we cannot declare such a ball unplayable
(which would enable the player to re-hit in line with the pin from a forward
and therefore easier tee) without actually locating the ball, we assume our
only option is to re-tee from the original location. Our dilemma is that
players who have difficulty carrying the scrub may be obliged to re-tee in
perpetuity, or in any case several times, until the obstacle is finally
surpassed.
Our question is: Is any option other than continually
re-teeing (or withdrawal from play) available to the golfer facing that
predicament? The obvious solution is for all of us to play from a forward tee
to begin with, but this wouldn’t seem fair to those of us who have no trouble
reaching the fairway.
Yours in desperation,
Lou and Lou and Lou and Lou (and four more Lous besides)
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Dear Lous,
The option you are looking for is better course management. If
a player is unable to carry the desert scrub, and there is no option to play
the ball as it lies in the scrub, he might want to consider a lay-up to a spot
from which he could conceivably reach the fairway on his next shot.
Alternately, the short hitters could play from the set of
tees most suitable to their skill level. The handicap system provides a way for
players playing from different tees to compete fairly. First, you calculate each player's handicap based on the Slope Ratings® of the respective tees. Then calculate the difference in Course Rating®, and either add those strokes to the players competing from the more difficult set of tees, or subtract them from the players on the shorter set of tees.
Another option would be to play a Stableford competition, where players could pick up as soon as their score for the hole would be 0. This would improve the pace of play and likely increase everyone's enjoyment of the round.
Another option would be to play a Stableford competition, where players could pick up as soon as their score for the hole would be 0. This would improve the pace of play and likely increase everyone's enjoyment of the round.
If play is not prohibited from the scrub area, I’m not sure
why the player would rather hit balls in “perpetuity” from the tee than attempt
to play the ball as it lies.
Your understanding of the unplayable ball rule is correct. The
ball must be located if the player wishes to drop within two club-lengths or
drop on the line of sight to the hole [Decision 28/1].
Linda
Copyright © 2017 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
