Hi and thanks for all your help in the past.
A fellow competitor's ball rolled into the rough and came to
rest in the middle of a rotted tree stump. I did not think this could be
considered ground under repair because it was obvious the stump had been there
a long time.
But we were wondering if the rotted stump could be
declared as an abnormal condition.
Thank you again.
Lou from Ontario
Dear Lou,
That’s just bad luck, Lou. There’s nothing unusual or
abnormal about a rotted tree stump. Unless the Committee has marked it “ground
under repair” (and I can’t see why they would, unless there are imminent plans
to remove it), the player must either play it as it lies or declare it
unplayable.
From a golf point of view, a tree stump is just a very short
tree. You would not expect to get free relief if your ball were in a tree, or
wedged between its roots, or leaning against the trunk, would you? With respect
to the Rules of Golf, a tree stump is no different from a tree. The same rules
apply to both.
Linda
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