Hi Linda – hope all is well – Lou here in Wales
Today – 18th hole with a perimeter wooden fence
which marks boundary to car park – every other fence post has small bit of
white paint about a foot tall on three foot post to mark out of bounds line
plus a large separate white post to the right of fence where it ends.
My fellow player is in bounds by one foot but cannot play
ball because the same fence (man-made) prevents address/swing.
Invoking the process “if you cannot do what is right do what
is fair,” I advised him to take a free drop no nearer hole to alleviate swing
issue. (He was prepared to give me the match at this stage.)
I thought I was 99% right anyway. Did I make the right
decision (the 18th hole was critical and this could have ultimately
cost me the match as I was one up and if he had tied 18th a playoff
would have ensued – but I won on 18th anyway).
Regards,
Lou from Wales
Dear Lou,
No, Lou. I’m afraid your decision was 100% wrong. Objects that
define out of bounds (e.g., fences, walls, stakes) are not obstructions
[Definitions of “Obstructions” and “Out
of Bounds”]. A player is not entitled to free relief from an out-of-bounds
fence. If he cannot play the ball as it lies, he must declare it unplayable,
add one penalty stroke to his score, and choose one of the relief options
available for an unplayable ball in Rule 28 (stroke and distance, flagline, or
two club-lengths).
Linda
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