I would just like to make a comment on the correspondence
that you have been getting on #1604, in that it has been my experience that
when grass is obviously growing in a water hazard, it generally has to be cut
at some stage, which turns it into a loose impediment, and also it’s very rare
not to find bits of broken branch or cut grass in amongst good grass in a
hazard.
Therefore, any practice swing that a golfer makes within a
hazard is a pretty risky action to take, since it has to be free of touching or
moving any loose impediment.
Late last year I refereed a provincial match play tournament.
A very low handicapper had a practice swing down the bank of a water hazard and
sent bits of dead brown grass flying up in the air. His opponent either didn’t
see it or chose to ignore it and of course I was unable to interfere.
It appears the golfer just didn’t know the “rule”.
So I’m a bit surprised that nobody has pointed out the
dangers of doing this.
Cheers,
Lou, a rules official from New Zealand
