One for the rules gurus.

[Johnny Canuck]

I would think it would have to be a drop. You aren't recreating a lie, so placing shouldn't apply.

[rubin]

Talking to my grandad earlier today, he was telling me about his round yesterday. The old guys done his knee and so had to pull out after the 10th. Anyway -

Apparently the bloke he was playing with yesterday was a bit of a cheat. He was taking relief from everything. Taps, trees, sprinklers, more trees etc etc. Apparently the rule in golf is tha if your ball lays behind a tree, or your swing is impacted by a tree, you can take relief BUT only if the tree in question is under 2 club lengths in height.

Now I know some local rules say relief can be taken from staked trees freshly planted etc, but I have never heard this before.

Another one, slightly simpler - I'm lead to believe that if a ball becomes lodged in a tree (ie blackboys/grasstrees call em what u will) you are entitled to a free drop within a club length no closer to the hole, as the ball cannot be in play, as it has not come to rest on the ground.

Is this true as well?

[peter_rs]

I have see a local rule for trees under two clubs tall, it save them having to stake everything

As for the grass tree I would think play it as it lies

[Courty]

Talking to my grandad earlier today, he was telling me about his round yesterday. The old guys done his knee and so had to pull out after the 10th. Anyway -

Apparently the bloke he was playing with yesterday was a bit of a cheat. He was taking relief from everything. Taps, trees, sprinklers, more trees etc etc. Apparently the rule in golf is tha if your ball lays behind a tree, or your swing is impacted by a tree, you can take relief BUT only if the tree in question is under 2 club lengths in height.

Now I know some local rules say relief can be taken from staked trees freshly planted etc, but I have never heard this before.

Another one, slightly simpler - I'm lead to believe that if a ball becomes lodged in a tree (ie blackboys/grasstrees call em what u will) you are entitled to a free drop within a club length no closer to the hole, as the ball cannot be in play, as it has not come to rest on the ground.

Is this true as well?

I have heard mention of the rule about trees no higher than 2 clubs, but it would have to be a local rule I would think.

The second one is crap. You either take a swing at it where it lies, or take an unplayable.

[rubin]

Thanks boys. That's what I thought, just wanted to make sure I was passing on the right info.

[PeteyD]

Possibly a local rule to protect grass trees from Yoss though

[markTHEblake]

Another one, slightly simpler - I'm lead to believe that if a ball becomes lodged in a tree (ie blackboys/grasstrees call em what u will) you are entitled to a free drop within a club length no closer to the hole, as the ball cannot be in play, as it has not come to rest on the ground.

Is this true as well?

Not possible for us to answer, Its not in the rule book so must be a local rule. If not a local rule then its just complete fantasy. Given that its the dumbest rule I have ever heard of I'll go with the fantasy.

Thanks boys. That's what I thought, just wanted to make sure I was passing on the right info.

With all due respect so this is not being personal, dumb rules interpretations like this come from people that seem to have never opened a rule book. When presented with something weird like this, the book should be your first reference, not ask another bunch of clowns who also may not know the rules.

[Minor_Threat]

Had a good one today at my old home course which I grew up. Playing behind a group which had the club captain.

Missed the 12th fairway, by about 5 metres to the right and ended up on a dirt track the green staff have created by continually driving over it. This track is also used to walk / drive from 12th green to 13 tee.

In the old days there was a local rule "relief from wheel ruts", (my ball was in a wheel rut). The card no longer contained this local on it, so I start taking practise swings, for how I will hit off this dirt. Member #1 from group in front says to me I get a drop, I asked him why and show me where it says this, he just kept saying "its a rule". Club captain comes over and says the same thing, I gave him the same reply. He says its on the card, I said no it isn't, then he tells me its a rule of golf, to which I said no it isn't.

He ended up just driving off, I played the shot to about 6ft and holed it for birdie.

The point I'm trying to make, is that the amount of mis informed rules decisions going around is ridiculous, and from a club captain also.

[markTHEblake]

What is the definition of a wheel rut?

I had bloke tell me he wanted a drop off wheel marks, and it definitely was grass flatted down by a tyre, but thats all it was. I told him flatly that was not wheel rut (our local rule says wheel 'rut'). I suggested that the entire fairway is covered by wheel marks, and you could be asking for drops all day.

[Minor_Threat]

I classify it as when tread is indented into the ground.

[rubin]

With all due respect so this is not being personal, dumb rules interpretations like this come from people that seem to have never opened a rule book. When presented with something weird like this, the book should be your first reference, not ask another bunch of clowns who also may not know the rules.

I did actually check the book, and even searched the actual rules on my iphone trying to find it after I spoke to him about it, and couldn't find it. Granted our collective knowledge on a number of topics is abysmal, the general golf knowledge is well above average.

[markTHEblake]

Yep. This one was a case of the ground been flattened without being indented ( if that makes sense ).

[mike]

Would this card be legal to accept in a competition ?

Haha. I think I know the story behind this. That's damn funny.

LOL !

Paradise Palms player ban a blow to golf club's title defence

Brad Thompson
Saturday, October 22, 2011
© The Cairns Post




PARADISE Palms' defence of the FNQ Golf Association A-grade pennants title has been dealt a blow as they attempt to resolve an issue with marque player Ben Turnbull.
The club’s No. 1 pennant player, who also has the lowest handicap in FNQ Golf (+1), was notified that he was unable to continue playing pennant golf despite scoring a devastating first-round win on October 9.
He was unable to play in Paradise Palms’ 4-1 loss to Half Moon Bay last Sunday, after he was told by the association he was still supposed to be serving an 18-month ban he received after ‘‘breaching the code of conduct’’ at an FNQ event in Mossman during 2008.
Turnbull said the ban was for ‘‘dissent’’ towards association officials on the second day of the tournament, after he wrote his handicap in ‘‘large writing’’ on his scorecard.
On day one of the tournament, he was threatened with disqualification for not putting his handicap on his first-round scorecard, despite it being a ‘‘scratch event’’.
Turnbull said his actions were nothing more than ‘‘being a bit facetious’’ and he was stunned by the 18-month ban.
He spent two years in Sydney after the ban, and returned to FNQ Golf four months ago, and assumed his ban – which was supposed to end on January 1, 2010 – had lapsed.
But after his first-round pennant win, Turnbull received a letter stating his ban was still in effect because the association had not received a letter of apology from the 34-year-old.
"When I got a letter last week, I just couldn’t believe they were still going on about it," he said.
Turnbull has since sent the association a letter (by email and hard copy), but he has to wait until the next committee meeting on October 27, just days before the pennants semi-finals begin, to discover his fate.
"I just want to play pennants, I’ve got a lot of good mates in the team," he said. "FNQ Golf is just ruining it."
Paradise Palms captain Ian Cooke said the news had rocked the club, and it showed in their 4-1 loss to Half Moon Bay last Sunday.
"We’re just trying to find out what’s going on with the club and the team," he said.
Paradise Palms director of golf Des Shearer said: "Arguably the region’s best player is ineligible to play because of what seems to be an administration error." Shearer said he recalled committee members keeping minutes at an FNQ Golf committee meeting, which "nullified his suspension".
FNQ Golf had no public comment, but insisted the matter had been dealt with by the relevant authorities under the rules and regulations of the sport.
Tomorrow in division one, Paradise Palms play Cairns while ladder leaders Half Moon Bay face Atherton.
In division two at Half Moon Bay, Mareeba tackle Mossman, and Southern Districts clash with Gordonvale.

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2011/10/22/187471_local-sport-news.html

[Johnny Canuck]

What b.s. Let him play.

[AndyP]

Nice to see Cairns playing pennants again. OZgolf squabbles over event running seems minor compared to some of the FNQ stuff.

[markTHEblake]

Sounds like a troublemaker to me. I bet there is a lot more to this.

[mike]

What I found amusing is that the article is virtually word for word the story I heard 3 years ago.

The FNQ Golf Association should contact the Cairns Post immediately to clear things up.

[just]

The FNQ Golf Association sound like a bunch of dickheads.

[bergsey]

Interesting one happened today. Have checked the rules but not quite sure what the ruling would be

I was the last to hit onto a green, the other 3 players were already on the green. I couldn't see where on the green my ball had landed.

Walked up and my ball was there, i proceeded to mark it, clean it then had a putt. My playing partners then informed me that they had marked it and moved it to the spot where i played it from (forgot to tell me as it was reasonably close to the spot where i putted from). Luckily it was stableford so i wiped out the hole. If i didn't know that i was playing from the wrong spot should a penalty still be incurred?

[markTHEblake]

At worst, one stroke penalty. Look up the rules under ball at rest moved by outside agency to determine if no penalty at all. There is no penalty if you dont know,but you have been advised after the fact which makes the scenario interesting.

[Daves]

I would think that once you were advised (assuming it was before you had completed, signed and returned your card) you should have returned to the green and replayed your putt from the correct position. No penalty if you had done this.

[bergsey]

At worst, one stroke penalty. Look up the rules under ball at rest moved by outside agency to determine if no penalty at all. There is no penalty if you dont know,but you have been advised after the fact which makes the scenario interesting.

<br />
Yeah had a look at the outside agency rule. Still unclear

Another confusing point is that the original point was marked with a marker don't know if that makes any difference

[markTHEblake]

Bergsey decision 18 1/3 describes your exact situation. No penalty.

[bergsey]

Bergsey decision 18 1/3 describes your exact situation. No penalty.

Cheers,

No penalty, but what i was unclear on is whether i can "replay" the stroke from the correct position AFTER i have made a stroke from the incorrect place ? (i.e. before leaving the green?)

[sms316]

Sounds like a troublemaker to me. I bet there is a lot more to this.

+1. Couldn't possibly be a cleanskin. You don't get 18 months for being a dickhead once.