Houston WE HAVE A PROBLEM!!!!!

[nudgee]

I was just talking to my pro friend on the phone about the Oz Golf Champs and was giving him the low down of my weekend. I told him how I went walkabouts in the middle of the second round before rallying in the last three holes. I told him about the bad luck I had on the 16th hole which went something like this.

Hit 20* hybrid off the tee (yes I know that was ghey) and hit it long and down the middle. I could not reach the green in two so I hit a 6 iron intending to land it in flat area short of the greenside bunkers, however I tugged it a little and it took a bitch of a bounce left into the trees. Fortunately I found the ball and whilst it was against a big tree root, I still had a shot and managed to blast it out. The ball just stopped short of the green side bunker, basically 1 cm from dropping in - a very sandy lie. Unfortunately with my chip I didnt pick the ball up cleanly, fluffed it a bit and it did not make it onto the green - and to add insult to injury it plugged at the face of the bunker about 1 foot from the lip!!! I cracked it and proceeded to throw my wedge at high speed into the bunker (yeah I know, another cranky moment!). The wedge head plugged into the bunker like an axe but was away from the ball. I grabbed the wedge and took a funky stance outside of the bunker and proceeded to play a blast shot that propelled the plugged ball 20 feet into the air and it landed 1 foot from the hole so got away with a bogey. At the time I had joked with the guys that thank god I let go of the wedge before it hit the sand as otherwise it would have been deemed to be a case of testing the bunker conditions.

However to my great horror, my Pro mate INFORMED ME that as the Wedge head was plugged in the sand, the mere action of lifting the wedge should be deemed as testing conditions and should therefore have attracted a 2 shot penalty!!!! ****!!!

I must admit I don't know the rules that well and as I did not get much of a reaction from my group (even when I made the comment about testing sand conditions) as to a potential breach of the rules I thought it was all good. However I don't want to win the Champs if I was wrong in my assessment and should have incurred a two shot penalty.

Is my Pro friend correct in his assessment??? I don't want to add any further drama to this but I cannot accept the Champion tag and Trophy if I was in clear breach of the rules and should have incurred a two stroke penalty.

For the record, I am serious about this.

[rubin]

So by your definition... I can stand there in the bunker and test the sand by throwing clubs at the sand to see how deep it is and how hard packed it is ?

Let me try that this weekend in front of the match committee. I can't wait to see their faces !

kind of missing the first sentence there and taking it a bit far - but go for it and tell me their reaction.

[LeftyHoges]

So by your definition... I can stand there in the bunker and test the sand by throwing clubs at the sand to see how deep it is and how hard packed it is ?

Let me try that this weekend in front of the match committee. I can't wait to see their faces !

Was thinking the same thing as I read the previous comments. Would have been bloody handy down at country week in melbourne a fortnight ago with the varying conditions of sand from bunker to bunker.

[Dotty]

Interesting what the decision would be (with regards to testing), if a similar incident took place on the first visit to a bunker on the weekend (rather than the 34th hole).

[Johnny Canuck]

Doesn't digging your feet in give you a decent indication of the conditions?

[CobraSS]

Doesn't digging your feet in give you a decent indication of the conditions?

It does, but one would have to prove that your action of digging your feet in, was solely to test the sand conditions, rather than just the action of taking your stance, and that quite simply isn't going to happen.

[Daves]

Clearly no intention to test, seems to be all OK and in line the wording of Rule 13 (13.4 more specifically).

http://www.randa.org/en/Rules-and-Am...3&subRuleNum=4

You can place clubs in a hazard, providing there is no intent to, and no further action that would constitute testing. Excessive digging in (of stance) is considered testing.

[Johnny Canuck]

It does, but one would have to prove that your action of digging your feet in, was solely to test the sand conditions, rather than just the action of taking your stance, and that quite simply isn't going to happen.

Sorry Cobra, was just referring to Lefty's post.

[jaybam]

Cheat !!!!!












I dont mean it nudgee but someone had to say it

[LeftyHoges]

Doesn't digging your feet in give you a decent indication of the conditions?

Usually it does but the bunkers that I encountered down in Melbourne had me ****ed. No rhyme or reason to them.

They'd feel soft enough under foot but were actually incredibly firm. So then you'd play the next one that way and it was soft. Cost me a lot of strokes.

And I consider myself to be a good bunker player. Not great, but more than solid.

[Johnny Canuck]

My home course can be similar. It's a crappy situation if you don't know what you are getting.

[Daves]

So by your definition... I can stand there in the bunker and test the sand by throwing clubs at the sand to see how deep it is and how hard packed it is ?

Let me try that this weekend in front of the match committee. I can't wait to see their faces !

Your intent is to test, so you are pinged.

As I understand it The Champ wasn't in the bunker when he threw the club. Club was thrown indiscriminately and not specially aimed (anyone who has played with Nudgee know how indiscriminate he is in his throwing!!). A certain Hybrid ending in a watery grave is exhibit 1 for the defence your honour!

[goughy]

All is moot. Tournament is over, closed, finished. Would have to have been brought up before winners announced. Weiner is declared and it's days later now so that's that.

Ps. Swype spelled winner as weiner, but I thought I'd leave it as it is.

Well done nudgee! A Deserving Winner!

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

[LeftyHoges]

My home course can be similar. It's a crappy situation if you don't know what you are getting.

Yeah, nothing worse than having to play out of a bunker with no idea what could happen.

My home track has possibly the shittest sand you could ever play out of but I must give it this, its always soft. At least its consistent.

[Johnny Canuck]

We had 2 bunkers with super fluffy sand that they tried as an experiment. I couldn't get out of them.

[BrisWesty]

Salutory reminder to not throw clubs, especially anywhere near bunkers.

[Moe Norman]

Nudgee retains title

Punishment is to act as rules official at 2012 Champs and track down nasty iphone cheaters, or caddy for Dicky

[PeteyD]

Nudgee retains title

Punishment is to act as rules official at 2012 Champs and track down nasty iphone cheaters, or caddy for Dicky

In a matching Canary Yellow Outfit

[Eag's]

Congrats again Nudgee.

[Daves]

Of far more importance, I would like to lodge a late protest on the first round of Coins against the wall on Friday night. I clearly won and Dickie, like a thief in the night, suddenly declared it a practice round FFS!!!. The money involved was inconsequential, but the bragging and sledging rights that should have come with my clear win should have been forever! Absolutely gutted!!

[Shadesy]

This rule is the closest I can find.

JC's issue of Intent is very pertinent in this issue, much like Kevin Na's INTENT not to hit the ball. The intent was not to test, so therefore is fine in this instance.

http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules...on-13/#13-4/21

Love a good rules debate.

edit: Daves had it spot on:

http://www.randa.org/en/Rules-and-Am...3&subRuleNum=4

Even more specifically, Rule 13-4 Exception 1b.....1. Provided nothing is done that constitutes testing the condition of the hazard or improves the lie of the ball, there is no penalty if the player (b) places his clubs in a hazard.

Sounds like you were Ferked Virge!

Congrats Nudgee.

BTW, did anyone use an Iphone as DMD?

[PeteyD]

No all i-Phones were smashed with a hammer on Saturday morning, before the remnants were cast upon the murky waters of duckpoop lake.

[MegaWatty]

No all i-Phones were smashed with a hammer on Saturday morning, before the remnants were cast upon the murky waters of duckpoop lake.

Is that like the lake at Windaroo with the island that's inhabited with bird shit? That thing ****en stinks!

[Marto65]

Daves, that was my fault. I intentionally threw the coin against the wall not knowing that it was an illegal move. Dickie was just looking after a champs virgin.

Secondly, how does the rules distinguish between intent to test the sand and the intent of iPhone users to use the compass feature?

[LarryLong]

What about intent to throw the coin against the wall?

[Marto65]

What about intent to throw the coin against the wall?

Forgivable first offence.