One Planer
Global Moderator
Played a bounce match tonight with a friend from work.
Hit a tee shot under a conifer on our 2nd fairway.
The ball lay on a hard pan, bare lie under the conifer.
Directly where my foot right foot would be to play my shot (A punch forward towards the green) was what was an animal scraping in the form a shallow hole surrounded by the disturbed soil (mound) and some droppings.
Both my partner and I agreed it was an animal scraping, but couldn't decide on whether relief was available to me.
My perspective: The scraping interfered with my stance allowing me to play my intended shot (As described above), so I'm entitled to relief.
My partners perspective: The actual lie of the ball is not on/near nor affected by the scraping, therefore no relief. He likened it to swinging under a tree where the swing is restricted by branches. He also pointed out that I could alter my stance to play out sideways back into the fairway.
I'm pretty sure that if a scraping affects the stance of your intended shot, you are entitled to relief, but, you know when something makes you wonder?
In the end I played it as it lay and managed to play a pretty good recovery but, seeing as the forum has a shiney, new rules section, I thought I'd check :thup:
Hit a tee shot under a conifer on our 2nd fairway.
The ball lay on a hard pan, bare lie under the conifer.
Directly where my foot right foot would be to play my shot (A punch forward towards the green) was what was an animal scraping in the form a shallow hole surrounded by the disturbed soil (mound) and some droppings.
Both my partner and I agreed it was an animal scraping, but couldn't decide on whether relief was available to me.
My perspective: The scraping interfered with my stance allowing me to play my intended shot (As described above), so I'm entitled to relief.
My partners perspective: The actual lie of the ball is not on/near nor affected by the scraping, therefore no relief. He likened it to swinging under a tree where the swing is restricted by branches. He also pointed out that I could alter my stance to play out sideways back into the fairway.
I'm pretty sure that if a scraping affects the stance of your intended shot, you are entitled to relief, but, you know when something makes you wonder?
In the end I played it as it lay and managed to play a pretty good recovery but, seeing as the forum has a shiney, new rules section, I thought I'd check :thup: