nickjdavis
Head Pro
This question came up during play the other day...
Now that players no longer have to announce their intention to lift a ball or get a fellow competitor or opponent to observe the process surely this will be a cheats charter and folks will no longer have to announce when they want to take relief from an Abnormal Course Condition like a rabbit scraping?
My response was that no, the non-requirement to announce the intention to lift only applied to three scenarios...when a player wants to check his ball to see if it is cut or cracked, if he needs to lift it to identify it, or if he needs to lift it to see if lies in a condition where he might get free relief...a player would still be required to announce to a f/c or oppo if he was taking relief from a ACC.
Then I started thinking about it....I couldn't remember anywhere in the rules where it is actually written down that a player MUST announce that he is taking free relief from an AGC (2018 rules) and MUST give a F/C or Opp the chance to observe. So I got the 2018 rule book....and lo and behold I can find no such stipulation....likewise I can find nothing in the 2019 books.
Is this something that has wormed its way into most folks (well...mine anyway!!) perceptions as being " a rule", whatwith us having so long been used to announcing such intentions as a matter of courtesy? I couldn't even find anything in the sections on etiquette that advised a player that he should inform players if he is taking free relief.
Have I imagined it all or have I simply missed it in the rules books?
Now that players no longer have to announce their intention to lift a ball or get a fellow competitor or opponent to observe the process surely this will be a cheats charter and folks will no longer have to announce when they want to take relief from an Abnormal Course Condition like a rabbit scraping?
My response was that no, the non-requirement to announce the intention to lift only applied to three scenarios...when a player wants to check his ball to see if it is cut or cracked, if he needs to lift it to identify it, or if he needs to lift it to see if lies in a condition where he might get free relief...a player would still be required to announce to a f/c or oppo if he was taking relief from a ACC.
Then I started thinking about it....I couldn't remember anywhere in the rules where it is actually written down that a player MUST announce that he is taking free relief from an AGC (2018 rules) and MUST give a F/C or Opp the chance to observe. So I got the 2018 rule book....and lo and behold I can find no such stipulation....likewise I can find nothing in the 2019 books.
Is this something that has wormed its way into most folks (well...mine anyway!!) perceptions as being " a rule", whatwith us having so long been used to announcing such intentions as a matter of courtesy? I couldn't even find anything in the sections on etiquette that advised a player that he should inform players if he is taking free relief.
Have I imagined it all or have I simply missed it in the rules books?
