Ball comes to rest in a loose impediment

[matt611]

The other day I pushed my drive just right of the fairway into the woods. I found my ball inside an old hollowed out piece of wood. Ordinarily this would be a loose impediment, but what is the rule? Do i get relief or do I treat it as unplayable?

Thanks

 

[backwoodsman]

Play it as it lies, or deem it unplayable - as the way you describe it, it seems impossible to move the loose impediment without moving your ball.

Edit: Assuming it is a naturally hollowed bit of tree that is ..

 

[TheJezster]

If it lands on a blanket don't they just remove the blanket and place the ball as close to where it would be if the blanket wasn't there? So wouldn't this just be the same? Mind you, saying that, if it lands in branches or loose twigs etc you have to play..

 

[guest100718]

If it lands on a blanket don't they just remove the blanket and place the ball as close to where it would be if the blanket wasn't there? So wouldn't this just be the same? Mind you, saying that, if it lands in branches or loose twigs etc you have to play..

A blanket isn't a loose impediment

 

[Colin L]

If it lands on a blanket don't they just remove the blanket and place the ball as close to where it would be if the blanket wasn't there? So wouldn't this just be the same? Mind you, saying that, if it lands in branches or loose twigs etc you have to play..

As paddy says, a blanket isn't a loose impediment. It is a movable obstruction and Rule 24-1b applies.
http://www.usga.org/rules/rules-and-decisions.html#!rule-24

Relief is taken by lifting the ball, removing the obstruction and anywhere other than on the putting green, dropping the ball as near to below where it was as possible. On the green, you would place the ball.

The hollowed out wood would be a movable obstruction if it had been fashioned that way by a person. If hollowed out naturally, it is a loose impediment.

 

[matt611]

So what if it is a piece of tree trunk that has been cut (fashioned) but left to rot? That would still be unplayable i guess rather than something you can get a free drop from

 

[rulefan]

So what if it is a piece of tree trunk that has been cut (fashioned) but left to rot? That would still be unplayable i guess rather than something you can get a free drop from

I depends on what you mean by fashioned. This might help.

23/1 When Loose Impediment Transformed into Obstruction

Loose impediments may be transformed into obstructions through processes of construction or manufacturing. For example, a log (loose impediment) that has been split and had legs attached has been changed by construction into a bench (obstruction); or a piece of wood (loose impediment) becomes an obstruction when manufactured into a charcoal briquette.