Ball embedded into face of bunker

[Colin L]

I thought you got free relief from immovable obstructions unless they define the boundaries of the course, or are declared to be integral parts of the course (e.g. the metalled road across the 18th fairway on the Old Course at St Andrews).

As I said, Del, it looks as if rulefan made slip of the pen.

Just another thought. If the stacked turf sods making up the face of the bunker are as steep as they sometimes are, any attempt at dropping the ball will almost certainly mean it rolling back into the bunker, and you probably wouldn't be able to place it so that it remains at rest either, so the same thing would happen. What do you do then, apart from maybe declaring it unplayable?

Mashie has given you the right direction on the ball not remaining at rest, but I'm winding back a bit to the drop. Rule 25-3 requires that you drop as near as possible to where the embedded ball lay. It could happen that the stacked turf face is so steep that it is not possible to drop anywhere on the face and get the ball the strike it. The nearest possible place would then probably be on flatter ground above and to the side of it. Again, no guarantee of a decent stance though!

Some courses have a local rule deeming that a stacked turf face is not closely mown which keeps things simpler.

 

[rulefan]

They would be immovable obstructions with no free relief. But possibly declared to be an integral part of the course.

I don't know how the no crept in when I wasn't looking.

 

[Fish]

Rules 25-2 and 20-2 apply. If the ball rolls into a hazard, it must be re-dropped.

What you on about, read my post, its embedded in the face of the bunker, where on earth could it roll to, it would be immediately in the bunker, hence my question, is it an age thing with you!

Can I have an answer from someone who know the rules better please.

 

[delc]

What you on about, read my post, its embedded in the face of the bunker, where on earth could it roll to, it would be immediately in the bunker, hence my question, is it an age thing with you!

Can I have an answer from someone who know the rules better please.

Rolls into the bunker when dropped, assuming you don't want to play it as it lies!

 

[Fish]

Rolls into the bunker when dropped, assuming you don't want to play it as it lies!

if it's embedded in the face of the bunker how the hell can you drop it, Oh, and you can shove your rolly eyes.

I asked a genuine question and your coming out with more drivel than usual! Read my post SLOWLY, there is a local rule at Formby where if you drive into the face of the bunker as they are layered sods of turf you are afforded relief, I want to know from where, you can't drop it against the face of a bunker you numpty!!!!

 

[delc]

if it's embedded in the face of the bunker how the hell can you drop it, Oh, and you can shove your rolly eyes.

I asked a genuine question and your coming out with more drivel than usual! Read my post SLOWLY, there is a local rule at Formby where if you drive into the face of the bunker as they are layered sods of turf you are afforded relief, I want to know from where, you can't drop it against the face of a bunker you numpty!!!!

I'll try again Robin. Your ball is embedded in the face of the bunker, which is made up of stacked turf. If you have a local rule allowing relief from such a position, you have to drop as near as possible, but not nearer to the hole. Depending on the orientation of the bunker, it is quite likely that the ball will roll into the bunker, which is not permitted for a drop through the green. After two attempted but unsuccessful drops you may place the ball at the spot where the 2nd attempt struck the ground. If you cannot place the ball so it remains at rest, you have to find the nearest spot NNTH and not in the hazard where it will remain at rest. If there is no local rule, you either have to play it as it lies, or declare it unplayable, when the usual dropping options apply, as per Rule 28.

 

[Fish]

I'll try again Robin. Your ball is embedded in the face of the bunker, which is made up of stacked turf. If you have a local rule allowing relief from such a position, you have to drop as near as possible, but not nearer to the hole. Depending on the orientation of the bunker, it is quite likely that the ball will roll into the bunker, which is not permitted for a drop through the green. After two attempted but unsuccessful drops you may place the ball at the spot where the 2nd attempt struck the ground. If you cannot place the ball so it remains at rest, you have to find the nearest spot NNTH and not in the hazard where it will remain at rest. If there is no local rule, you either have to play it as it lies, or declare it unplayable, when the usual dropping options apply, as per Rule 28.

It can't roll into the bunker as it can't roll anywhere as it was in the face of the bunker and as such any attempted drop would mean it would go immediately into the bunker, hence my question of where would you drop or place it!

This is too much like hard work for the day I'm having.....I'm off to watch rugby instead.

 

[Colin L]

It can't roll into the bunker as it can't roll anywhere as it was in the face of the bunker and as such any attempted drop would mean it would go immediately into the bunker, hence my question of where would you drop or place it!

This is too much like hard work for the day I'm having.....I'm off to watch rugby instead.

Are you talking about the situation where the face is vertical or so near to vertical that you can’t drop your ball on it? It would just drop straight down into the bunker? That’s the situation I was speaking about in post #21, but here goes again.

Rule 25-2 requires that when you take relief from an embedded ball your dropped ball first strikes the course through the green i.e. not in a bunker. The drop must be as near as possible to where the ball was embedded. Find the nearest place not nearer the hole where you can drop and hit the course outside the bunker and that’s as near as possible. It could be a couple of metres away from where the ball was and is likely to be above and to the side of the bunker. Whether the ball will roll into the bunker after being dropped is irrelevant: all that matters in the first instance is hitting the course in the right place.

 

[Fish]

Are you talking about the situation where the face is vertical or so near to vertical that you can’t drop your ball on it? It would just drop straight down into the bunker? That’s the situation I was speaking about in post #21, but here goes again.

Rule 25-2 requires that when you take relief from an embedded ball your dropped ball first strikes the course through the green i.e. not in a bunker. The drop must be as near as possible to where the ball was embedded. Find the nearest place not nearer the hole where you can drop and hit the course outside the bunker and that’s as near as possible. It could be a couple of metres away from where the ball was and is likely to be above and to the side of the bunker. Whether the ball will roll into the bunker after being dropped is irrelevant: all that matters in the first instance is hitting the course in the right place.

Yes, thank you Colin.

I didn't see/read your reply earlier as it was in a mixed quoted personal reply, but thank you for the answer.

#Phew...

 

[drdel]

If you don't like the lie, or think you can't hit it 'out' you always have the option of replaying the shot from the original place under the one-shot penalty

 

[Colin L]

If you don't like the lie, or think you can't hit it 'out' you always have the option of replaying the shot from the original place under the one-shot penalty

What lie are you referring to?

 

[rulefan]

if it's embedded in the face of the bunker how the hell can you drop it,

Have you read the local rule?
If it is the authorised Local Rule it says clearly what you must do. But 25-2 would have given you a big clue.

“Through the green, a ball that is embedded in its own pitch-mark in the ground may be lifted, without penalty, cleaned and dropped as near as possible to where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course through the green.