Beedee
Assistant Pro
Is there any relief available if a ball is effectively underground in a hole, but it is definitely not an animal hole?
The circumstance in question is a hole with a tiered fairway. There's a line of wooden sleepers between the tiers. The sleepers have been there for years and some are showing their age. One in particular has a hole that's clearly caused by rot. The scorecard make explicit mention of the sleepers, declaring them to integral to the course with no free relief available for a ball resting on or against.
The argument a few people have made is that they are clearly artificial, and there's a mention of "on or against", but no mention of "in". They think they should get free relief. I think a ball ending up there is really unlucky, but tough. Who's right?
The circumstance in question is a hole with a tiered fairway. There's a line of wooden sleepers between the tiers. The sleepers have been there for years and some are showing their age. One in particular has a hole that's clearly caused by rot. The scorecard make explicit mention of the sleepers, declaring them to integral to the course with no free relief available for a ball resting on or against.
The argument a few people have made is that they are clearly artificial, and there's a mention of "on or against", but no mention of "in". They think they should get free relief. I think a ball ending up there is really unlucky, but tough. Who's right?