Crazyface
Tour Winner
I was just wondering. The R+A have decided not to change the rule regarding a ball landing in a divot, because who's to decide what's a divot, but continue to have a rule about animal scrapings! Seems an anomaly to me. :mmm:
Ball Landing In Divot
- Thread starter Crazyface
- Start date
atticusfinch
Challenge Tour Pro
I think the problem is not defining a divot, but is deciding when it stops being a divot as it heals. Animal scrapes do not heal.
doublebogey7
Head Pro
The rules do not mention the words animal scrapping, but holes, casts or runways made by a burrowing animal, bird or reptile. You not not get relieve from an animal scrapping.
Colin L
Tour Winner
I would take relief from this pair of scrapping animals under Decision 1-4/10
http://www.usga.org/rules/rules-and-decisions.html#!decision-01,d1-4-10
drdel
Tour Rookie
When does a burrowing animals' digging become a 'runway'.
Golf is supposed to be a game reliant upon the player's integrity yet we have these tortuous explorations of language to define everyday situations that occur on a piece of tended turf/grassland.
Since a divot generally points in the direction of play allowing relief 'not nearer the hole' (as in lift-clean-and-place) will yield next to no real advantage over 'normal' play. If my fellow competitor happens to lose because he unfortunately found a bank note sized bare patch of fairway that's bad luck not poor skill: I'd rather win on a fair and level basis.
Fairways aren't hazards so lets be pragmatic.
Golf is supposed to be a game reliant upon the player's integrity yet we have these tortuous explorations of language to define everyday situations that occur on a piece of tended turf/grassland.
Since a divot generally points in the direction of play allowing relief 'not nearer the hole' (as in lift-clean-and-place) will yield next to no real advantage over 'normal' play. If my fellow competitor happens to lose because he unfortunately found a bank note sized bare patch of fairway that's bad luck not poor skill: I'd rather win on a fair and level basis.
Fairways aren't hazards so lets be pragmatic.
When you land in a divot mark do you feel hard done by ??
upsidedown
Tour Winner
I play over 200 rounds a year and and land in one about once a year , so no big deal , more likely to be in burrowing animal hole/runway.
jim8flog
Journeyman Pro
This changes in 2019 to animal scrapes which is what the OP referred to
atticusfinch
Challenge Tour Pro
Bad luck is 90% of the game. We have to deal with it.
doublebogey7
Head Pro
As far as I can see the 2019 rule 16.1 only refers to holes made by animals, no mention of scrapes.
jusme
Challenge Tour Pro
I've heard and read about this debate many times, but as has mentioned above and many times before, just how many times do you find yourself in a divot. Playing 4 balls a few times a week all year round, i could count on one hand how often this happens. I get enough good bounces and good luck over the year, that I accept the occasional bad bounce every now and again.
Given the obvious complexities around writing such a rule their is and never has been a need to do so, given how rarely it actually happens. You get good fortune and bad. Accept it is part of golf
Given the obvious complexities around writing such a rule their is and never has been a need to do so, given how rarely it actually happens. You get good fortune and bad. Accept it is part of golf
rulefan
Tour Winner
The words scrape, scraped or scrapes only appear in the 2019 Rules 4 times. Not one is related to animals.
The only relevant references are two mentions of 'animal holes' defined as:
Animal Hole
Any hole dug in the ground by an animal, except for holes dug by animals that are also defined as loose impediments (such as worms or insects).
The term animal hole includes:
• The loose material the animal dug out of the hole,
• Any worn-down track or trail leading into the hole, and
• Any area on the ground pushed up or altered as a result of the animal digging the hole underground.
Exactly, ask yourself, how many times do you land in a divot mark a year, more than 3 or 4 times would be very unlucky, thems the breaks, play it as it lies.
rulefan
Tour Winner
It would make more sense if they decided not to change the rule regarding landing in a divot hole. I've never encountered a ball in a divot.
clubchamp98
Journeyman Pro
I do wonder how many fairways some on here hit.
I have never been in an animal burrow or similar on the fairway , but have been in many divots!
Just one thing when I joined my club they had a local rule that if you landed in a seeded divot it was classed as GUR as the green keepers had worked to fill the hole.
This was stopped by the RA but we were never really told the main reason for this.
Anyone enlighten me please?
I have never been in an animal burrow or similar on the fairway , but have been in many divots!
Just one thing when I joined my club they had a local rule that if you landed in a seeded divot it was classed as GUR as the green keepers had worked to fill the hole.
This was stopped by the RA but we were never really told the main reason for this.
Anyone enlighten me please?
bobmac
Major Champion
How long was the seeded divot classed as GUR?
duncan mackie
Money List Winner
Is exactly the reason...
Crazyface
Tour Winner
It would make more sense if they decided not to change the rule regarding landing in a divot hole. I've never encountered a ball in a divot.
Ooo nice one.
But the "scraping" / "animal hole" call it what you will, how many times does a play land in one of those? Yet this is covered by a rule why not a divot hole? I could call that an animal hole couldn't I and get relief? Who's to say?
Crazyface
Tour Winner
PS I'm now going to call them DIVOT HOLES !!!! LOVE IT !!!!
atticusfinch
Challenge Tour Pro
Matter of humour: I wonder how many people know the origin of the phrase "them's the breaks?"
