Ball landing in soft marshy area of the course

[turkish]

Our club run a competition corner in the weekly newsletter and there was one where if the ball lands in a soft marshy area of the course and you are sure or virtually certain the ball has plugged in the area that you are granted free relief(Provided you can see water on surface or at stance).

I am a bit confused by this as how do you know where to drop? Our 9th hole is still very very marshy the whole length of the left hand fairway. it's not a blind shot to the tee but it is a blind shot to this area of the course so I don't know how you could make a reasonable judgement on distance to pin even if virtually certain it's plugged.

The newsletter states: The soft, marshy area (provided water is visible either on the surface or when taking a stance) is almost certainly casual water within the definition of 'abnormal ground conditions'.

If the player knows or is virtually certain that his ball is in the abnormal ground condition, provided that the point that his ball entered the abnormal ground condition was not in a water hazard or bunker, he is entitled to free relief in terms of rule 25-1c, even if his ball cannot be found. The key is "knows or is virtually certain". Basically, if the ball could be anywhere else, he is not entitled to relief."

 

[rulefan]

If you cannot see the ball, you must make your best estimate of where it last crossed the margin of the casual water and use that point as the basis of the normal GUR rule.

 

[ger147]

I wish I had known this a few weeks back.

Ball was lost in the mud to the LHS of a Par 3 and I ended up with a 6 as I couldn't find my ball which had plugged in the mud and disappeared.

 

[turkish]

I wish I had known this a few weeks back.

Ball was lost in the mud to the LHS of a Par 3 and I ended up with a 6 as I couldn't find my ball which had plugged in the mud and disappeared.

some of our squidgy bits don't neccessarily actually show water even in a stance- more a quagmire of mud so from the wording gathering you don't get relief?

 

[rulie]

some of our squidgy bits don't neccessarily actually show water even in a stance- more a quagmire of mud so from the wording gathering you don't get relief?

You are only getting free relief because it is known or virtually certain that the ball is in casual water. Without casual water, there is no free relief; if the ball is not found within five minutes, it's lost.

 

[turkish]

That's my point exactly- the result of where the ball went and why it is missing is the same for squidgy marshy ground with or without water but on one example there is a tiny bit of casual water, on the other none at all but the result is the same.

I know that's just golf and it's just tough but when you live in Scotland and have summers like ours this year with a ton of rain it makes an already frustrating game even more frustrating when your ball plugs (but no water visual)

 

[ger147]

some of our squidgy bits don't neccessarily actually show water even in a stance- more a quagmire of mud so from the wording gathering you don't get relief?

I was tramping through mud and puddles of water to the side of the green so in this instance I would have been entitled to relief.

 

[turkish]

I know I wasn't talking about your situation just in generality a bit unfair how the same situation and the same outcome but because a little bit of surface water is a different ruling.

even though the ground in effect is the same as its so soft it swallows the golf ball

 

[rulefan]

25/1 Soft, Mushy Earth
Q.Is soft, mushy earth casual water?
A.No. Soft, mushy earth is not casual water unless water is visible on the surface before or after the player takes his stance - see Definition of "Casual Water."

See this decision:

http://www.usga.org/rules/rules-and-decisions.html#!decision-25,d25-3

But also see the ones immediately following it.