Creating a ramp with a Spurk golf mat.

[Swango1980]

Unfortunately this has developed into an opinions thread rather than an actual rules thread

 

[IanM]

Blimey. Lots of stress about nothing.

Winter Golf: get round ASAP, keep the muscles loose, get some fresh air and exercise, see your mates.

I'm not calling someone for not fully squidging down his mat to stop the ball rolling off. Messing around to find a flat spot just slows down play.

Don't worry, I disqualified myself for agreeing to waive a Rule!

 

[RichA]

Blimey. Lots of stress about nothing.

Winter Golf: get round ASAP, keep the muscles loose, get some fresh air and exercise, see your mates.

I'm not calling someone for not fully squidging down his mat to stop the ball rolling off. Messing around to find a flat spot just slows down play.

Don't worry, I disqualified myself for agreeing to waive a Rule!

Similarly, we never use mats so I don’t really care. It’s just something to talk about on a golf forum. But contrary to what somebody suggested earlier, mats aren’t required in order to improve your lie. They are required purely to protect the course. Whether a player chooses to use it to improve their lie is on them, not the rules.

 

[jim8flog]

I've been thinking about the possibility of a ball rolling up to and resting against a tree root. Preferred lies allows you to replace a few inches behind the tree root.
But the placing of a Spurk fairway mat behind the tree root elevates the ball considerably making the tree root less of an obstacle to get over.
Of course anyone who finds themself in this position will be able to do the same, so no one person is gaining an advantage over another.
The same goes for tilting the mat slightly. Everyone can do it so no one person gains an advantage over another.
Sidehill lie ball above the feet - press mat down well. Sidehill lie ball below feet - rest mat gently on the ground. Advantage being gained. But is it "unfairly" when everyone can do it.

The only issue, for me, is qualifying scores being allowed with these advantages.
The issue of "lie" of ball need not be considered, because the clear and obvious alignment aid should negate qualifying scores. (end of...)

Jet plane on a conveyor was far more interesting.

If a course has problems with tree roots on the fairway (or first cut) they should have in place.

Model Local Rule F-9
"If a player’s ball lies in the general area and there is interference from exposed tree roots that are [specify area of the course, such as in a part of the general area cut to fairway height or less or in the rough within a certain number of club-lengths from the edge of the area cut to fairway height or less], the tree roots are treated as ground under repair. The player may take free relief under Rule 16.1b.[But relief is not allowed if the tree roots only interfere with the player’s stance.]