Deciding When the Course is Unplayable

[mikejohnchapman]

Our course is a resort style course that promotes itself like the Windmill Theatre - "We Never Close". Their logic being that in adverse weather the course "closes itself".

Thus in competitions we often get the situation in heavy rain where some of the greens start to flood and there are no "dry" lines available. In these circumstance is it acceptable for the player to suspend a round due to the course being unplayable?

I appreciate its in the Committee's gift to abandon a competition but they are often not on the course during the worst of the weather so can't judge.

I ask because recently during one such competition several of us were given N/R status in these circumstances. When we queried it we were told that because over 50% of the field had finshed the competition stood.

May be correct but doesn't seem fair it you have to play on flooded greens and you aren't allowed to push the water away to get a decent line.

 

[DCB]

SGU provide this info for competition committee.
https://www.scottishgolf.org/club-s...ying-competitions/adverse-weather-conditions/

 

[Colin L]

Our course is a resort style course that promotes itself like the Windmill Theatre - "We Never Close". Their logic being that in adverse weather the course "closes itself".

Thus in competitions we often get the situation in heavy rain where some of the greens start to flood and there are no "dry" lines available. In these circumstance is it acceptable for the player to suspend a round due to the course being unplayable?

I appreciate its in the Committee's gift to abandon a competition but they are often not on the course during the worst of the weather so can't judge.

I ask because recently during one such competition several of us were given N/R status in these circumstances. When we queried it we were told that because over 50% of the field had finished the competition stood.

May be correct but doesn't seem fair it you have to play on flooded greens and you aren't allowed to push the water away to get a decent line.

It is neither correct nor fair, in my view.
The player is not permitted to suspend play because of rain R6-8 & D33-8/5
http://www.usga.org/rules/rules-and-decisions.html#!decision-33,d33-8-5);
the Committee has to decide if a competition has to be cancelled (R33-2d);
the Committee has the responsibility of doing something about greens that are flooded such that there is casual water surrounding the hole(D33-2d/2) http://www.usga.org/rules/rules-and-decisions.html#!decision-33,d33-2d-2

In short the Committee is "The Management" and should be managing the course conditions and making decisions about playability.

 

[jim8flog]

This is the R&A Rule

d. Course Unplayable If the Committee or its authorized representative considers that for any reason the course is not in a playable condition or that there are circumstances that render the proper playing of the game impossible, it may, in match play or stroke play, order a temporary suspension of play or, in stroke play, declare play null and void and cancel all scores for the round in question. When a round is canceled, all penalties incurred in that round are canceled.

Clearly it has to be a committee member to declare the course unplayable and not just a player.

I have had the situation when the appropriate person has been just one hole behind me and he to walked in but he would not accept the R&A Rule. He to the same view about the number of players that had completed the round.

 

[clubchamp98]

This is the R&A Rule

d. Course Unplayable If the Committee or its authorized representative considers that for any reason the course is not in a playable condition or that there are circumstances that render the proper playing of the game impossible, it may, in match play or stroke play, order a temporary suspension of play or, in stroke play, declare play null and void and cancel all scores for the round in question. When a round is canceled, all penalties incurred in that round are canceled.

Clearly it has to be a committee member to declare the course unplayable and not just a player.

I have had the situation when the appropriate person has been just one hole behind me and he to walked in but he would not accept the R&A Rule. He to the same view about the number of players that had completed the round.

this happened to me last year and I was playing with h/cap sec because most had finished the comp stood and I got .1 back .
I complained but got nowhere it does seem very unfair. Let the comp stand just don’t put players who can’t complete up .1.

I was 1 under on 16 green so was looking forward to a nice cut but went up .1 for an NR.

 

[Colin L]

this happened to me last year and I was playing with h/cap sec because most had finished the comp stood and I got .1 back .
I complained but got nowhere it does seem very unfair. Let the comp stand just don’t put players who can’t complete up .1.

I was 1 under on 16 green so was looking forward to a nice cut but went up .1 for an NR.

An abandoned competition should be reductions only. CONGU Clause 18.7

 

[jim8flog]

this happened to me last year and I was playing with h/cap sec because most had finished the comp stood and I got .1 back .
I complained but got nowhere it does seem very unfair. Let the comp stand just don’t put players who can’t complete up .1.

I was 1 under on 16 green so was looking forward to a nice cut but went up .1 for an NR.

If you had completed 16 holes they should not just NR you any way they should only NR the last 2 holes and enter the score for all completed holes. You may well have got the cut anyway as the last two holes would have been treated as net double bogey for handicap purposes.

 

[rulefan]

18.7 overrides anything else.

18.7 If a Qualifying Competition is abandoned for any valid reason, the Competition Scratch Score shall be regarded as equal to the Standard Scratch Score and players returning Nett Differentials of less than zero shall have their Exact Handicaps reduced to the extent dictated by the Nett Differential. A Nett Differential of zero or above shall not result in a handicap increase.

 

[mikseymono]

It is hard for our local comps. Last year we had a couple that were pretty much washed out towards the end of the day though committee did not cancel . I have played with a certain person who continually drew circles around the last 9 greens (!) with his putter head to show the extent of the water.....he wasn't doing too well and supposed I could have pulled him up on it..............it's difficult on a local level as most of our events have small prizes and only get about 80 players on a Sunday and if you start to cancel on a regular basis people just won't show up. We also don't have super soppers or the staff to deal with the deluge that can happen

Playing outside the club I have also experienced an 8 hr round....and that was teeing off second at 08h10...such was the weather and stop start/clearing of the greens from water etc..