Drainage gutter/prepared rock/immovable obstruction?

[SunWolf]

This was my lie after a tee shot on a par three rolled off a side hill beside the green over the cart path and ended up nestled beside these rocks. I believe these rocks were placed here to help with drainage and it's not marked with any stakes. Probably should have taken a better photo but I honestly didn't think this would become an issue. My playing partners thought it was a penalty drop and I thought it should be treated as an extension of the cart path in the top left corner. Prepared rock or drainage gutter, immovable obstruction?
Anyone think it should be a free drop or penalty drop/play as it lies?

 

[Wabinez]

This was my lie after a tee shot on a par three rolled off a side hill beside the green over the cart path and ended up nestled beside these rocks. I believe these rocks were placed here to help with drainage and it's not marked with any stakes. Probably should have taken a better photo but I honestly didn't think this would become an issue. My playing partners thought it was a penalty drop and I thought it should be treated as an extension of the cart path in the top left corner. Prepared rock or drainage gutter, immovable obstruction?
Anyone think it should be a free drop or penalty drop/play as it lies?


View attachment 54660

Check the scorecard and view the local rules…

 

[D-S]

To me this looks to be an abnormal course condition (immovable obstruction) and, unless a local rule states otherwise, you would be allowed free relief.
Edit - see definition Obstruction and Rule 16.1a

 

[SunWolf]

Check the scorecard and view the local rules…

Sorry, I meant to mention that it's not on the local rules on the scorecard or in the clubhouse

 

[Colin L]

It's an immovable obstruction.

 

[doublebogey7]

Sorry, I meant to mention that it's not on the local rules on the scorecard or in the clubhouse

Doesn't need to be for it to be an immoveable obstruction, which it clearly looks like to me.

 

[rulefan]

Doesn't need to be for it to be an immoveable obstruction, which it clearly looks like to me.

I guess Wabinez was suggesting if there was nothing specific on the scorecard or in the LRs saying otherwise then it was as defined in the RoG.

 

[jim8flog]

For it to be a penalty the club would have to declare it as an integral part of the course.

 

[SunWolf]

For it to be a penalty the club would have to declare it as an integral part of the course.

That was my stance on it too, there is no markings/stakes around it and nothing on the scorecard so I took a free drop with an asterisks to check with the course after the round. A course marshal came by a few holes later and one of my playing partners mentioned it to him. He said he wasn't sure but it was probably a penalty so I took the extra shot on the card. I checked local rules and there is nothing mentioned about this location. So I concluded that if there is nothing written then we should default to the rules of golf which would be an IO free drop.

I found an video on virtually the same scenario here:

 

[jim8flog]

That was my stance on it too, there is no markings/stakes around it and nothing on the scorecard so I took a free drop with an asterisks to check with the course after the round. A course marshal came by a few holes later and one of my playing partners mentioned it to him. He said he wasn't sure but it was probably a penalty so I took the extra shot on the card. I checked local rules and there is nothing mentioned about this location. So I concluded that if there is nothing written then we should default to the rules of golf which would be an IO free drop.

I found an video on virtually the same scenario here:

Yes, in your photo it is clearly a prepared and laid area.

 

[salfordlad]

Plenty of good advice above. In sum, any constructions on a course like this - pathways, drainage or whatever - are treated under the rules as immovable obstructions (Rule 16 applies) unless the Committee has overridden that default status under the rules by posting a Local Rule that states otherwise.

 

[SunWolf]

Appreciate all the replies, thank you for the advice.