Dropping zone

[Default Golfer]

Can a dropping zone be in play for one tee only on a hole or does it have to be in play for all tees? I think the latter but would welcome any advice.

Thanks in advance

Brian

 

[rulie]

Why is the dropping zone there at all? Need more explanations.

 

[Default Golfer]

There is one tee on a hole which has a long carry over a tree-filled ravine to what has become a hidden fairway. Under consideration is making the ravine a red penalty area and introducing a dropping zone on the fairway side of it for those who don't make the carry - there's nowhere else to locate it. I appreciate that its location goes against the guidance given in RoG 2I(2).

The ravine is parallel to the line of play from the other tees so the fairway and the edge of the penalty area would be visible so the dropping zone wouldn't be necessary from these tees.

Thinking about it - and I may have answered my own question here - there's no reason why players playing from any tees couldn't use it.

 

[NearHull]

I’m nowhere near the knowledge of the rules guys on here, but my understanding is that a dropping zone is linked to a specific area and it is irrelevant what hole you are playing. If the ball is in ( or near certain etc) the declared area the player has a choice ( unless mandated by LRs) of using it in addition to the normal reliefs.

 

[rulie]

There is one tee on a hole which has a long carry over a tree-filled ravine to what has become a hidden fairway. Under consideration is making the ravine a red penalty area and introducing a dropping zone on the fairway side of it for those who don't make the carry - there's nowhere else to locate it. I appreciate that its location goes against the guidance given in RoG 2I(2).

The ravine is parallel to the line of play from the other tees so the fairway and the edge of the penalty area would be visible so the dropping zone wouldn't be necessary from these tees.

Thinking about it - and I may have answered my own question here - there's no reason why players playing from any tees couldn't use it.

Then why do it at all?

 

[rulefan]

The 'course' is of course specific to the tees being played, so there is no reason (other than potential confusion) why the DZ shouldn't be tee specific.
However, why can't the DZ be on the tee side of the PA requiring the player to negotiate the ravine?

 

[NearHull]

The 'course' is of course specific to the tees being played, so there is no reason (other than potential confusion) why the DZ shouldn't be tee specific.
However, why can't the DZ be on the tee side of the PA requiring the player to negotiate the ravine?

That’s interesting, I didn’t realise that it could be tee specific - I’ve perhaps not thought it through.

 

[Default Golfer]

The 'course' is of course specific to the tees being played, so there is no reason (other than potential confusion) why the DZ shouldn't be tee specific.
However, why can't the DZ be on the tee side of the PA requiring the player to negotiate the ravine?

The tee is isolated so there is no room on the tee side of the PA. The only option without a DZ would be to take stroke and distance under 17.1d(1).

 

[Steven Rules]

The 'course' is of course specific to the tees being played

I'm not sure what you mean here. The course is the entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee.

 

[salfordlad]

A Committee may put whatever restriction they want on a Dropping Zone. It could, for example, be "In play of the 4th hole, ...". And there could be very good reason to do this.

More generally though, if no particular restriction is identified, it is fair game for anyone in that specific relief condition to use.

 

[rulefan]

I'm not sure what you mean here. The course is the entire area of play within the edge of any boundaries set by the Committee.

There is only one teeing area per hole. So the DZ could be available only if particular teeing areas were being used (eg red tees). If other tees are in use the DZ would not exist.