Fallen tree issue

[garyinderry]

A tree fell and was cut from the stump but still lying in the position shown in the diagram. My ball rolled in the fallen tree.
After discussing with my mate I took a club lenght from the ball under abnormal course conditions.

Was I able to get full relief to the left of the tree? We weren't sure. I took 1 club from the spot where it lay in the tree. This still left me very much blocked out by the fallen tree. I had to try and play a big slice around it to the green. Which didn't go completely to plan.

I will try and attach a rudimentary drawing of the situation I faced in the next post.

 

[garyinderry]

Test

 

[IanM]

Fully severed its a loose impediment. Just lift it out the way! (I assume it was too big!)

It's clear awaiting removal, so full relief. (Unless instructions to the contrary have been issued)

 

[rulefan]

A tree fell and was cut from the stump but still lying in the position shown in the diagram. My ball rolled in the fallen tree.
After discussing with my mate I took a club lenght from the ball under abnormal course conditions.

Was I able to get full relief to the left of the tree? We weren't sure. I took 1 club from the spot where it lay in the tree. This still left me very much blocked out by the fallen tree. I had to try and play a big slice around it to the green. Which didn't go completely to plan.

I will try and attach a rudimentary drawing of the situation I faced in the next post.

Assuming that the fallen tree was intended to be removed and it was too heavy to move yourself, rather than 1 club length you should have first determined the 'nearest point of complete relief' and then dropped the ball within 1 club length no nearer the hole than that point penalty free. (See Rule 16)

If the tree was never going to be removed, then you must take an 'unplayable ball' with a one stroke penalty. The relief options are in Rule 19.

 

[garyinderry]

Thanks guys. I can only assume the tree will be removed in time. Its a fairly large tree. No chance of moving it.

It certainly felt unfair the drop I took. I made par with a lob shot that hit the pin and sat a foot from the hole. The tree took a chance of a birdie out of play.

 

[Steven Rules]

Lots of issues here.

Ground Under Repair/3 - Fallen Tree or Tree Stump Is Not Always Ground Under Repair

A fallen tree or tree stump that the Committee intends to remove, but is not in the process of being removed, is not automatically ground under repair. However, if the tree and the tree stump are in the process of being unearthed or cut up for later removal, they are "material piled for later removal" and therefore ground under repair.

First, the tree is not necessarily automatically ground under repair. This quoted case is, in my opinion, borderline. It depends on whether we view a single cut through the trunk and then abandoned as being 'in the process of being cut up for later removal'.

When the tree fell or when that single cut was made by the staff, the tree should have been marked as GUR in order to remove all doubt about the status of the tree.

Assuming the fallen tree was GUR, it sounds like you have not proceeded incorrectly. You do not take a club length from the ball. First you need to find the nearest point of complete relief not nearer the hole where the tree is not interfering with your ball, stance, or area of intended swing. From your very crude diagram it looks like this point would be 'behind' the tree. Then you drop the ball within one club length of that point. You are not entitled to line of play relief but the thoughtful Committee, as well as marking the area as GUR, should also establish a dropping zone (as an additional relief option) off to the side somewhere to alleviate the potential line of play issues.

If the fallen tree was NOT deemed GUR then you need to play the ball as it lies or take an unplayable. As the tree is fully detached from the stump, it is a loose impediment so you are entitled to move it, or to break off any interfering branches to the extent that this is physically possible. Be careful not to move your ball during this process.

 

[garyinderry]

Spoke to my mate about it there. I said there are no other felled trees left so it's safe to assume it would also be cleared in time.

I can see where on other courses trees could be felled or fallen and left. For example this could be well off the beaten path.

The tree in question lay across rough and onto some of the fairway. Extremely unlikely to be left in place to rot.

 

[salfordlad]

On your further info that the fallen, separated tree is partly across fairway, it is reasonable to treat it as abnormal course condition even in the absence of proper marking.
As Steven notes, though, taking relief a club-length from the ball's original position is not the correct procedure for ACC relief (requirement is to find the nearest point of complete relief to establish the correct relief area within 1 club-length of that reference point) but, assuming you dropped rather than placed, it seems highly likely that you proceeded consistently with the rule anyway if you played from within 1 club-length of the ball's original position without lie, stance or swing interference with the felled tree.