GUR

[RobRob]

During a round this weekends comp I hooked a ball into a patch of rough that is marked up as GUR, after a couple minutes searching we found the ball and I took a drop. This got us talking though, If you hit a ball into GUR and there is absolutely no doubt it is in the GUR but you cannot find your ball, can you drop another ball?

 

[AmandaJR]

During a round this weekends comp I hooked a ball into a patch of rough that is marked up as GUR, after a couple minutes searching we found the ball and I took a drop. This got us talking though, If you hit a ball into GUR and there is absolutely no doubt it is in the GUR but you cannot find your ball, can you drop another ball?

Yes. If you are 100% sure you will have seen the point of entry so proceed from there to drop within 1 club length of the nearest point of relief, no nearer the hole etc.

I think!

 

[MashieNiblick]

Yes, you can drop another ball without penalty. The ball is deemed to lie at the point at which it last crossed the limits of the GUR so you use that as the reference point for establishing the nearest point of relief. Rule 25-1c.

http://www.randa.org/en/Rules-and-Amateur-Status/Rules-of-Golf.aspx#/rules/?ruleNum=25&subRuleNum=1

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Yes, you can drop another ball without penalty. The ball is deemed to lie at the point at which it last crossed the limits of the GUR so you use that as the reference point for establishing the nearest point of relief. Rule 25-1c.

http://www.randa.org/en/Rules-and-Amateur-Status/Rules-of-Golf.aspx#/rules/?ruleNum=25&subRuleNum=1

Stretching the scenario a bit - if you knew pretty accurately where the ball should be within the GUR; your PPs agreed, and dropping from GUR is not mandated by a local rule - could you make the drop in the GUR close to where you and your partners agree the ball should be?

 

[Foxholer]

Stretching the scenario a bit - if you knew pretty accurately where the ball should be within the GUR; your PPs agreed, and dropping from GUR is not mandated by a local rule - could you make the drop in the GUR close to where you and your partners agree the ball should be?

As the words 'Nearest Point of Relief' (defined as where last crossed boundary) and 'Must' are included in the Relief section, my opinion is 'No'.

 

[duncan mackie]

Stretching the scenario a bit - if you knew pretty accurately where the ball should be within the GUR; your PPs agreed, and dropping from GUR is not mandated by a local rule - could you make the drop in the GUR close to where you and your partners agree the ball should be?

you could, but you would be playing from a 'wrong place'!

"If he elects to do so (proceed under this rule), the spot where the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the abnormal ground condition (GUR) must be determined and, for the purpose of applying this Rule, the ball is deemed to lie at this spot and the player must proceed as follows... "

 

[Colin L]

Stretching the scenario a bit - if you knew pretty accurately where the ball should be within the GUR; your PPs agreed, and dropping from GUR is not mandated by a local rule - could you make the drop in the GUR close to where you and your partners agree the ball should be?

Relief from GUR does not need to mandated in a local rule: it's in the book as Rule 25-1b. So if an area is designated GUR you can always take relief.
if you have not found your ball in the GUR but know it is in it, you must use the point where it crossed the margin as your reference (25-1c(i)). And, by the way if you could not determine where it crossed, you would have to proceed under stroke and distance for a lost ball.
You cannot drop a ball in the GUR if you are taking relief from it.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Relief from GUR does not need to mandated in a local rule: it's in the book as Rule 25-1b. So if an area is designated GUR you can always take relief.
if you have not found your ball in the GUR but know it is in it, you must use the point where it crossed the margin as your reference (25-1c(i)). And, by the way if you could not determine where it crossed, you would have to proceed under stroke and distance for a lost ball.
You cannot drop a ball in the GUR if you are taking relief from it.

I don't want to take relief from it - I just can't find my ball in the GUR. I'm pretty darn sure where it should be - and by PPs agree - and as I said there is no local rule mandating that I take a drop from GUR - so in that respect playing from GUR remains an option. Though we saw where (we thought) it ended up and we saw where it crossed the edge of GUR - I'd rather drop a replacement ball within the GUR. But the rules say I can't?

 

[Colin L]

Forget the GUR for a moment. You have played a shot but cannot find your ball even though you are pretty sure you know where it is - approximately. Would you expect to be allowed to drop a replacement ball somewhere in the area? No, you know fine that you have to go back and play under stroke and distance. Lost somewhere in GUR is no different. You are entitled to play the ball as it lies in the GUR (unless play is prohibited by a local rule) but just like anywhere else on the course, you have to find it first. The difference with GUR or other abnormal ground condition is that as long as you know where the ball crossed the margin you can proceed to take relief just as if it had been found.

 

[duncan mackie]

The difference with GUR or other abnormal ground condition is that as long as you know where the ball crossed the margin you can proceed to take relief just as if it had been found.

to help the process as discussions are rather focused .......

1. you also have to know, or be virtual certain, the ball remained in the area! (I accept this is implied in knowledge of where it last crossed the margin)
2. you take the relief as if it had been found at the point it crossed the margin

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Forget the GUR for a moment. You have played a shot but cannot find your ball even though you are pretty sure you know where it is - approximately. Would you expect to be allowed to drop a replacement ball somewhere in the area? No, you know fine that you have to go back and play under stroke and distance. Lost somewhere in GUR is no different. You are entitled to play the ball as it lies in the GUR (unless play is prohibited by a local rule) but just like anywhere else on the course, you have to find it first. The difference with GUR or other abnormal ground condition is that as long as you know where the ball crossed the margin you can proceed to take relief just as if it had been found.

That'll do me Col - satisfied