Is a stone and wood seating area an immovable obstruction?

[IanMcC]

We have a stone and wood memorial seating area to the left of our 15th green. Today my playing partner went under the seat with a pulled tee shot. We were unsure if he was entitled to free relief or not, as nothing in the structure was 'artificial', but the immovable obstruction was definitely 'man made'. Any help?

 

[IanM]

Are you Tiger Woods?

 

[wjemather]

We have a stone and wood memorial seating area to the left of our 15th green. Today my playing partner went under the seat with a pulled tee shot. We were unsure if he was entitled to free relief or not, as nothing in the structure was 'artificial', but the immovable obstruction was definitely 'man made'. Any help?

Sounds like a free relief situation to me, but also like the club/committee may want to clarify things by explicitly defining it as an immovable obstruction/no play zone in the Local Rules.

 

[rulefan]

We have a stone and wood memorial seating area to the left of our 15th green. Today my playing partner went under the seat with a pulled tee shot. We were unsure if he was entitled to free relief or not, as nothing in the structure was 'artificial', but the immovable obstruction was definitely 'man made'. Any help?

Examples of obstructions:

• Waste containers, signposts and benches.

 

[Swango1980]

We have a stone and wood memorial seating area to the left of our 15th green. Today my playing partner went under the seat with a pulled tee shot. We were unsure if he was entitled to free relief or not, as nothing in the structure was 'artificial', but the immovable obstruction was definitely 'man made'. Any help?

Surely the definition of "artificial" is anything "man made"?

 

[LincolnShep]

We have a stone and wood memorial seating area to the left of our 15th green. Today my playing partner went under the seat with a pulled tee shot. We were unsure if he was entitled to free relief or not, as nothing in the structure was 'artificial', but the immovable obstruction was definitely 'man made'. Any help?

I don't think the materials used for construction matter. You are describing natural materials but it's still a man-made structure, and it can't be moved. That makes it an immovable obstruction so relief can be obtained.

 

[IanMcC]

Surely the definition of "artificial" is anything "man made"?

Playing devils advocate, what if a man plants a tree........

 

[Swango1980]

Playing devils advocate, what if a man plants a tree........

I'd assume the man just planted, or relocated the tree. The tree itself is still growing naturally. Otherwise, an entire golf course would be artificial

 

[jim8flog]

From the definitions

Obstruction
Any artificial object except for integral objects and boundary objects.

not from these definitions but the old ones

artificial includes objects manufactured from natural materials (or words to that effect)

E.G a wooden tee peg lying on the ground, which is not one you have dropped, is an obstruction.


Movable Obstruction
An obstruction that can be moved with reasonable effort and without damaging the obstruction or the course.

 

[drdel]

Simple. If you and your PPs can move it: it's movable.