Please tell me I haven't made this up.....tree roots

[Liverbirdie]

I was at a handicap meeting tonight, and I brought up the subject of exposed tree roots on our 14/15/16th holes.

Now I'm sure I have played another course were you were allowed free relief if your ball was lying near to exposed tree roots.Maybe it's just certain trees, maybe it's only when they get to a certain age, but these roots can be dangerous, as if your ball lies next to them you could break your hand on the downswing or follow through.

So have you ever played a course where a local rule applies, even if only on certain holes, with regards to exposed tree roots?

Ok, just me then.....

 

[Five&One]

You can declare it unplayable and take a penalty drop. Local rule not possible.

 

[garyinderry]

never heard of that LB ! it was slow out there tonight. I played 1-7 then the first 3 twice.

 

[fundy]

thats when you want a bag of rabbit droppings with you

 

[HawkeyeMS]

You can declare it unplayable and take a penalty drop. Local rule not possible.

Would be my interpretation. After all, you wouldn't get relief if you ball was lying up against the trunk so why should the roots be any different? Just don't hit it in the trees.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

thats when you want a bag of rabbit droppings with you

I note the winky smiley but they wouldn't help as you would only get relief from a rabbit scraping if here was nothing else, from which you aren't entitled to free relief, impeding your swing. In this case, the root would be impeding the the swing so the rabbit scrapings would be irrelevant.

 

[fundy]

very tongue in cheek sir as you say the smiley was key

 

[Andy808]

I have no problem with exposed tree roots, we have several areas on the course afflicted with this, as I can choose a shot or take a penalty. What I do have a problem with is the tree roots that are just under the surface that you can't see or even know they are there. I have hit a few with one bent shaft and a sprained wrist for my troubles.

 

[pbrown7582]

sounds like a rather oddball local rule, sure rory would of liked it to be in place last year... :lol:

 

[chrisd]

No chance of free relief!

We have given out a warning for players to be mindful of tree roots and the possibility of injury

 

[USER1999]

What we need is more signs on the golf course. Big orange ones, with flashing lights, warning of the dangers. Most especially, dangers you can't see, like hidden tree roots, and buried stones. These signs could be placed every 3 yards, slap bang in the middle of the fairway. I'm sure we could play round them, no problems.

 

[MashieNiblick]

What we need is more signs on the golf course. Big orange ones, with flashing lights, warning of the dangers. Most especially, dangers you can't see, like hidden tree roots, and buried stones. These signs could be placed every 3 yards, slap bang in the middle of the fairway. I'm sure we could play round them, no problems.

And then of course you'd need signs to warn you about the signs.

 

[Sweep]

There is not a rule in place to my knowledge, other than a penalty drop after declaring unplayable. However, I think there should be a rule, similar to where you have standing water and you can drop with the agreement of your playing partners. A tree root can cause serious injury.

 

[USER1999]

Then don't take the shot. Take a penalty drop. You have the option.

 

[Bratty]

There is a point to this other: I was out on the course on a playing lesson with my pro, and on par 5 5th, I smashed a driver up the right with a hint of draw to bring it back to middle. Left with 215 uphill, I proceeded to hit my 17deg hybrid arrow straight which bounced short of the green but smack on the line of the pin.

Pro was amazed (I never it like that normally!) and thought it could be in the hole, it was that "on target". We reach the green, and there's no sign of it. He's smiling, and I'm saying it's through the back. Which it was. Right up against a tree! I mean touching the trunk and in the roots. No shot at all.

If that had a been a comp I would have been livid, but I would not expect a free drop. Them's the breaks!

To put a local rule in would seem very strange for tree roots. Take a penalty drop and move on. Unless of course it's a staked tree, but even then, check local rules.

 

[duncan mackie]

..... these roots can be dangerous, as if your ball lies next to them you could break your hand on the downswing or follow through.

fortunately the rules respect this situation and
(1) you aren't forced to play the ball as it lies as people have already pointed out, for only 1 penalty shot you have a lot of options open to you.
(2) you are permitted to probe the ground in the vicinity of your ball if you believe there may be roots that could cause injury (eg using a tee peg or divot repairer) but this has to be done carefully and you cannot improve the lie of the ball when doing this.

 

[mikee247]

Blimey we will be asking for free relief from water hazards soon in case of drowning! Trees are a big part of the game dont hit them near them and you dont have a problem.....Penalty drop of course but nowt else in my opinion...

 

[bladeplayer]

Guess you just made it up then LB :rofl:

 

[Liverbirdie]

Guess you just made it up then LB :rofl:

Looks like - it wasn't a post to say, should you be able to get them, but that I thought I had played a course where it was a local rule on certain holes.

Some people haven't read it this way though, obviously.........

Thanks for the upshot though. After trawling the interweb I did see these though:-

When there are embedded stones or exposed rocks on any part of a “Closely mown area” the Committee may, for safety reasons, declare them to be ground under repair.
The Committee may introduce a Local Rule which states that exposed tree roots on a “Closely mown area” are deemed to be ground under repair. When there are only a few exposed tree roots on one or two holes, the Local Rule "Preferred lies" is recommended- click to link
Note that the Committee may, under Rule 25-1a Note, deem that interference with a player’s stance is not to be, of itself, interference under this Rule.

Q. I'm a WSNGA member and have a question on local rules as opposed to USGA rules. The course I play every week has a rule printed on the scorecard that says, "No one should hit a ball off the tree roots on the course and it is a free drop without penalty." Does that mean everyone must adhere to this rule if they are playing in league play under USGA rules. In other words, do we have to follow this course local rule instead of playing by USGA rules? -- Geri DeMarco
A. Geri, if you are playing by USGA rules you do not have to adhere to this rule on the back of the course scorecard. A rule of golf must not be waived by a local rule. However, if a committee considers that local abnormal conditions interfere with the proper playing of the game to the extent that it is necessary to make a local rule that modifies the Rules of Golf, the local rule must be authorized by the USGA. Decision 33-8/8 in the Decision on the Rules of Golf states: May a committee make a local rule providing relief without penalty if a player's stroke is interfered with by exposed tree roots? The answer is no. A local rule is authorized only if an abnormal condition exists. The existence of exposed tree roots is not abnormal.

 

[spawn_ukuk]

On my local course theirs 3 holes that have trees with exposed roots, Local rule say its free relief id be amazed if other clubs didn't do the same, Ive seen people really hurt there wrists.
Even if it wasn't a local rule to free relief id still do it anyway no way I'm risking my wrists or future playing