Relief from Internal Hedge

[bobmac]

There is an issue if there is no Local Rule in force.

There shouldn't be an issue, it's common sense.
Protect your course, free relief from staked trees/hedges unless LRs state otherwise (why would they?)

 

[rulefan]

There shouldn't be an issue, it's common sense.
Protect your course, free relief from staked trees/hedges unless LRs state otherwise (why would they?)

If a club wants to protect something they should make a local rule. It's not the responsibility of the RBs.
Incidentally, many staked trees no longer need protection.

 

[salfordlad]

There shouldn't be an issue, it's common sense.
Protect your course, free relief from staked trees/hedges unless LRs state otherwise (why would they?)

As has been explained by multiple contributors, a stake not covered by a local rule can enable no relief other than for an obstruction (for the stake itself). There is no rule of golf providing relief for "common sense".

 

[rulie]

As has been explained by multiple contributors, a stake not covered by a local rule can enable no relief other than for an obstruction (for the stake itself). There is no rule of golf providing relief for "common sense".

Even if there was, it would be rarely used!

 

[rulefan]

Common sense is not that common and often not sensible.

 

[bobmac]

Common sense is not that common and often not sensible.

So if you were playing a course for the first time and your ball finished up against a staked tree and you didn't have a copy of the local rules, would you not use your common sense and drop away from the young tree to protect it?

 

[rulefan]

So if you were playing a course for the first time and your ball finished up against a staked tree and you didn't have a copy of the local rules, would you not use your common sense and drop away from the young tree to protect it?

Well, being a paid up referee, I would have checked the Local Rules first. I may be as common as muck but I'm also sensible

 

[bobmac]

I'm out

 

[backwoodsman]

So if you were playing a course for the first time and your ball finished up against a staked tree and you didn't have a copy of the local rules, would you not use your common sense and drop away from the young tree to protect it?

In my experience, "relief from staked trees" is one of the most common local rules , and is nearly always printed on the back of the scorecard. If it's not on the scorecard I'd suggest that its (somewhat bizarrely) not in force

 

[jim8flog]

One of the problems is committees not fully understanding the allowable LR and leaving it place for too long

Purpose. To prevent damage to young trees when a player makes a stroke, a Committee can choose designate them as a no play zone so that:

.............

Such trees should be identified by stakes, ribbons or in some other clear way.

When the tree has matured and no longer needs this protection, the Committee should withdraw the Local Rule and/or remove the identifying stake or ribbon from the tree.

In my experience, "relief from staked trees" is one of the most common local rules , and is nearly always printed on the back of the scorecard. If it's not on the scorecard I'd suggest that its (somewhat bizarrely) not in force

On our 9 hole course we have the rule in our local rules book but not on the card - we only have one such tree and it is no where near any point of the course where it would interfere.

We could actually remove it from our 18 hole course card as we only have 2 trees where it would apply.

 

[jim8flog]

So if you were playing a course for the first time and your ball finished up against a staked tree and you didn't have a copy of the local rules, would you not use your common sense and drop away from the young tree to protect it?

A tree having a stake does not mean it would necessarily give relief as the LR is only meant for young trees and not 'say' an established tree where a stake is being used to prevent it falling over. We have used notices attached to the stakes for specific trees only in the past.

 

[backwoodsman]

.



On our 9 hole course we have the rule in our local rules book but not on the card - we only have one such tree and it is no where near any point of the course where it would interfere.

We could actually remove it from our 18 hole course card as we only have 2 trees where it would apply.

Fair enough.

(Although I'd be tempted to say from a tree management point of view, its pretty short sighted if you only have 2 or 3 trees on the course that need stakes ...)

 

[DickInShorts]

I played somewhere where the local rule was relief from trees if less than x height. I think it was two driver lengths height so easy enough to measure.
That negates the requirement by the club to remove stakes from trees that are mature enough not to need protection

 

[salfordlad]

I played somewhere where the local rule was relief from trees if less than x height. I think it was two driver lengths height so easy enough to measure.
That negates the requirement by the club to remove stakes from trees that are mature enough not to need protection

That is a terrible local rule as it extends relief to any wild shrub growing 50 yards off in the rough that meets the height requirement.

 

[Foxholer]

Common sense is not that common and often not sensible.

Applies universally, not just to golf(ing)!

 

[jim8flog]

Fair enough.

(Although I'd be tempted to say from a tree management point of view, its pretty short sighted if you only have 2 or 3 trees on the course that need stakes ...)

What we really is a gang with chain saws.

About 25 years ago the then Forestry commission gave us a grant to plant trees provided we planted a few thousand of them. To get in the numbers they were packed in so tightly to some areas that they could not get the mowers in to cut the grass and so it has remained. Ever tried to hit a low shot under the branches with a restricted swing with the ball in ten inch deep grass.

They advised us that 50% of the tress would not survive sadly about 95% have.

Some thinning has been done but it is a massive job.

 

[jim8flog]

That is a terrible local rule as it extends relief to any wild shrub growing 50 yards off in the rough that meets the height requirement. A club here used to have that but finally saw the light and staked the trees they wanted to protect.

I also have seen that rule but it only applies to staked trees (which is what I think he meant).

 

[rulefan]

The required wording is in the book.