Relief from rocky areas

Armorfan

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I’ve recently joined a course which has many paths and other areas that have exposed rocky surfaces. The ball quite frequently lands on such areas where to play it as it lies could easily cause damage to the club. A longtime member has told me that there is no relief from these circumstances so the options are to play the ball as it lies or declare the ball unplayable with the resultant one stroke penalty. Is he right?
 

Banchory Buddha

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I’ve recently joined a course which has many paths and other areas that have exposed rocky surfaces. The ball quite frequently lands on such areas where to play it as it lies could easily cause damage to the club. A longtime member has told me that there is no relief from these circumstances so the options are to play the ball as it lies or declare the ball unplayable with the resultant one stroke penalty. Is he right?
Have ou checked the local rules? If it's not on the card, then it'll be no relief
 

SwingsitlikeHogan

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Relief from paths, track and roads is normally given when the surface is artificial / man-made for course maintenance purposes. Where a surface that is track-like in nature is stony or rocky, then that could simply be as a result of foot and trolley traffic, and not deliberately created for course maintenance purposes. Such tracks or paths are normally integral objects from which no relief is given, unless specifically identified on the card, largely because otherwise it becomes a matter of debate and opinion - and therein lies trouble.

There are a few such areas and tracks on my course, and so I do my best to avoid putting my ball anywhere near them. The club is addressing the matter by, over the coming year or two, rebuilding and absolutely defining our formal tracks and paths. When we are done it will be very clear when my ball is on a path or track from which free relief is given, otherwise no relief.
 
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clubchamp98

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Played a course in Wales like this where no relief was given.
One member showed me his track club ( an old 8 iron he used solely on these tracks) .
The state of it was dire most people would just bin it, but it served a purpose.
If dropping a club for something like this dosnt bother you it would save your other ones from damage.
 

jim8flog

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I’ve recently joined a course which has many paths and other areas that have exposed rocky surfaces. The ball quite frequently lands on such areas where to play it as it lies could easily cause damage to the club. A longtime member has told me that there is no relief from these circumstances so the options are to play the ball as it lies or declare the ball unplayable with the resultant one stroke penalty. Is he right?

If the path itself has an artificial surface then you would get relief from any exposed rocks on the path by virtue of the fact that you get relief from the path unless it has been declared integral to the golf course ( the Road hole at St. Andrews is an example of this). If the path is just a well worn area of the course e.g. exposed soil or sand there would be no relief unless given by Local Rule.
 

Colin L

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If the path itself has an artificial surface then you would get relief from any exposed rocks on the path by virtue of the fact that you get relief from the path unless it has been declared integral to the golf course ( the Road hole at St. Andrews is an example of this). If the path is just a well worn area of the course e.g. exposed soil or sand there would be no relief unless given by Local Rule.

What local rule did you have in mind, Jim?
 

Swango1980

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Have ou checked the local rules? If it's not on the card, then it'll be no relief
Is that 100% true. You'd like to think any important Local Rules would find itself on the scorecard, as a typical place where people will look when in that situation. However, that does not necessarily mean it will be there, and a clubs Local Rules can be a lot more in depth than can fit on a scorecard.

I'd look to see if the full Local Rules are printed anywhere in the club house or website. If you still find nothing, or you do but there is no Local Rule, might be worth asking a Committee member about it. They should be able to confirm whether it is or isn't a rule, and if it isn't explain why. If the club has many rocky paths that could damage a club (and maybe injure a player if any rocks fly off the club face), I'd guess this issue must have been discussed, and there'd be some reason why relief is not granted in such situations.
 

Slab

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Not really relevant to the original question, but one of the nice things about using a course buggy is that when you come to a hole with a particular feature or layout, a message pops up on the screen with the local rule that’s in force for relief etc
 

salfordlad

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Not really relevant to the original question, but one of the nice things about using a course buggy is that when you come to a hole with a particular feature or layout, a message pops up on the screen with the local rule that’s in force for relief etc
That could be a handy diversion when you are in free fall over the side of a bridge/cliff etc.
 

rulie

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That could be a handy diversion when you are in free fall over the side of a bridge/cliff etc.
And expensive for the club - GPS type announcements are not free! A while ago, I heard that the GPS contract for the carts wasn't included with the carts, and was the same price as the rental contract for those carts.
At the time I heard it, the cart lease fee was $50,000/yr and the GPS license fee was also $50,000 per year (don't recall for many carts, ie buggies).
 

Slab

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That could be a handy diversion when you are in free fall over the side of a bridge/cliff etc.

Quite, although I'm playing a coastal course tomorrow with a few holes lining the sea and the buggy motor will cut out if you get too near the edge, it can be a bit annoying when you have to reverse back
 

Colin L

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The motor cuts out if you get too near the edge ...so you just freewheel over it? :oops:

On of the risks of refereeing is that you sometimes are driving the wrong way along a hole and the bunkers aren't easy to identify. A colleague went straight into one a few years ago - fortunately not hurt.
 

Slab

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The motor cuts out if you get too near the edge ...so you just freewheel over it? :oops:

On of the risks of refereeing is that you sometimes are driving the wrong way along a hole and the bunkers aren't easy to identify. A colleague went straight into one a few years ago - fortunately not hurt.

That's the part I find annoying, the GPS factors in the max 'freewheeling' distance too, so it actually cuts out further away from the edge than it really needs to (for players who are aware of where the edge is) It basically takes the lowest IQ player and uses that as the measure for the cut-off distance :LOL:

On other courses here the buggy speed is limited on different areas of the course (downhill or rough paths etc) and braking is applied to slow the buggy down at the top of a hill, its all gone mad!

Yeah I've seen the buggy in the bunker too, often happens when there's been a scramble start and players finish 'their' 18th hole and head back towards the clubhouse... bunkers are pretty invisible if you drive the wrong way down a fairway :giggle:
 

Neilds

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That's the part I find annoying, the GPS factors in the max 'freewheeling' distance too, so it actually cuts out further away from the edge than it really needs to (for players who are aware of where the edge is) It basically takes the lowest IQ player and uses that as the measure for the cut-off distance:LOL:

On other courses here the buggy speed is limited on different areas of the course (downhill or rough paths etc) and braking is applied to slow the buggy down at the top of a hill, its all gone mad!

Yeah I've seen the buggy in the bunker too, often happens when there's been a scramble start and players finish 'their' 18th hole and head back towards the clubhouse... bunkers are pretty invisible if you drive the wrong way down a fairway :giggle:

That must be low if you have loads of Yanks playing :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO: Must cut out about 3 miles from the edge
 

Canary Kid

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I hired a set of clubs in Lanzarote and they gave me a beaten up PW to use when the ball landed in an area of volcanic rock … no relief. As for the OP, I don’t think I would join a club where the lack of relief endangered my clubs or where I had to carry a battered club just for the purpose.
 
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