Relief from staked trees

[Ian_S]

Quick question, though I think I already know the answer. I found myself in the staked trees tonight, as shown in the picture. You can see my ball and the line to the green is straight up. Now, when I took my stance, the trees did not interfere with my swing or stance so is the right decision to play the ball as it lies? I'm pretty sure it is, I just found it amazing to have found a spot amongst the trees that offered no relief.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Appears to me you are correct - no relief is needed or given

 

[williamalex1]

Some clubs ask you to take the ball out of plantations, at my club you only get a drop away from a tree if the green staff have put a yellow tag on it, no tag no drop stake or not. Top tip , buy some big yellow tags

 

[CliveW]

Relief from staked/young tress is a local rule and therefore up to the particular club to decide if there is relief or not.

 

[rosecott]

Relief from staked/young tress is a local rule and therefore up to the particular club to decide if there is relief or not.

Stakes, immoveable obstructions?

 

[Foxholer]

Stakes, immoveable obstructions?

Depends whether the stake - which may be vertical or on an angle, is the obstruction or the tree, which happens to have a stake supporting it is the obstruction - and whether a Local Rule is in place fore 'staked trees'.

You would certainly get relief from an angled stake though. But whether that was the 'major obstruction' if there wasn't an LR depends on the situation.

 

[rulefan]

In reality the Local Rule gives relief for 'young trees in need of protection'. They do not have to be staked to qualify. They simply have to be identified in some way. A plastic tie will do.
However, in practice, such trees are commonly staked and this will be the identification specified in the local rule.
When taking relief, the procedure must be that used for taking relief from an Immovable Obstruction. Although the tree itself is not an Immovable Obstruction, the whole thing is treated as if it is.
A stake of course, is an Immovable Obstruction even if there is no Local Rule giving relief from the tree it is attached to.

Once a tree is no longer 'young and in need of protection' the local rule should be withdrawn.

Often in the case of small new plantations, the whole area will be marked as GUR play prohibited (often with a blue line).

 

[CMAC]

Quick question, though I think I already know the answer. I found myself in the staked trees tonight, as shown in the picture. You can see my ball and the line to the green is straight up. Now, when I took my stance, the trees did not interfere with my swing or stance so is the right decision to play the ball as it lies? I'm pretty sure it is, I just found it amazing to have found a spot amongst the trees that offered no relief.

View attachment 11439

you were correct to play it, no interference there.

As rulefan says sometimes these small areas are marked so anywhere in them commands relief even if the trees dont actually interfere. Back of the scorecard would clarify.

 

[palindromicbob]

Stakes, immoveable obstructions?

You can't take relief from an immovable obstruction when something other than the obstruction would make the stroke impracticable. It is unlikely that only the stake of a staked tree would interfere expect in the situation that it is tilted.