Sawdust!

[Scott W]

QQ...we recently lost a very big tree (rotten and dangerous) to the left of our par 5 12th hole

In the last couple of weeks the stump was ground out and there is a large pile of "sawdust" close to where it was, large means about 6 foot in diameter and 2 feet deep

On Saturday I pulled my second shot left and eventually found it embedded in this pile of saw dust with only a 1/4 of the ball visible

Not knowing what to do I played it as it lay, blast with a wedge back to fairway and face full of wet sawdust (much to my playing partners amusement)

Did I have any other options...other than for example declaring unplayable

Thanks

 

[ruff-driver]

I'd say if it was piled up awaiting removal then likely it's GUR
If left in place to rot down then unlucky, don't hit it there again

 

[Norrin Radd]

i would have taken a free drop as i would have construed the sawdust as greenkeepers cuttings .
which im sure entitles you to said free drop.
if on the other hand the sawdust was not going to be removed then its play it as it lays.

 

[Fyldewhite]

I'd say if it was piled up awaiting removal then likely it's GUR
If left in place to rot down then unlucky, don't hit it there again

If it's piled for removal then it is GUR by definition. No likely about it. The question is, is it piled for removal or is it just a pile that was left as-is when the stump was done? Either way, you'd really expect the whole area to be marked GUR until it's back to normal. Edit: No such thing as "greenkeepers cuttings", or "workings" which are often quoted......myth.

 

[Colin L]

Same answer as to your question in another forum and the same answer as above. If the sawdust is heaped up in this mound awaiting removal, it is GUR by Definition. In stroke play, you could either make your own call on that or play a second ball under Rule 3-3: a ball from the pile of sawdust and a second one having taken relief (Rule 3-3), leaving the Committee to decide afterwards.

In match play, you can
agree with your opponent that it is GUR and take relief;
or,
take relief and if he doesn’t agree, leave him to make a claim.

 

[backwoodsman]

Tricky - in as much that in a case like this you can't second guess the greenkeeper's intentions.

After grinding out a stump, there is always a bigger pile of material than will fit in the hole. Sometimes the pile of "grindings" is left in place to rot down and then eventually turfed over. Or sometimes it is only left in place for removal & replacement with fresh soil and turfing (or perhaps a new tree planted there in either case?) . So it might be "piled for removal" or it might not. The only sensible course of action is for the area to be actually marked as GUR. But if it wasn't marked I'd say you really only have the option of 3-3 (in strokeplay) and play a second ball and ask for a decision.

You could perhaps regards the individual "flakes" of wood as loose impediments, and remove as many as necessary in order to get a decent hit - provided you don't move the ball in doing so. Slowly move them away from all round the ball till it's sat on a little plinth? Maybe a little risky though.