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Should you be able to get relief from divots in the fairway?
- Thread starter MarkT
- Start date
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Deleted member 15344
Guest
Nope - it opens up all sorts of issues , you would end up with people taking relief from the smallest mark on the fairway and it would end up just being pick and place
And realistically how many times have people actually landed in that much of divot that it causes issues -? Once in a blue moon
And realistically how many times have people actually landed in that much of divot that it causes issues -? Once in a blue moon
Ethan
Money List Winner
I think not, actually. It may seem unfair and arbitrary, but we are playing in a natural environment and the environment is therefore variable and sometimes imperfect. We put large pits of sand on the course, so learning to play from a divot should be acceptable.
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Deleted Member 1156
Guest
One of the most fundamental principles of golf, play the ball as it lies.
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Deleted member 25172
Guest
Imagine the likes of Matt Kuchar and the rest of the pro's if that was allowed. They wouldn't be able to finish a round under 8 hours as they'd claim a missing straw of grass under the ball being a divot.
It's a no from me.
It's a no from me.
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Deleted member 21258
Guest
No.
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Deleted member 1147
Guest
I should, yes
Curls
Journeyman Pro
Too many will take advantage especially in matches, it’ll slow everything down checking. Just get on with it, you don’t get relief from a bad lie in snooker do you?
probably not, but i think maybe you should at certain times from a seeded divot. seems strange to just undo a greenkeeps work
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Deleted member 3432
Guest
Just from those that point at 45 degrees to the target 
upsidedown
Tour Winner
Voted no, but why not take it the enth degree and have placing all year round to take any question as to what a Divot is out of the equation ???
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Deleted member 23344
Guest
No ... as there can be no definitive description of what exactly is a divot and those that want to take unfair advantage will do so.
LincolnShep
Head Pro
There is no way to write a rule that specifically defines a 'divot'. The only way to achieve it would be to allow preferred lies anywhere, for any reason - and I don't want that.
2blue
Journeyman Pro
No... play it as it lies
Do you get a bad lie in snooker? The table is immaculate, if there is dust on it it gets cleaned. (if the post was made tongue in cheek then I apologise for being slow)
I'm torn on this but on the basis that too many would take advantage I have gone no.
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Deleted member 17920
Guest
If we do that we may as well go to preferred lies all season long.
This discussion gets done to death every year and for each little mark on the fairway everyone will be calling it a divot.
Its a bit like the embedded ball rule now and how many times can you see professionals claiming that they have broken ground when the ball has clearly bounced.
Jimaroid
Journeyman Pro
The only divots I want relief from are the ones holding the clubs.
clubchamp98
Journeyman Pro
On the fairway yes.
You should be entitled to a fairway lie if your drive is on it.
I have snapped a shaft in the Club Champs playing from a divot.
It can hurt and is quite dangerous.
A seeded divot should be GUR as the greenkeeper has taken time to fill it but when you play your shot there’s nothing to put back.
This is a problem at short par 4s or dog legs where everyone lays up.
I do understand the cheating issue but imo that is a different issue.
If the turf is missing it’s a divot.
If there’s grass under the ball it’s not a divot it’s a depression.
You should be entitled to a fairway lie if your drive is on it.
I have snapped a shaft in the Club Champs playing from a divot.
It can hurt and is quite dangerous.
A seeded divot should be GUR as the greenkeeper has taken time to fill it but when you play your shot there’s nothing to put back.
This is a problem at short par 4s or dog legs where everyone lays up.
I do understand the cheating issue but imo that is a different issue.
If the turf is missing it’s a divot.
If there’s grass under the ball it’s not a divot it’s a depression.
Doon frae Troon
Ryder Cup Winner
It can be a very cruel rule.
My daughter [then aged 14 or 15] was playing in the last eight of the SW Women's championship.
She was dormie 4 down to the previous years British Champion.
She parred 15, birdied 16, and parred 17 for wins then split the fairway with a great drive on 18 to find her ball in a deep divot that had obviously been removed by a crow/bird [upturned divot was lying next to it.]
She could not make the green from there and lost to a par.
Cost me £30 as the night before I said would give her a tenner for every hole she played past the 15th. [ A lot of money in those days]
My daughter [then aged 14 or 15] was playing in the last eight of the SW Women's championship.
She was dormie 4 down to the previous years British Champion.
She parred 15, birdied 16, and parred 17 for wins then split the fairway with a great drive on 18 to find her ball in a deep divot that had obviously been removed by a crow/bird [upturned divot was lying next to it.]
She could not make the green from there and lost to a par.
Cost me £30 as the night before I said would give her a tenner for every hole she played past the 15th. [
A lot of money in those days]
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
No. Too subjective and liable to give rise to contentious actions/decisions and bad feeling between players. And that's not the nature of our game even when playing in a highly competitive context.
It's just rub of the green - one of these things. There are plenty such 'things' we encounter during a round, and plenty of times the rules help us out of a scrape...sometimes literally. And over the piece, good and bad breaks even out.
An old fella once told me as I moaned over the unfairness of something that could easy have been my ball in a divot hole - 'who said golf should be fair?' Well I'm not sure of that but I get what he was on about. Bottom line in the game is that you play the ball as you find it.
It's just rub of the green - one of these things. There are plenty such 'things' we encounter during a round, and plenty of times the rules help us out of a scrape...sometimes literally. And over the piece, good and bad breaks even out.
An old fella once told me as I moaned over the unfairness of something that could easy have been my ball in a divot hole - 'who said golf should be fair?' Well I'm not sure of that but I get what he was on about. Bottom line in the game is that you play the ball as you find it.
