b.
Relief
Except
when the ball is in a water hazard or a lateral water hazard, a player may take
relief from interference by an abnormal ground condition as follows:
(ii) In a Bunker: If the ball is in a bunker,
the player must lift the ball and drop it either:
(a)
Without
penalty, in accordance with Clause (i) above, except that the nearest point of
relief must be in the bunker and the ball must be dropped in the bunker or, if
complete relief is impossible, as near as possible to the spot where the ball
lay, but not nearer the hole, on a part
of the course in the bunker that affords maximum available relief from the
condition;
I
am seeking help from dedicated Roggies to explain the meaning or significance of the words in red above, within the context of this Rule.
Any
suggestions?
Addendum
Thanks for the comments.
This question is a little unfair. I assumed that people would believe that the words must mean something, as they are, after all, in the Rules and was interested to see what was made of them.
The truth is that these words are (on the authority of The Castle) redundant and thereby meaningless and they are included solely for ‘consistency’.
The removal of redundant and obfuscating words would be a small step on the pathway to simplifying the Rules.
Addendum
Thanks for the comments.
This question is a little unfair. I assumed that people would believe that the words must mean something, as they are, after all, in the Rules and was interested to see what was made of them.
The truth is that these words are (on the authority of The Castle) redundant and thereby meaningless and they are included solely for ‘consistency’.
The removal of redundant and obfuscating words would be a small step on the pathway to simplifying the Rules.
Dear Rog
ReplyDeleteI supect that the meaning of "on a part of the course" in the bunker could refer to a grass island within same. Once again - what were they thinking when phrasing this - indeed were they thinking at all? Best Rosie
Rog,
ReplyDeleteIt refers to a grassy island.
Best Dr Rosie.
I will have a stab! If the player had taken his bag of clubs into the bunker, which he is allowed to do, or he had taken the rake and placed it in the bunker, his bag is not part of the course but the rake is, he is not allowed to drop on either of them for different reasons. If he drops on the rake he could be DEEMED to be in breach of rule 1-2, if he drops on his bag he is not dropping on a part of the course.
ReplyDeleteLarry
DeleteBased upon your contributions to this site, you obviously know what you are talking about. So for you to be reduced to 'having a stab' signifies that there could be a bit of a problem here.
We will see whether anyone else can set us on a firm pathway.
Rosie
ReplyDeleteRemember that the 'course' is the whole area within the boundaries.
I think that in this case they may have been 'over-thinking' but we will see if anyone else has an opinion.
Why is a roadway sometimes defined as an integral part of the course? Because if it wasn't then it wouldn't be part of the course? How does this reconcile with "Remember that the 'course' is the whole area within the boundaries." [maybe the clubhouse is sometimes "out of bounds" but within the boundaries.] Which leads me to the possibility of an immovable obstruction (sprinkler head)situated within the bunker but not being part of the course.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anon for your thoughtful response.
ReplyDeleteLet’s take the second point first.
Some background (of which I have no doubt you are aware):
Definition of ‘Course’: The “course’ is the whole area within any boundaries established by the Committee (see Rule 33-2)
Rule 33-2 states that, in part, that:
The Committee must define accurately:
(i) the course and out of bounds,
Definition of Out of Bounds: “Out of bounds’’ is beyond the boundaries of the course or any part of the course so marked by the Committee.
Thus the course is all of the area within the boundaries excluding and areas marked within the boundaries as, so called, ‘internal out-of-bounds’. As you say, this sometimes might be obstructions such as the clubhouse or maintenance facility; usually where determining relief options might be difficult. ‘Internal out-of-bounds’ is, in my experience, not very common and is avoided wherever possible.
It is very unlikely that a small obstruction such as a sprinkler head would ever be declared out-of-bounds.
Your first point raises the very interesting question of just what constitutes ‘the course’ and therefore whether an obstruction such as a path is part of the course. Let’s leave that for a moment as it would make an interesting topic for a follow-up discussion.
Why is a roadway sometimes defined as an integral part of the course? There may be a range of reasons, but the most obvious one is tradition. I think a great deal would be lost (in terms of playability and romanticism) if the roadway on the Old Course (St Andrews) 17th hole were to no longer be classified as an integral part of the course.