[Johneli]

Originally Posted by bignose

It is just as ludicrous then to argue that you should be able to accept the benefits of good luck. Next time your drive hits a sprinkler head and takes a favorable bounce an extra 50 or 75 yards down the fairway, are you going to drop one club length away from the sprinkler head? A sprinkler head or cart path is just as man made as any divot. Next time your ball hits and OB stake and bounces back into play, are you going to take the stroke and distance penalty? A stake in the ground is just as man-made as any divot.

Those are constant and part of golf course maintenance and design. A divot hole is a player-generated impediment!There IS a difference. In one instance you are "penalized by a negative bounce" for hitting a sprinkler head....'breaks of the game' because it's ALWAYS been there, is constant, and could be predetermined by walking around the course if you were so inclined. A divot hole could be generated by the player playing ahead of you and should not be made to negatively impact you in any way. The OB stake is a constant as well.