casual water in the rough

[Wazmankg]

I just played 18 in some pretty sloppy conditions. The winds were gusting to 30mph too. I pretty much had the place to myself and I was hitting a couple of balls. I ran into a situation, a couple of times actually, that made me wonder about the rule. There was casual water all over the place. I was hitting old Top Flights and I didn't even retrieve a couple of them they were so far into it. I didn't bring my waders. Anyway I plugged a couple of times in the rough where there was casual water. I know there is generally no relief for a plugged ball in the rough, but what if it plugs in the middle of casual water ? Or is there no relief from casual water in the rough either ?

[GolfSavage]

Originally Posted by Wazmankg

I just played 18 in some pretty sloppy conditions. The winds were gusting to 30mph too. I pretty much had the place to myself and I was hitting a couple of balls. I ran into a situation, a couple of times actually, that made me wonder about the rule. There was casual water all over the place. I was hitting old Top Flights and I didn't even retrieve a couple of them they were so far into it. I didn't bring my waders. Anyway I plugged a couple of times in the rough where there was casual water. I know there is generally no relief for a plugged ball in the rough, but what if it plugs in the middle of casual water ? Or is there no relief from casual water in the rough either ?

Well, since you get relief from casual water in a bunker, I'd assume you'd get relief in the rough. That's my initial thought, and how I'd play it if I didn't know for sure.

Guess I'll have to go to the Rules site and look it up now that I realize I'm not certain!

[Fourputt]

You are always allowed relief from casual water, regardless of the lie. And you do not have to retrieve the ball. You still determine the nearest point (not nearer to the hole) of complete relief from where the ball lies in the casual water, take your one clublength from that point, drop and play away.

And some courses and clubs invoke the local rule allowing relief from imbedded lies anywhere through the green, essentially meaning anywhere except in a hazard.

[Bulls9999]

Lucky for you that you are playing in 2007, because I just saw the movie "the Greatest Game Ever Played" (about Francois Ouimet winning the US Open as an amateur) and back then, no relief from casual water....you play it under water in a bunker, lol....

Oh yea, also, I guess they didn't yet invent marking the ball on the green...if someone's ball was between yours and the hole, you either had to chip over it or go around it, lol.

Originally Posted by Fourputt

You are always allowed relief from casual water, regardless of the lie. And you do not have to retrieve the ball. You still determine the nearest point (not nearer to the hole) of complete relief from where the ball lies in the casual water, take your one clublength from that point, drop and play away.

And some courses and clubs invoke the local rule allowing relief from imbedded lies anywhere through the green, essentially meaning anywhere except in a hazard.

[atm_73]

Originally Posted by Bulls9999

Oh yea, also, I guess they didn't yet invent marking the ball on the green...if someone's ball was between yours and the hole, you either had to chip over it or go around it, lol.

I asked the same question Bulls after I saw the movie here is the answer


I played today Waz, and had to take relief for the same purpose once, glad to know I did the right thing!

[Wazmankg]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

You are always allowed relief from casual water, regardless of the lie. And you do not have to retrieve the ball. You still determine the nearest point (not nearer to the hole) of complete relief from where the ball lies in the casual water, take your one clublength from that point, drop and play away.

And some courses and clubs invoke the local rule allowing relief from imbedded lies anywhere through the green, essentially meaning anywhere except in a hazard.

That's what I did. A couple of times relief was up to 30 yards away. It was a mess out there, but I probably won't get another round in until the middle of next week if this the weather forecast is correct.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Bulls9999

Lucky for you that you are playing in 2007, because I just saw the movie "the Greatest Game Ever Played" (about Francois Ouimet winning the US Open as an amateur) and back then, no relief from casual water....you play it under water in a bunker, lol....

Oh yea, also, I guess they didn't yet invent marking the ball on the green...if someone's ball was between yours and the hole, you either had to chip over it or go around it, lol.

A lot of things were different 100 years ago. Or 200. Read the original rules of golf if you want to play a different game.

Rules of Golf circa 1745

[atm_73]

Originally Posted by Wazmankg

That's what I did. A couple of times relief was up to 30 yards away. It was a mess out there, but I probably won't get another round in until the middle of next week if this the weather forecast is correct.

You may send it this way, we're in a mini-drought here. The farmers were having to irrigate their crops back in March - the first time many had done so!

[Porter20]

Originally Posted by Bulls9999

Oh yea, also, I guess they didn't yet invent marking the ball on the green...if someone's ball was between yours and the hole, you either had to chip over it or go around it, lol.

I read a biography on Bobby Jones last year and in it, it quoted about well Bobby used this rule to his advantage, especially in match play. According to the book and similar to the movie, you could request the chance to finish or not; in turn basically blocking the hole fo your opponent.

[Leaguegolf]

Originally Posted by Porter20

I read a biography on Bobby Jones last year and in it, it quoted about well Bobby used this rule to his advantage, especially in match play. According to the book and similar to the movie, you could request the chance to finish or not; in turn basically blocking the hole fo your opponent.

It was called a stymie and it was abolished in 1953.

[jwaldrop]

I cost myself bigtime in a local tournament not knowing the rule regarding a ball lost in casual water in the rough. Second shot on a par 5, I pushed it right, about 120 from the green and the whole group saw it splash in standing water from the night's heavy rain. We looked for a while and could not find, it but all agreed on where it splashed.

I thought I had to take stroke and distance, so I did, and promptly hooked one out of bounds, again took stroke and distance and ended up making 9. I had a perfect line of sight with proper relief from the casual water, which would have been a pitching wedge third shot.

I sure wish I had known the rule.

[Wazmankg]

Originally Posted by jwaldrop

I cost myself bigtime in a local tournament not knowing the rule regarding a ball lost in casual water in the rough. Second shot on a par 5, I pushed it right, about 120 from the green and the whole group saw it splash in standing water from the night's heavy rain. We looked for a while and could not find, it but all agreed on where it splashed.

I thought I had to take stroke and distance, so I did, and promptly hooked one out of bounds, again took stroke and distance and ended up making 9. I had a perfect line of sight with proper relief from the casual water, which would have been a pitching wedge third shot.

I sure wish I had known the rule.

That raises another question. If you have reasonable evidence that it went into the casual water, must you find it there to get free relief ? Someone posted above that you don't have to retrieve it , but if you're walking around in the casual water must you at least find and identify it ?

[jwaldrop]

Unless the rule (25-1c) has changed, you did not have to find it if the group agrees that it was lost in casual water. There has to be reasonable evidence it is lost in casual water.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by jwaldrop

Unless the rule (25-1c) has changed, you did not have to find it if the group agrees that it was lost in casual water. There has to be reasonable evidence it is lost in casual water.

See the diagram that accompanies Decision 25-1c/1.5 for clarification as to the procedure for determining the drop point for this situation.