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Loose impediment ?

SaffaClint

SaffaClint

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I was playing with a club member this evening and I was in a bunker, I bent down and removed a couple of big stones and we got talking about loose impediments.
I came home and looked up the rules on the R&A website and felt confident I hadn't broken any rules. Anyway, I went on Youtube and typed in loose impediment and a video of Tiger Woods showed up. I really do think the rule needs to be rewritten as what unfolds in the video is farcical yet at the same time within the rules of the game. I know this could go in the Tiger Woods thread but it's not really about Tiger Woods if you know what I mean? Watch it and tell me what you think.
 
By the book. No problems. Every golfer needs to know how to use the rule book to their advantage.
 
I agree with you Blu but at the same time changing the wording to say a loose impediment is something that can only be moved by the player on his/her own would make more sense.
Using the rule I could theoretically ask another group of golfers in a competition to help me move something? Am I allowed to go so far as getting a tractor to pull a boulder out of the way? I know I'm getting a bit silly but I'm trying to make a point, very badly no doubt.
 
Personally I play golf by the rules, however in your case if there were several stones in the bunker, and you picked them up i would be okay with that. Even if it was against the rules, you could damage your club with the stones in there and while I don't know you I'm pretty sure you are a hard working individual who payed good money for your equipment. The pros have a luxury of getting there stuff for free so playing off a cart path, etc and damaging it is next to nothing for them.

As per the video, hey nothing wrong with that, still played within the rules. If I was him i would have done the same. I agree with bluegold every golfer should use the rules to their advantage.
 
While I'm all for amateurs not doing things on the course that will cause damage to their clubs or injury to themselves, I remember when that situation happened.

While it's technically allowed, there's also mention of the "Within the spirit of the game". I don't think in that situation what he did was in the spirit of the game. But it wasn't technically against the rules and when there's 100's of thousands of dollars on the line, you sometimes have to walk that line.
 
Unfortunately, the "spirit of the game" is rarely considered when making rulings. Honest mistakes are often punished quite harshly at the highest levels.


Bullitt5339 said:
While I'm all for amateurs not doing things on the course that will cause damage to their clubs or injury to themselves, I remember when that situation happened.

While it's technically allowed, there's also mention of the "Within the spirit of the game". I don't think in that situation what he did was in the spirit of the game. But it wasn't technically against the rules and when there's 100's of thousands of dollars on the line, you sometimes have to walk that line.
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SaffaClint said:
I was playing with a club member this evening and I was in a bunker, I bent down and removed a couple of big stones and we got talking about loose impediments.
I came home and looked up the rules on the R&A website and felt confident I hadn't broken any rules. Anyway, I went on Youtube and typed in loose impediment and a video of Tiger Woods showed up. I really do think the rule needs to be rewritten as what unfolds in the video is farcical yet at the same time within the rules of the game. I know this could go in the Tiger Woods thread but it's not really about Tiger Woods if you know what I mean? Watch it and tell me what you think.
Click to expand...

So, you know you broke a rule, right?:angel:
 
Imo regardless if it was "ok" to do I dont believe what tiger did should have been allowed. A loophole in the rule for sure imo. That was rediculous. Knocking down some insignificant leaf/ves on a practice swing is not accpetable but moving this bolder that is part of a landscape in which the player hit himself into is ok?? I just dont get it.
 
His fans made it possible. They moved the rock "without undo delay" which conformed with the rules.

They did fix that issue though by declaring them fixed objects in a local rule in following years.

SaffaClint said:
Yea I got carried away typing and didn't double check, lol.
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Speaking of local rules - that could be one too. It is a local rule enacted at my golf association's events that you can move stones in bunkers.
 
Sergio removed stones from a bunker in the playoff in Qatar last week. I assumed there was a local rule, which seems odd on a tour quality course.

Sent using Tapatalk on my Samsung Galaxy S4.
 
From the way I understand the rule as it pertains to bunkers is that you're not allowed to move a stone in the strictest sense but a local rule can allow it? The rules state that should a player make contact with a stone it could endanger them or other players and as such can be moved as long as the ball doesn't move.
 
SaffaClint said:
From the way I understand the rule as it pertains to bunkers is that you're not allowed to move a stone in the strictest sense but a local rule can allow it? The rules state that should a player make contact with a stone it could endanger them or other players and as such can be moved as long as the ball doesn't move.
Click to expand...

It would have to be a local rule. Based on the rules of golf you can't move anything in the bunker other than when you strike the ball.


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