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What would you do.

Den60

Den60

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Some friends and I played a casual round of golf last week (my first round in about 10 years). I have to say that I was disappointed in the condition of the course but it cost $19.50 including the cart for an 11:15 tee time on a Wednesday and I was approaching the round as just getting my feet wet anyway.

On the second hole (a Par 3) I pushed my tee shot in a right, green-side, bunker - smack dab in the middle. The bunker was quite firm with wet sand underneath maybe 1/2" of dry stuff. The wet sand appeared to be pretty compacted. Right in front of my ball was some thin tree roots. They were about 1/4" in diameter and the one closest to the ball and directly in my swing path looped out of the ground and back in forming pretty much of a noose. So I tugged at it to see if it would come loose (yeah, against the rules) and when it didn't I broke it. My partners watched me do it and didn't complain (casual game, no money, just some old HS friends). I probably should have said, "Hey, I'm worried about snagging this root and either hurting myself of the club" before doing it, but it was the second hole of the first round I've played in a decade. I'm sure they would have said "go right ahead" because the attitude the whole day was more about having some fun and we all given gimmies on the green when inside 3 feet.

Still, I was bothered by this the whole week. I know I should have said something before doing it and technically the ball is considered unplayable and a penalty would be assessed if this was a competitive game (I plead inexperience for that). I think, rather than break the root should I have asked to take a free drop farther back away from the root or done what I did?

Oh, regardless of my action I still misjudged the damned sand and didn't get the first ball out of the trap.
 
It all depends on how you want to play the game.

If you want to play it casually, then by all means, just move the ball. It's a casual round and there's no sense in risking injury.

If you want to play completely by the Rules, take an unplayable and drop within 2-clubs lengths or on a line between where the ball lay and the flag, but staying within the bunker.

If you're turning in the round for handicap purposes, people's opinions will differ on whether option 1 is OK or not. Technically, you should adhere strictly to the Rules if the round is being posted for handicap purposes, unless you adjust your score for "a hole not played under the Rules of Golf."

Personally, I don't think rolling the ball over to protect yourself is a big deal, even if posting the round. You just don't want it to become a habit and end up with a vanity handicap that hurts you in a competition.
 
I will move the ball everytime, and would tell anybody I'm playing with to do the same. We all play this game for fun, there is no sense injuring yourself. If we were playing for money or Match play, I would say the same thing. Obviously a stroke play tournament would be different.

As far as scoring, I announce I'm moving it, and would let me playing partner decide on the penalty. If they don't say anything I'm not adding a stroke.
 
I have a general guideline. If I think the shot will either damage my club or damage me, I don't take the shot. I'm not rich to destroying a wedge is not something I've willing to chance. Same for my back or skull. I can't afford to be hit in the head very much. As to the score, it depends on who I am playing with. I've never cared if someone moves a shot because of perceived danger of taking it, even when there was money on the round/hole. Then again, I don't play for much money so your experience may differ.

But ultimately, if they didn't say anything, I wouldn't sweat it.
 
Unless you collect a check weekly from the PGA tour than just move it. But I respect your outlook, I was exactly like you when I played avidly . Now I will move it everytime, but than doesn't feel like we're truly playing the game the way it should be
 
I broke my 8i today playing in a tournament today. First time this has happened to me. Up against a tree and the follow thru wrapped around a tree and snapped the shaft. I'd be more upset if I didn't save par on the hole... But I have been thinking all day if I should have made the shot or just said damn with the rules and taken the DQ
 
Rule number 1 for me is that I'm not injuring myself. So playing that ball as it lies is out of the questoin. Since I maintain a handicap I'd declare an unplayable and take a safe drop. If it was a practice round I'd either move the root or ball and not worry about it.
 
Mystery Meat said:
Unless you collect a check weekly from the PGA tour than just move it. But I respect your outlook, I was exactly like you when I played avidly . Now I will move it everytime, but than doesn't feel like we're truly playing the game the way it should be
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Per the rules a player always has the right to declare an unplayable lie, take the penalty and take a drop.
 
Martsy said:
I broke my 8i today playing in a tournament today. First time this has happened to me. Up against a tree and the follow thru wrapped around a tree and snapped the shaft. I'd be more upset if I didn't save par on the hole... But I have been thinking all day if I should have made the shot or just said damn with the rules and taken the DQ
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Why would you take a DQ instead of just taking an unplayable? The Rules give you an option to get out of a dangerous situation.
 
tequila4kapp said:
Per the rules a player always has the right to declare an unplayable lie, take the penalty and take a drop.
Click to expand...

Minor clarification: except if the ball lies in a water hazard. In that case, the options for relief from a water hazard are the only options.
 
It's a casual round. I would tell them I don't want to damage my wrist, club or tree root.
 
Not worth breaking your hand. Besides, bunkers shouldn't have roots. Ground under repair.
 
Many golf courses have local rules that allow you to remove stones from bunkers. I'm not hitting a tree root - in or out of a bunker. If it's casual fun golf who really cares? If it's tournament play, and it's in an area among tree roots where one unplayable isn't enough you might be able to putt the ball far enough out of it without damaging your putter. If that's not an option, and there aren't other solutions available, I'd make them wait while I walked back for S&D. :curse:
 
Thanks for all the insight. I think what really bothered me wasn't so much of what I did but I SHOULD have told people what I was doing, even though they all watched me do it (one was in the same trap I was in). I'm going to mention this to them when we play on Wednesday. I am sure they will all say "no worries."

One of my partners was 40 on the turn. Playing pretty well. On one hole a couple holes after the turn he hit it left just off the fairway. The rest of us were on the right. He was in his own cart and we didn't know we were given a 4th until he showed up in his own cart on the 3rd. When we got to the green he said he had to take a penalty because he couldn't find his ball. This wasn't in deep woods, just a bit off the fairway where there were some leaves. I told him if that same shot was done on the tour there is no way it would have been "lost." We had a twosome coming up behind and we didn't want to play slow but I don't think he spent more than two minutes looking for the ball and he didn't have any extra eyes since we were on the other side of the fairway. He ended up with a 46 on the back.
 
wadesworld said:
Why would you take a DQ instead of just taking an unplayable? The Rules give you an option to get out of a dangerous situation.
Click to expand...


because I'm an idiot and forgot I could take an unplayable, and had a "rules guru" with me who kept telling me I had to play it... honestly though...my shot ended up great and let me par the hole...i think my ego would have beat out my head in any event and i still would have taken the shot.

edit: and my only option woudl have been to re-tee, because I had no line back from the hole, and two club length's anywhere else would have been cart path.
 
katman said:
I have a general guideline. If I think the shot will either damage my club or damage me, I don't take the shot. I'm not rich to destroying a wedge is not something I've willing to chance. Same for my back or skull. I can't afford to be hit in the head very much. As to the score, it depends on who I am playing with. I've never cared if someone moves a shot because of perceived danger of taking it, even when there was money on the round/hole. Then again, I don't play for much money so your experience may differ.

But ultimately, if they didn't say anything, I wouldn't sweat it.
Click to expand...
This made me LOL. How much is too much!?
 
wadesworld said:
It all depends on how you want to play the game.

If you want to play it casually, then by all means, just move the ball. It's a casual round and there's no sense in risking injury.

If you want to play completely by the Rules, take an unplayable and drop within 2-clubs lengths or on a line between where the ball lay and the flag, but staying within the bunker.

If you're turning in the round for handicap purposes, people's opinions will differ on whether option 1 is OK or not. Technically, you should adhere strictly to the Rules if the round is being posted for handicap purposes, unless you adjust your score for "a hole not played under the Rules of Golf."

Personally, I don't think rolling the ball over to protect yourself is a big deal, even if posting the round. You just don't want it to become a habit and end up with a vanity handicap that hurts you in a competition.
Click to expand...

What he said^^^^^^^^^
 
Playing public golf for basically forever, these are the things you run into. I even remember one course that had roots from a big tree almost protruding out of the green/ fringe by the tree.!! You would have to putt or chip over the roots. Remember one of our men's clubs rules " if the tour doesn't have to deal or play with these conditons nor should we" . One club length no closer to the hole and no penalty. Everyone was happy and could use the rule without fear of the golf gods going crazy. Old courses / a tougher golf economy .. Etc .. Etc ... Are making public course conditons a little suspect at times
 
Mystery Meat said:
Playing public golf for basically forever, these are the things you run into. I even remember one course that had roots from a big tree almost protruding out of the green/ fringe by the tree.!! You would have to putt or chip over the roots. Remember one of our men's clubs rules " if the tour doesn't have to deal or play with these conditons nor should we" . One club length no closer to the hole and no penalty. Everyone was happy and could use the rule without fear of the golf gods going crazy. Old courses / a tougher golf economy .. Etc .. Etc ... Are making public course conditons a little suspect at times
Click to expand...

I used to play this very course when I was a kid, and it was always in good shape. The place has been bought and sold a few times and one owner decided that the first hole should be a 655 par for with OOB all along the right side on a hole that made you play left to right. They also added two new holes that just are completely odd and seem out of place on the course (they are back-to-back). Now the first hole is something like 535 or 555, I can recall. But the condition of the course is bad and the fault of that comes down to the operators. I hit another greenside bunker where the sand was like concrete. Took my shot and got the rake, came back and could find anything to rake - no footprints, no club mark. I raked it anyway out of habit. I mean, how hard is it to take a spade and turn the sand in the greenside bunkers every now and then?

An Indian Tribe bought the club just up the road and put some money in it. Hopefully someone will buy this one and do the same.
 
It's sad at times , just public golf at its finest. I remember one year I played this real old trek called Tri Way that still has an operational drive in movie theater on the property. The water on the course is uncleaned with a slimy green look and stinks like sewage. The greens had Unusual molds growing on them called " dollar spot". Some greens were somewhat mowed , others were like shag Carpet. Than the last hole is a 150 ish par 3, and I remember I pulled my tee shot left into a green side trap. The course only had 2 or 3 sand traps and looks like the owner did a DIY bunker project and added this to the hole. Instead of real sand, he used fine play sand of some sort. My ball literally went down to the very bottom of the bunker and i never found it. I saw the entrance hole, but it went down and that was it. Kinda sad to play this course as it actually had a decent lay out and some real fun holes. Just appeared they were doing the bare minimum to keep it open. This was over ten years ago and it is still open with same management. I'm sure it is about the same or maybe worse :(
 
Course conditions sometimes dictate the actions we take. The course I regularly play has absolutely no sand in the bunkers (maybe 1/16") is never raked (except by a few foursomes, our included) and usually has a lot of rocks and stones. The rough, through the trees have patches of rocks and pebbles and tree roots galore. We use common sense and allow some improvement, without sacrificing the integrity of the hole - e.g., you can use reasonable judgment but can't improve your situation between your ball and the hole.
 
GenErr said:
Course conditions sometimes dictate the actions we take. The course I regularly play has absolutely no sand in the bunkers (maybe 1/16") is never raked (except by a few foursomes, our included) and usually has a lot of rocks and stones. The rough, through the trees have patches of rocks and pebbles and tree roots galore. We use common sense and allow some improvement, without sacrificing the integrity of the hole - e.g., you can use reasonable judgment but can't improve your situation between your ball and the hole.
Click to expand...

My group says they prefer to play the other course at this place which was always better cared for (hopefully that is still the case). We are looking to play Wednesday again so perhaps we will play the other. Two of my group are retired (at 54 and 55) and one still has about 13 more payments to pay off his house ($2,500/month) so he isn't on a big budget. He's the one who looks for deals on golfnow.com.

Still golf beats the hell out of working even if the course isn't well maintained. Even the hospitality cart had vacant holes were the headlights were supposed to be. No worries, they had a good beer selection and the cart girl came with her own, very nice, set of headlights.
 
I hit a root with a full wedge. I didn't see it, I wasn't prepared for the full stop. My shoulder took nine months, an operation and lot of physical therapy to heal, and at one point, my doctor said that playing golf ever again isn't very likely. Fortunately, it did heal fully.
 
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