- Moderator
- #101
Divots are absolutely unnatural to the condition that is intended for the golf course. The origin of the golf course condition was not a divot laden fairway.Sure. Ground under repair is ground that is literally under repair. The grounds crew has laid new sod, are installing new irrigation, etc. Or, it's an area of the course that has degraded so much due to weather conditions the grounds crew considers it unworthy of play and/or needs traffic kept off of it. Finally, it can also surround something like a fallen tree that the grounds crew hasn't had time to remove. In short, it defines areas of the course from which the grounds crew would rather you not play.
Divots are not unexpected on a golf course. They are not unnatural - meaning they're not an artificial object.
But, but, but - people will respond "why do we allow raking of bunkers and and repair of the green?" The bunker is only allowed to be raked after the shot is played. If another golfer leaves a huge footprint or (within reason) weather effects makes the shot difficult, you have to deal with it. The green is allowed to be repaired primarily for its protection and because it's intended to be a non-cratered surface on which to roll the ball. Spike marks would probably be the best argument, but I suspect the reasoning for now allowing their repair is the realization that there's so much traffic in one spot - around the hole.
The biggest argument would probably be borrowing animal holes. Those are natural and not unexpected, shy would a golfer get free relief from those? Probably two reasons: one, they're often so deep as to be unplayable, and two, some Scottsman along the way probably lost a hand.
A bunker is a penalty area, and as such, should not be equitable in discussion to a fairway.
I'm not debating the rulebook as is. I never do (other than to call it stupid). I am debating what it means for something to be GUR. A fairway divot is no longer a fairway.. It is a hole in the fairway, that is repairing over time to become fairway again. It is ground, that is under repair, to return to the original condition.