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What Would You Do?

JB

JB

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We are getting ready for the THP Championship and last time on this course, there was a snake next to one of the bunkers. Let's assume for the sake of discussion, this snake is not poisonous. Your ball lands in a bunker and its next to a snake. What do you think the ruling is?
 
I’d ask OGPuttnfool
 
i'm assuming you have t hit it. if you're scared of the snake and don't want to hit the ball, i guess you can take an unplayable lie or maybe just forfeit the hole and move on?
 
I would leave my ball where it is, run far away from that slithering monster, and put a new ball down and play it and gladly accept whatever penalty comes with it.
 
Poison or no poison I'm not getting close to that thing!

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Ruling? No clue.

I'd probably judge how far the ball is from said snake, and if I thought I'd be OK, I'd hit it. If not, I'd drag it away from said snake and hit it from somewhere else in the bunker. Of course, I would demand my opponent hit it from that spot next to the snake. Because #winning.
 
I'd ask the snake to politely move out of my way. If that didn't work, I'd force one of my playing partners to get my ball for me as I stand a safe distance away.
 
Good, good.
Forfeit hole.
Take an unplayable.
Shoo the snake away - maybe in the direction of my opponents - with the longest club in my bag (being careful not to actually harm it)
 
Live snake or dead?

Live snake I’m running away and crying.


Dead snake, I’m running away and whimpering.
 
Most of the time non-poisonous snakes are not agressive and will slither away if you get close. It would depend on the type of scale but I'd see if I could coax it into moving away then play the shot.

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Lions81 said:
I would leave my ball where it is, run, screaming, far away from that slithering monster, and put a new ball down and play it and gladly accept whatever penalty comes with it. Then wildly exaggerate the size and evil intent of it to friends. "TWELVE FEET!! I swear it was TWELVE FEET LONG! And it looked right at me!!"
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FIFY with liberal poetic license.
 
I think it would be classified under the same rule as if your ball comes to rest against a rake in the bunker. If you move the rake and your ball moves, you need to replace the ball and play from where it was - no penalty.

I'm pretty sure I'd ask for permission to move the snake with a rake or club prior to hitting the shot, even if it's not close. With a rake, you should be able to move the snake out of the way completely without disturbing the ball. If the ball moves, it just needs to be replaced as close as possible to where it was resting before your next shot.
 
Is the snake in my stance? If no, and I'm 100% certain it's non-venomous (I don't think there are many, if any, poisonous snakes), then I'm playing it as it lies... then killing it and eating it.
 
I don't have a clue what the official ruling might be but I'd shoo the snake away if it was in harm's way. Wouldn't want to risk hitting it with club ball or sandblast. I did accidentally step on one's tail last year while walking along the edge of a timber framed sand trap to get to my ball. Fortunately didn't seem like I hurt it, startled me for a split second though. Fairway bunker on #10 at Gateway National, wubears home track. Lots of poisonous snakes in the water hazard on that hole but I luckily stepped on a safe little garter snake.
 
waazzupppp said:
I think it would be classified under the same rule as if your ball comes to rest against a rake in the bunker. If you move the rake and your ball moves, you need to replace the ball and play from where it was - no penalty.

I'm pretty sure I'd ask for permission to move the snake with a rake or club prior to hitting the shot, even if it's not close. With a rake, you should be able to move the snake out of the way completely without disturbing the ball. If the ball moves, it just needs to be replaced as close as possible to where it was resting before your next shot.
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I would not move a snake with a rake, Sam I Am.
 
waazzupppp said:
I think it would be classified under the same rule as if your ball comes to rest against a rake in the bunker. If you move the rake and your ball moves, you need to replace the ball and play from where it was - no penalty.

I'm pretty sure I'd ask for permission to move the snake with a rake or club prior to hitting the shot, even if it's not close. With a rake, you should be able to move the snake out of the way completely without disturbing the ball. If the ball moves, it just needs to be replaced as close as possible to where it was resting before your next shot.
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There are actually specific rules in the Decisions on snakes.
 
Use the rake to move the snake out of the bunker then play my ball

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JB said:
There are actually specific rules in the Decisions on snakes.
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Do they involve running and crying? I feel like they should.
 
I believe there's a rule about that under something like dangerous conditions. Aka, your ball in an ant hill, or a hole a burrowing animal made and you don't know if it's in there or not. I know you get a free drop from it. As far as the snake, I'm probably gonna smack it with a rake or club until it moves, or I'm gonna grab my ball with said rake and then move quickly to my nearest point of relief.
 
If there is no way to absolutely ID what kind of snake, You err on the side of caution. Venomous or not, there is a "Dangerous condition" rule entitling you to a free drop. In this case, you would drop away from the snake in another part of the bunker. Same applies to Alligators, Fire Ant nests, etc...
 
Lions81 said:
I would leave my ball where it is, run far away from that slithering monster, and put a new ball down and play it and gladly accept whatever penalty comes with it.
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This guy gets it.


Even reading this thread made me uneasy in my seat.
 
I think it's ok to move if it's dead as long as you don't cause your ball to move. Alive, and I'm going to try to scare it away.

But that also depends on the size. 12" or less and I might try to scare it as long as it doesn't cause a penalty for testing the bunker sand. If it's bigger, I will bribe someone else in my group with food and drinks to do it!!
 
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