Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Ask Linda #657-Ball in burrow


Dear Linda,

More to your #609b [Is the ball in the bunker?]. We have rabbits at our golf course. Probably 3 times more rabbits (the 4-footed lop-eared furry ones) than members. They dig burrows in the edges of our bunkers. One of our fellows found his ball about a foot into one of these, well under the surrounding turf. He took relief from the rabbit scrape by dropping his ball on the turf above where he had found it. Neat, I thought, but perhaps not the right course.

I’d love to know where you and the Rules stand on this one.

All the best to you,
Lou 

Dear Lou,

It may surprise you to learn that the player proceeded correctly. Although his ball entered the burrow through the bunker, it is not in the bunker, since it was found in the burrow underneath turf. The player is entitled to free relief  for a ball in an abnormal ground condition. He may drop the ball within one club-length of the point that is nearest to the spot where it lay in the burrow that is not in a hazard, on a putting green, or closer to the hole [Rule 25-1b (i); Decision 25-1b/25]. If he cannot recover the ball, he may substitute another one.

Linda
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