Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Ask Linda #844-Ball entangled in Spanish moss


A player hits his tee-shot into a stand of live oak trees. The trees are NOT inside of a hazard. The trees are in Florida, thus there is a lot of hanging (Spanish) air-moss draped from the trees. On the second shot the player’s ball becomes entangled in a clump of the air-moss about six feet above the ground. There is a slight breeze thus the air-moss is constantly swinging to and fro. What are the player’s options for his third shot? Can the player play the ball from the moving air-moss? What if the player chooses to hit the ball while it is still entangled in the air-moss, misses the ball, but hits enough of the air-moss to dislodge the ball? This situation did happen. I can send you photos of the ball entangled in the air-moss if you like.
Lou from Florida


Dear Lou,

Rule 14-5 states that a player may not make a stroke at his ball while it is moving. However, a ball entangled in the moss and swaying in the breeze is not moving in relation to the moss. In other words, the ball is stationary in the moving moss. Since the ball itself is not rolling, it is deemed to be still.

The player may choose to try to hit his ball while it sways through the air in the Spanish moss. If he swings at the ball and misses, he has made a stroke. If the ball has been dislodged, he will play it where it lies on the ground.

If he decides to declare the ball unplayable, he may dislodge the ball from the moss and choose one of the relief options listed in Rule 28. If he chooses the two-club-length option, he will drop within two club-lengths (no closer to the hole) of the spot on the ground directly underneath where his ball was suspended in the moss. Don’t forget that if the player is unable to identify his ball, he must state that he will invoke the unplayable ball rule before he starts flailing away at the moss. Otherwise, he will incur a penalty for moving his ball in play.

Linda
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