Embedded Ball no no

The Weekend Tee Time Group was well represented in the 7/12/17 Senior Member Guest tournament with Guthrie, Martin, Smalley, Clausen, Leathers and Thomas all playing.

The weather was decent and carts were allowed on the course but there were still quite a few wet spots. Which brings me to the topic of this post.

What happens if a ball is embedded in the ground? You get relief, right? Well........... not so fast. READ ON.

The embedded ball rule can be tricky but in general, it says that if your ball is embedded in it's own pitch mark, you get to lift, clean and drop the ball as close as possible to the spot where it was embedded.

A couple of things to remember.

1. The embedded ball rule applies "through the green" which means hazards are not included. Touching the ball in a hazard, except to identify it is a no, no. By the way, if you read the definition below carefully, you will note that a ball doesn't have to be embedded in the soil to be consider embedded. Loose impediments, like grass, etc. can create an embedded ball situation. For example, if the course was freshly mowed and clumps or piles of grass were laying in the fairway, a ball could "embed" in them. If you chose to simply move the loose impediments, you might move that ball and incur a penalty but if you use the embedded ball rule, you can lift and clean the ball before dropping it as close to where it lay as possible (without re-embedding itself). It doesn't mean you get to clean your ball every time you get a little grass on it but this knowledge could come in handy if you plugged in a big wad of wet grass that was thrown out of a mower!!

2. Note that for the embedded ball rule to apply, an area of the course must be "closely-mown", meaning cut to fairway height or less. So if your ball gets plugged between the 10th fairway and the 18th fairway at Woodmont, the embedded ball rule does not permit you to get relief unless the spot your ball is embedded is cut to fairway height or less. Ok, so you say that area is super wet sometimes, read on.......

3. A player who's ball is embedded in an area where there is casual water, gets relief from the casual water whether the ball is embedded or not. Whenever your ball plugs is a wet area that is not closely mown (and not in a hazard), you may want to check for casual water (see definition below) to see if you can get relief.

4. The Committee (whoever is running the tournament) can declare that the embedded ball rule applies anywhere through the green. Hazards are still off limits but under this local rule, the area where your ball is embedded does not have to be closely mown. It is pretty common for this local rule to be in place but the Committee has to announce it before play (or print it on the scorecard, rule sheet or something). Tribal wisdom simply isn't enough!

The good news is that one of proposed rule changes provides a more reasonable default for relief in embedded ball situations. (see below) Until then, here is the rule and some helpful definitions. Hopefully, your ball doesn't get embedded in the rough until the rule changes!!

Thoughts, questions or opinions are welcome.

Rules:

StartFragment

25-2. Embedded Ball

If a player's ball is embedded in any closely-mown area through the green, it may be lifted, cleaned and dropped, without penalty, as near as possible to the spot where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course through the green.

Note 1: A ball is "embedded" when it is in its own pitch-mark and part of the ball is below the level of the ground. A ball does not necessarily have to touch the soil to be embedded (e.g., grass, loose impediments and the like may intervene between the ball and the soil).

Note 2: "Closely-mown area" means any area of the course, including paths through the rough, cut to fairway height or less.

Note 3: The Committee may adopt the Local Rule as provided for in Appendix I allowing a player relief, without penalty, for a ball embedded anywhere through the green.

google plus twitter facebook, linkedin and other<meta property="fb:admins" content="Facebook numberic ID" />configProposed Change: Relief for An Embedded Ball

StartFragment

Proposed Rule: The current default position in the Rules will be reversed:

New Rule 16.3 would allow relief for a ball embedded anywhere in the “general area” (that is, the area currently known as “through the green”), except when embedded in sand.

But a Committee may adopt a Local Rule restricting relief to a ball embedded in those parts of the general area cut to fairway height or less.

In taking relief, the player would drop the original ball or a substituted ball within 20 inches from (but not nearer the hole than) the point right behind the spot where the ball was embedded.

EndFragment

StartFragment

25-1. Abnormal Ground Conditions (Casual Water is in this category)

StartFragment

a. Interference

Interference by an abnormal ground condition occurs when a ball lies in or touches the condition or when the condition interferes with the player's stance or the area of his intended swing. If the player's ball lies on the putting green, interference also occurs if an abnormal ground condition on the putting green intervenes on his line of putt. Otherwise, intervention on the line of play is not, of itself, interference under this Rule.

Note: The Committee may make a Local Rule stating that interference by an abnormal ground condition with a player's stance is deemed not to be, of itself, interference under this Rule.

b. Relief (from abnormal ground conditions)

Except when the ball is in a water hazard or a lateral water hazard, a player may take relief from interference by an abnormal ground condition as follows:

(i) Through the Green: If the ball lies through the green, the player must lift the ball and drop it, without penalty, within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief. The nearest point of relief must not be in a hazard or on a putting green. When the ball is dropped within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, the ball must first strike a part of the course at a spot that avoids interference by the condition and is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.

(ii) In a Bunker: If the ball is in a bunker, the player must lift the ball and drop it either:

(a) Without penalty, in accordance with Clause (i) above, except that the nearest point of relief must be in the bunker and the ball must be dropped in the bunker or, if complete relief is impossible, as near as possible to the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole, on a part of the course in the bunker that affords maximum available relief from the condition; or

(b) Under penalty of one stroke, outside the bunker keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the bunker the ball may be dropped.

(iii) On the Putting Green: If the ball lies on the putting green, the player must lift the ball and place it, without penalty, at the nearest point of relief that is not in a hazard or, if complete relief is impossible, at the nearest position to where it lay that affords maximum available relief from the condition, but not nearer the hole and not in a hazard. The nearest point of relief or maximum available relief may be off the putting green.

(iv) On the Teeing Ground: If the ball lies on the teeing ground, the player must lift the ball and drop it, without penalty, in accordance with Clause (i) above.

The ball may be cleaned when lifted under Rule 25-1b.

(Ball rolling to a position where there is interference by the condition from which relief was taken - see Rule 20-2c(v))

Exception: A player may not take relief under this Rule if (a) interference by anything other than an abnormal ground condition makes the stroke clearly impracticable or (b) interference by an abnormal ground condition would occur only through use of a clearly unreasonable stroke or an unnecessarily abnormal stance, swing or direction of play.

Note 1: If a ball is in a water hazard (including a lateral water hazard), the player is not entitled to relief, without penalty, from interference by an abnormal ground condition. The player must play the ball as it lies (unless prohibited by Local Rule) or proceed under Rule 26-1.

EndFragment

Definitions

Through the Green

"Through the green" is the whole area of the course except:

a. The teeing ground and putting green of the hole being played; and

b. All hazards on the course.

Casual Water

"Casual water" is any temporary accumulation of water on the course that is not in a water hazard and is visible before or after the player takes his stance. Snow and natural ice, other than frost, are either casual water or loose impediments, at the option of the player. Manufactured ice is an obstruction.

Dew and frost are not casual water.

A ball is in casual water when it lies in or any part of it touches the casual water.

Water Visible as Result of Undue Effort with Feet

StartFragment

Q.In a wet area, casual water is not visible before or after the player takes his normal stance. However, by pressing down hard with one foot, the player causes water to appear around the sole of his shoe. Is the player entitled to relief under Rule 25-1b?

A.No. Water visible through undue effort with the feet is not casual water - see Definition of "Casual Water."

EndFragment

Soft, Mushy Earth

StartFragment

Q . Is soft, mushy earth casual water?

A. No. Soft, mushy earth is not casual water unless water is visible on the surface before or after the player takes his stance - see Definition of "Casual Water."

EndFragment