By Katie Ruhe

Since we’re gearing up for the start of the 2009 Championship season, the FSGA thought it would be a good idea to brush up on a few questions asked by tournament volunteers:

Question: When I’m completing set-up duties before the start of a tournament, should the rakes be placed inside or outside the bunker?

Answer: Well, there actually is no rule covering this issue, but the USGA does have a Miscellaneous Decision covering this problem (Misc./2 --see the Miscellaneous Decisions page 532 in the Decisions on the Rules of Golf Book).

The USGA states in that decision: "There is not a perfect answer for the position of rakes, but on balance it is felt there is less likelihood of an advantage or disadvantage to the player if rakes are placed outside of bunkers."  The FSGA agrees with this policy, and prefers that rakes are left outside of the bunker.  We agree with the practice of placing rakes outside of bunkers because "…players who leave rakes in bunkers frequently leave them at the side which tends to stop a ball rolling into the flat part of the bunker, resulting in a much more difficult shot than would otherwise have been the case. This is most prevalent at a course where the bunkers are small. When the ball comes to rest on or against a rake in the bunker and the player must proceed under Rule 24-1, it may not be possible to replace the ball on the same spot or find a spot in the bunker which is not nearer the hole - see Decision 20-3d/2."

Question: When I am helping a player take relief from a water hazard, what does "keeping the point between you and the hole" mean?

Answer: When a golfer unfortunately hits his ball into a water hazard or lateral water hazard, he has the option of dropping a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped (Rule 26-1b).  This often won’t be a valid choice for lateral water hazards, but sometimes you encounter lateral water hazards where this is a viable option.

Many golfers fail to understand what “keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped” means. What direction are you supposed to be going? On what line, exactly, are you allowed to drop?

It's really very easy to understand once it's visualized correctly. But before we visualize that line, let's make clear what this Rule does not mean.  "Keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped" has nothing to do with the direction the ball was traveling when it entered the hazard.

Repeat: the line of flight of your original ball does not matter. The player might have sliced or hooked it, pushed or pulled it, or hit it dead straight. It does not matter.

So now that the so-called “line of flight” DOES NOT MATTER, here's how to correctly visualize the line on which the player is allowed to drop behind a water hazard: Take a look at the flagstick. Now look at the point at which the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard. Now imagine drawing a line extending straight back from the flagstick to that point; just connect the dots. Now imagine that line continuing to travel straight back, from the flagstick through the point where your ball crossed the margin, and continuing straight back hundreds of yards behind the hazard.  That is the line on which you must drop.

Question: A thunderstorm dumped 3 inches of water on the course.  After we resumed play, there were areas of casual water on the course.  On the 12^th hole, a player hit a shot that went into some casual water and the ball could not be seen. The water was muddy and a few inches deep in the middle.  How do we help him take relief?

Answer: We look to Rule 25-1, Abnormal Ground Conditions to figure out how to take relief.  Since the ball is “through the green” and we have “virtual certainty” that the ball is in the casual water (a MUST to operate under this option!) we’ll focus on Rule 25-1c(i). “Through the Green: If the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the abnormal ground condition at a spot through the green, the player may substitute another ball, without penalty, and take relief as prescribed in Rule 25-1b(i). 

When taking relief under this Rule, the player may substitute a ball and must determine the spot where the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the abnormal ground condition.  For the purpose of applying this Rule, the ball is deemed to lie at this point (the point where the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the casual water) and the player, when taking relief, must “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 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.”

If you have any other questions you'd like to brush up on before the Championship season starts, feel free to contact us at the office! You can call (813) 868-5850 or email me at kruhe@fsga.org.  The FSGA thanks you for  all of your hard work and continued support!