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Ball in a bush?

Posted by: user259181 | Wed 23rd Mar 2011 16:50 | Last Reply

My ball is in the edge of a not very dense bush.

I am able to sort of get to the ball to 'prod' it out onto the fairway.

Am I breaking any of the rules of golf by doing this if in the process of trying to get my body into a 'prod-able' position/stance to hit the ball, I flex/move the branches that are in the way of my body?

Also if I hit or break any of the branches with my backswing.....is that breaking any rules?


Last edit : Thu 24th Mar 2011 15:58
re: Ball in a bush?
user16163
Reply : Thu 24th Mar 2011 08:38

lewis

as far as i know and im sure someone will correct me if i am wrong.

yes you can flex/move branches to obtain your stance  but if any break during the process or indeed break during any practice strokes then you will incur a 2 shot penalty

if any break during your actual swing or follow through then you are ok

sometimes maybe it would be beneficial to take a unplayable lie penalty

 

regards

 

darren

re: Ball in a bush?
user20126 [FORUM MODERATOR]
Reply : Thu 24th Mar 2011 15:59

My understanding of the rules of golf are the same as Darrens.

You can move branches, but cannot break them!

If during your swing you break a branch then that is OK, but do it during a practice swing and its a penalty.

Russ

re: Ball in a bush?
user16163
Reply : Fri 25th Mar 2011 09:58

Lewis

of course if you have the chance to advance your ball to a better place than the unplayable drop would give then yes go for it.

once you have addressed the ball and start your backswing,provided you make a full swing and at least try to hit the ball then no penalty will be incurred

 

darren

re: Ball in a bush?
user202037 [FORUM MODERATOR]
Reply : Fri 25th Mar 2011 12:18

"once you have addressed the ball and start your backswing,provided you make a full swing and at least try to hit the ball then no penalty will be incurred"

Except in a Hazard, remember Brian Davies in a Play-off last year?

TheLyth

""""""""""""""

 

re: Ball in a bush?
user26537
Reply : Fri 25th Mar 2011 12:22

The R&A website has an excellent Rules Explorer,  Highly recommended.

The rules state that you cannot move, bend or break anything growing as it is deemed to be improving your lie.  See rule 13-2 as follows:- 

13-2 - Improving Lie, Area of Intended Stance or Swing, or Line of Play

A player must not improve or allow to be improved:
• the position or lie of his ball,
• the area of his intended stance or swing,
• his line of play or a reasonable extension of that line beyond the hole, or
• the area in which he is to drop or place a ball,
by any of the following actions:
• pressing a club on the ground,
• moving, bending or breaking anything growing or fixed (including immovable obstructions and objects defining out of bounds),
• creating or eliminating irregularities of surface,
• removing or pressing down sand, loose soil, replaced divots or other cut turf placed in position, or
• removing dew, frost or water.
However, the player incurs no penalty if the action occurs:
• in grounding the club lightly when addressing the ball,
• in fairly taking his stance,
• in making a stroke or the backward movement of his club for a stroke and the stroke is made,
• in creating or eliminating irregularities of surface within the teeing ground (Rule 11-1) or in removing dew, frost or water from the teeing ground, or
• on the putting green in removing sand and loose soil or in repairing damage (Rule 16-1).
Exception: Ball in hazard – see Rule 13-4.

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE:
Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.

re: Ball in a bush?
user26537
Reply : Fri 25th Mar 2011 15:47

Refering to the rules the following is under FAQs:-

Q.  Rule 13-2 states that a player must not improve the position or lie of his ball, the area of his intended stance or swing or his line of play or a reasonable extension of that line beyond the hole by moving, bending or breaking anything growing or fixed (including immovable obstructions and objects defining out of bounds). An exception permits a player to do so in “fairly taking his stance”. What is the significance of “fairly”?

A.  Without “fairly”, the exception would permit improvement of position or lie, area of intended stance or swing or line of play by anything that could be said to be taking a stance. The use of “fairly” is intended to limit the player to what is reasonably necessary to take a stance for the selected stroke without unduly improving the position of the ball, his lie, area of intended stance or swing or line of play. Thus, in taking his stance for the selected stroke, the player should select the least intrusive course of action which results in the minimum improvement in the position or lie of the ball, area of intended stance or swing or line of play. The player is not entitled to a normal stance or swing. He must accommodate the situation in which the ball is found and take a stance as normal as the circumstances permit. What is fair must be determined in the light of all the circumstances.
Examples of actions which do constitute fairly taking a stance are:
backing into a branch or young sapling if that is the only way to take a stance for the selected stroke, even if this causes the branch to move out of the way or the sapling to bend or break.
bending a branch of a tree with the hands in order to get under the tree to play a ball.
 Examples of actions which do not constitute fairly taking a stance are:
deliberately moving, bending or breaking branches with the hands, a leg or the body to get them out of the way of the backswing or stroke.
standing on a branch to prevent it interfering with the backswing or stroke.
hooking one branch on another or braiding two weeds for the same purpose.
bending with a hand a branch obscuring the ball after the stance has been taken.
bending an interfering branch with the hands, a leg or the body in taking a stance when the stance could have been taken without bending the branch.


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