JANUARY

 

USGA RULE 25  ABNORMAL GROUND CONDITIONS; EMBEDDED BALL

Hamilton Mill Golf Club has made the decision, in accordance with USGA Rules 25-1 and 25-2, to declare and mark with a white line an area approximately 5-7 yards around all putting greens as abnormal ground conditions. This decision allows you as a player to make the determination as to how you will deal with abnormal ground conditions around the greens. It is highly recommended that you go to the USGA website at www.usga.org and become familiar with Rule 25-1, 25-2 and the decisions regarding this rule.  Knowing the rules can be advantageous for you. 

 

There are definitions that you should be familiar with.

 

1. Abnormal Ground Conditions: Is any casual water, ground under repair, or hole, cast or runway on the course made by a burrowing animal, a reptile or a bird.

2. 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.

   •  Soft, mushy earth is NOT casual water unless water is visible on the surface before or after the player takes his stance.

   •  

     Casual water must be visible before or after the player takes his NORMAL stance. Water visible through undue effort/pressure with the feet is not casual water.

      

The following is an abbreviation / interpretation of the rule

1. Any shot that comes to rest in the rough between the edge of the collar surrounding the putting green and the outer edge of the white line the player has the option to:

   • Play the ball as it lies

   • Lift, clean and DROP the ball outside the white line at the nearest point of relief. If you pick the ball up you MUST take complete and total relief from the area marked as ground under repair.

2. If it is known or virtually certain that a ball that has not been found is in an abnormal ground condition, the player may take relief without penalty. If he elects to do so, the spot where the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the abnormal ground condition must be determined and, for the purpose of applying this Rule, the ball is deemed to lie at this spot and the player may substitute another ball, without penalty, and take relief as prescribed 1-b above.

3. If the ball comes to rest in casual water within the area between the edge of the putting green and the outer edge of the white line the player may take relief from the casual water and lift clean and DROP his ball without penalty no nearer the hole and not on the putting green. You MUST take complete and total relief from the casual water.

4. Hamilton Mill has adopted a local rule declaring that you get relief for an embedded ball through the putting green. Therefore, any ball that is embedded between the edge of the green collar and the outer edge of the white line may be lifted, cleaned and DROPPED without penalty at a point as close as possible where the ball lay but no nearer the hole.

5. The MGA is still playing preferred lie for all balls that come to rest in the fairway that you are playing. The collars of the greens are considered fairway. You may lift clean and place the ball within one club length of where the ball came to rest that is no closer to the hole and not on the putting green.
    

This change as well as preferred lies will stay in effect until May 1, 2013 at which time we will return to playing the ball down.