Is This Permitted??

[BC MIST]

On The Golf Channel one of the instructors made the following suggestion to determine whether a golfer had sufficient loft on a club to hit the ball over trees that would be in front of him:

Place the back of the club head on the ground and step on it. Sight along the shaft and if the shaft is aimed over the trees, there is enough loft on the iron to hit the ball over the trees. If not, go to a more lofted club and do the same.

Is this permissible?

[Gary Hill]

Is this permissible?

Yes.

[EDSGOLF]

I thought I saw Hank Haney talking about this a few weeks ago at a tournament........maybe the TGC stole his idea!

[Gary Hill]

his idea??????

I have been doing that for 20 years to determine if I have enough club to get out of a fairway bunker with a high lip.

[EDSGOLF]

his idea??????

I have been doing that for 20 years to determine if I have enough club to get out of a fairway bunker with a high lip.

You put your club in the bunker and step on it? I thought you weren't allowed to ground the club in the bunker

[Gary Hill]

You put your club in the bunker and step on it? I thought you weren't allowed to ground the club in the bunker

No. I lie my bag down in the bunker and rest the club on top of the side of my bag. If the sightline misses the lip by more than my bag height (well, actually width since it is on its side), I am good to go. (You CAN ground your bag in a bunker.).

[Sakuraba]

Good to see Gary is also up at 2:37 am. I was up with the newborn, not on the OG forum. If the above post was not Gary's, I would have said no way can you take your bag into the bunker. what else can you bring in there with you?

[jvincent]

You can bring a rake and drop it in the sand if you aren't using it to test the conditions.

I'm guessing a sandwich is also OK too.

[Sakuraba]

maybe a beer?

[AAA]

Rule 13 Exception 1. Provided nothing is done that constitutes testing the condition of the hazard or improves the lie of the ball, there is no penalty if the player (a) touches the ground in any hazard or water in a water hazard as a result of or to prevent falling, in removing an obstruction, in measuring or in retrieving, lifting, placing or replacing a ball under any Rule or (b) places his clubs in a hazard.

Decision 13-4/20Placing an umbrella or rake in a hazard is equivalent to placing clubs in the hazard – see Exception 1 to Rule 13-4. There is no penalty, provided nothing is done which may constitute testing the soil or improving the lie of the ball.But see Decision 13-4/22.