Casual Water - in the fescue

[Kilroy]

Another question came up this weekend

The ball is about one foot from the rough, in the uncut fescue, in a puddle. The puddle extened well into the fescue, and a foot or two into the rough. His nearest point of relief would have put him in the rough, a big advantage.

We were unsure if relief was allowed so I suggested to the player he play 2 balls while I looked it up. He decided just to play it as it lay, and managed to get it out, but I looked it up anyway since I thought he shoud get relief, but as I said, I was not sure...

A check of the rulebook makes no real distinction between uncut grass (fescue) brush or wooded areas and the rough. Relief from casual water is available "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.

Therefore if one is in such a puddle in an unkept area that is not a hazzard, it looks to me like you are entitled to relief (from the casual water, to your NPR, not nessesarily getting you out of the long stuff) It seems the assumption is, that because you are not in the mown area of the course, there would be no relief from casual water.

Gary am I reading this right, or am I missing something?

[Gary Hill]

Therefore if one is in such a puddle in an unkept area that is not a hazzard, it looks to me like you are entitled to relief

Yes.

Relief from casual water is available "through the green"

I am curious as to where you found that in the Rule Book as this seems to be the point where you got off track.

[Kilroy]

25-1 b (i)

b. Relief
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,...

There are also outlined proceedures for when on the green, teeing ground, or in a bunker, but as I said, I could find no reference to anything within the boundries of the course that diferentiates between the unmowed natural ground and the mowed rough. One thing I have learned from you is, if the rules do not specify a difference, there is none, so since there was no hazzard and he was not OB, he must get relief from the casual water, even though it seemed pretty generous. So much so that the player declined to play 2 balls, figuring that it just couldn't be right.

[Gary Hill]

Here is how I would make the case for the situation above.

1.
Casual Water
“Casual water’’ is any temporary accumulation of water on the course, that is visible before or after the player takes his stance, and is not in a water hazard.

From this, we know the player's ball is in casual water because the ball is on the course and the ball is not in a water hazard.

2.
Abnormal Ground Conditions
An “abnormal ground condition” 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.

From this, we know that casual water is classified under the Rules as an abnormal ground condition.

3.
25-1. Abnormal Ground Conditions a. Interference
Interference by an abnormal ground condition occurs when a ball lies in or touches the condition

From this, we know that the player's ball has interference by the condition.

4.
25-1. Abnormal Ground Conditions b. Relief
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......

From this, we know that the player is allow relief under this Rule.

5.
a player may take relief from interference by an abnormal ground condition as follows:
(i) Through the Green:
(ii) In a Bunker:
(iii) On the Putting Green:
(iv) On the Teeing Ground:

From this, we know that there are only four options as to where the player's ball lies and we must determine which option is appropriate.
The ball in not on the putting green, the teeing ground, or in a bunker. So, we must take relief under option (i).

6. Exception: A player may not take relief under this Rule if :
(a) blah blah blah or
(b) blah blah blah

From this, we know that the exception does not apply and we are home free.

[Kilroy]

Thanks Gary. You are a human rules encyclopedia. Are all RCGA officials as concise?