taking a stance

[middave]

there was a discussion about what you can do when taking a stance 2 days ago and now I am confused- 2 member told me that it was ok to back into a bush or small tree and bend it back so you could take your stance- since they said they were allowed to take a stance- i always thought that you could not move nature to take stance- someone help me out

thanks

[LobWedge]

there was a discussion about what you can do when taking a stance 2 days ago and now I am confused- 2 member told me that it was ok to back into a bush or small tree and bend it back so you could take your stance- since they said they were allowed to take a stance- i always thought that you could not move nature to take stance- someone help me out

thanks

Decision 13-2/1 explains this quite well. Basically, you're allowed to fairly take your stance, provided it doesn't improve the area of your swing. Backing in: YES. Backing in to clear branches out of the way of your stroke: NO.

13-2/1 Explanation of "Fairly Taking His Stance"


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 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 from 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.

[middave]

thanks for the reply
I was not aware that you are allowed to break/destroy anything living on the golf course other than when you take a stroke/swing at ball
"even if this causes the branch to move out of the way or the sapling to bend or break."

anyway I was wrong thanks
dave

[LobWedge]

thanks for the reply
I was not aware that you are allowed to break/destroy anything living on the golf course other than when you take a stroke/swing at ball
"even if this causes the branch to move out of the way or the sapling to bend or break."

anyway I was wrong thanks
dave

You may not necessarily be wrong. It all depends on the situation. For example, there's a difference between standing under a large pine tree among the branches and having to back in to a dense bush to fairly take your stance to play a ball that's outside of it.

[AAA]

thanks for the reply
I was not aware that you are allowed to break/destroy anything living on the golf course other than when you take a stroke/swing at ball
"even if this causes the branch to move out of the way or the sapling to bend or break."

anyway I was wrong thanks
dave

The breaking has to be incidental. You cannot deliberately break a branch to take a stance.