Providence, R.I. - Just because a golf course superintendent isn’t hosting a tournament, doesn’t mean he shouldn’t mark his course for out of bounds and hazards according to the Rules of Golf for daily play. This responsibility should be shared by the green committee, golf professional and superintendent. This was the message James Farrell, northeast director of the U.S. Golf Association regional affairs, delivered to superintendents and other attendees at the opening session of the New England Turfgrass Conference & Show at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence March 8.
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A course has to be marked because that’s part of the Rules. Four areas need to be marked: the course and out of bounds, margins of water hazards and lateral water hazards, ground under repair, and obstructions and integral parts of the course.
If superintendents need help marking their course, Farrell says they shouldn’t hesitate to call the USGA and use it as a resource. He also emphasized advanced preparation for marking a course is a big deal.
Farrell discussed several types of markings, starting with out of bounds. The out-of-bounds line on a course is determined by the nearest inside point in between two stakes or posts at ground level, according to the Rules. Determining if a ball is out of bounds is so precise that many times one can’t tell just by looking at it. And even though white is a common color use on stakes and posts to mark out of bounds, the Rules don’t signify any color must be used. Farrell also suggested superintendents use what their courses already have, such as a building or a fence, to mark out of bounds.
He also gave some out-of-bounds examples when it comes to playing a ball. For instance, if a public road separates two holes and a golfer drives the ball and it crosses the road and lands in the fairway on the other hole, it’s out of bounds. Obviously, every course is different, so a course’s green committee ultimately decides what’s out of bounds.
Farrell also emphasized that boundaries, like other aspects of a course, need to be maintained. An example is if brush is growing over and around out-of-bounds markers. If this happens, the brush needs to be cut back or the markers need to be moved in.
Unlike the out-of-bounds markers, color matters for marking water hazards. Yellow stakes are used for marking water hazards, and red stakes are used for marking lateral water hazards.
A main difference between a water hazard and a lateral water hazard is if a golfer can’t drop a ball in the line of where the ball crossed the hazard and the hole, then it’s a lateral water hazard. An example of a lateral water hazard is a river that flows parallel with a fairway.
Green committees also can decide whether a ball drop area, which is marked with white paint, is appropriate on a hole near a hazard. A ball drop area is made if the line of where the ball crossed the hazard and the hole is unreasonable. For example, if the line takes a golfer into trees, a ball drop area would be appropriate.
Another example of complicated water hazard is when a water hazard on one hole is a lateral water hazard for the hole next to it. A club can denote certain hazards as lateral or regular depending on who’s playing.
When marking hazards or out of bounds, Farrell says superintendents don’t need to painted a line to make a good marker. Stakes positioned close enough are fine. In fact, he says superintendents don’t use enough stakes.
Some other tips for water hazard markers are:
· Hazard stakes need to be removable;
· The steeper the slope near a lateral water hazard, the higher the markers should be; and
· Water hazard markings should be where the ground begins to slope, keeping in mind the two club lengths that are given to a player in certain situations.
For ground under repair markers, Farrell says to keep in mind what’s unfair for the player. Examples of what a ground under repair area could be include a sod seam and a nursery green near another green in play.
The bottom line about water hazards, out of bounds and ground under repair is that there’s some subjectivity to them. GCN
