Hoe zit het nou met dat zand?

De Ocean Course heeft qua oppervlakte meer zand dan fairways. Wat zijn nu precies de regels die deze week gelden?

Zand

Er zijn veel bunkers op de baan van het 103de PGA Championship, maar zijn in regeltechnisch opzicht geen bunkers.

Omdat de bunkers (waar je normaal je club niet mag grounden) regelmatig overgaan in sandy areas (waar je dat wel mag) zou dat voor verwarring kunnen zorgen - en dus strafslagen. En dus is alles deze week een sandy area....

Het eerste deel van de local rules van dit Major gaat geheel over deze problematiek en het is interessant - Nederlandse golfers zijn immers dol op de Regels - om dit in eens goed tot je te nemen.

1) Bunkers: There are NO bunkers on the course. All sandy areas, whether natural, specially prepared and/or enclosed by grass and are not in a penalty area are treated as part of the general area. These areas are not considered to be cut to fairway height or less and relief for an embedded ball under Rule 16.3b is not allowed in these areas.

Rules Reminders:

a) Prior to a stroke the player may make practice swings in these areas and may ground the club lightly right in front of or right behind the ball.
b) In searching for a ball in these areas (Rule 7.1) the player may move sand and there is no penalty if the ball is accidently moved by anyone while trying to find or identify it (Rule 7.4). In such a case, or if the ball is lifted for identification or other reason, the original lie must be re-created when the ball is replaced, but the player may leave a small part of the ball visible when doing so.

c) Sand and loose soil are not loose impediments and the only areas of the course where they may be removed, without penalty, is on the putting green and in the teeing area.

NOTE: All sandy areas inside the gallery rope line will be raked each morning prior to play. Rakes are provided so that these areas may be smoothed as a courtesy to other players and for care of the course. During play, footprints, indentations, vehicular damage or uneven surfaces will develop. However, whether inside or outside the gallery rope line, relief without penalty is NOT allowed for interference by any of these alterations to the surface of the ground, whether or not smoothed.

Lees ook: Onderwaardering van een mooi Major

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