[JohnV]

One reason not to mark is if the damaged area may get bigger.

For example, I'm at the US Am right now.  At the second course, Cedar ridge, they had 9 inches of rain and there are rutted areas away from play that might get bigger. They are unmarked for now. If someone gets in there relief will be given and it will then be marked. But until then they will be allowed to potentially grow.

[Chris Cupit]

Guys,

I will concede that manpower was not an issue in this case but how many of you who can't believe the committee could have missed this GUR have ever run a tournament as an official in charge and been responsible for marking a course for play?  It's not a baseball diamond or football field--it's hundreds of acres and as JVB points out sometimes things happen between when you mark and the player arrives at a particular spot (although not in this case it seems).

There is not enough paint in the world to cover every possible situation and because experienced officials know the rules and the flexibility given under Rule 33 no attempt is made to mark everything.

The area WAS noticed, just not marked.
18th hole-center of fairway-noted prior to event by official-----not marking it was a whiff--period.

There aren't hundreds of acres of fairways

Jeff,

I am quite aware that courses may have anywhere from 25-60 acres of fairway.  But you don't just mark fairways when you mark a golf course do you?  Maybe you just mark fairways and are able to paint every inch of GUR with them then   I think 200 hundred acres is a pretty good average size of a course  though and just because you "notice" an area doesn't mean it gets marked.  The point I was making was this:

1.  Most who are being very critical here have no idea what goes on to properly mark a course and don't realize that many areas get left alone--you simply do not mark every possible spot on the course that could/"should" be marked
2.  If every single inch of the course isn't marked it is no big deal.  (I am speaking here of GUR not hazard lines or OB which is crucial that they be clearly and properly defined).  Rules officials (in this case one walking with every group) can make this call especially if it is an area that seemed unlikely to get any "action".
3.  Was it a mistake?  I dunno, but I wouldn't call it a whiff--maybe a duck hook
4.  Lastly, if it seems so obvious that it was GUR as you state then the rules official acted properly and gave relief in the situation.

I am still curious though--how many who felt this was a total "whiff" have ever been in charge of marking a golf course for a significant event or at least an event "big enough" that a competitor would expect it to be done correctly?  

[John_Cullum]

I learned to mark a course from one of the most respected rules officials in the Southeast, Billy Peters. He taught me that you don't put any more paint on someone's golf course than absolutely necessary. In an area like the one on question, you should wait and see what happens before you put bright white lines in the middle of the fairway for all the world to see on television. It's a sign of respect for the owner and the superintendent. If events transpire that require it to be marked later, then you can do it then. This would especially be the case where you have such a small field. They only needed to get 24 players around that golf course. There was a very good chance the area would have never come into question. In my opinion, it was handled by the book

[Dale Jackson]

I learned to mark a course from one of the most respected rules officials in the Southeast, Billy Peters. He taught me that you don't put any more paint on someone's golf course than absolutely necessary. In an area like the one on question, you should wait and see what happens before you put bright white lines in the middle of the fairway for all the world to see on television. It's a sign of respect for the owner and the superintendent. If events transpire that require it to be marked later, then you can do it then. This would especially be the case where you have such a small field. They only needed to get 24 players around that golf course. There was a very good chance the area would have never come into question. In my opinion, it was handled by the book

As someone who has marked dozens of golf courses and officiated for national and international tournaments, I could not agree more with what John wrote.

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()