Temporary Water Update

Three weeks or so ago, in a threadjack within a thread I can't seem to find, I believe Mr. Bean (?) raised a question that piqued my interest sufficiently for me to write to the USGA. As some of you may recall, there was debate as to whether or not an accumulation of water on a paved cart path still qualified as being in Temporary Water given the fact that a paved cart path is not made of "ground," and there certainly seemed to be a reason for the RBs to move from the word "course" to "ground" in the Definition. Here was my exact question to them:

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Hi Folks,

The Definition of Casual Water had been a temporary accumulation of water “on the course.”

The new Definition of Temporary Water is a temporary accumulation of water “on the surface of the ground.”

I’m curious as to why this change in wording was made, and more specifically if a puddle on a paved cart path is still Temporary Water, or if the water has ceased to be an abnormal course condition because the water has not accumulated “on the ground.” Can one still choose to take free relief either from the puddle or the paved cart path? Or is free relief now only available from the cart path in this circumstance?

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I got a response today. If you have access to the old Definitions, you will note that Casual Water included, at the player's option, snow (another choice was to treat it as a loose impediment). It seems that the RBs made the switch from "course" to "ground" to preclude a player from claiming that a ball touching snow in a snow-covered tree was touching Temporary Water.

The USGA representative was very specific in communicating that a puddle on a paved cart path is Temporary Water, and that one may choose to take relief from either the Temporary Water or the path if your ball is sitting in that combination of water and immovable obstruction.

Cheers!

I believe I made that remark of snow on a branch of a tree...

Good thing they clarified that. Can't tell you how many times my ball gets stuck in a snow covered tree.

@Sawgrass, your question to the authorities was very well written.

Thank you for sharing Saw.

> @LeoLeo99 said:

> Good thing they clarified that. Can't tell you how many times my ball gets stuck in a snow covered tree.

>

Isn't it great you are now relieved from pondering that particular issue..?

Remember Leo, you are living in your own extremely limited bubble and have no idea of the conditions around the world. That explains why you (and I) cannot comprehend all the possible twists in the Rules.

> @"Mr. Bean" said:

> > @LeoLeo99 said:

> > Good thing they clarified that. Can't tell you how many times my ball gets stuck in a snow covered tree.

> >

> Isn't it great you are now relieved from pondering that particular issue..?

>

> Remember Leo, you are living in your own extremely limited bubble and have no idea of the conditions around the world. That explains why you (and I) cannot comprehend all the possible twists in the Rules.

>

No matter the size of my bubble, I'm sure more people are confused about a puddle on a cart path than snow in a tree. Often in their desire for maximum tersity the rules introduce ambiguity or uncertainty.

> @LeoLeo99 said:

> > @"Mr. Bean" said:

> > > @LeoLeo99 said:

> > > Good thing they clarified that. Can't tell you how many times my ball gets stuck in a snow covered tree.

> > >

> > Isn't it great you are now relieved from pondering that particular issue..?

> >

> > Remember Leo, you are living in your own extremely limited bubble and have no idea of the conditions around the world. That explains why you (and I) cannot comprehend all the possible twists in the Rules.

> >

> No matter the size of my bubble, I'm sure more people are confused about a puddle on a cart path than snow in a tree. Often in their desire for maximum tersity the rules introduce ambiguity or uncertainty.

>

What does 'tersity' mean? Could not find that word anywhere. Pls. help me.

> @"Mr. Bean" said:

> > @LeoLeo99 said:

> > > @"Mr. Bean" said:

> > > > @LeoLeo99 said:

> > > > Good thing they clarified that. Can't tell you how many times my ball gets stuck in a snow covered tree.

> > > >

> > > Isn't it great you are now relieved from pondering that particular issue..?

> > >

> > > Remember Leo, you are living in your own extremely limited bubble and have no idea of the conditions around the world. That explains why you (and I) cannot comprehend all the possible twists in the Rules.

> > >

> > No matter the size of my bubble, I'm sure more people are confused about a puddle on a cart path than snow in a tree. Often in their desire for maximum tersity the rules introduce ambiguity or uncertainty.

> >

>

> What does 'tersity' mean? Could not find that word anywhere. Pls. help me.

Terse - sparing in the use of words; abrupt. "a terse statement". I guess in Finnish it would be "ytimekäs, niukkasanainen".

The Rules of Golf are "verbally efficient and grammatically correct." Why would we want it any other way?

> @"Mr. Bean" said:

> > @LeoLeo99 said:

> > > @"Mr. Bean" said:

> > > > @LeoLeo99 said:

> > > > Good thing they clarified that. Can't tell you how many times my ball gets stuck in a snow covered tree.

> > > >

> > > Isn't it great you are now relieved from pondering that particular issue..?

> > >

> > > Remember Leo, you are living in your own extremely limited bubble and have no idea of the conditions around the world. That explains why you (and I) cannot comprehend all the possible twists in the Rules.

> > >

> > No matter the size of my bubble, I'm sure more people are confused about a puddle on a cart path than snow in a tree. Often in their desire for maximum tersity the rules introduce ambiguity or uncertainty.

> >

>

> What does 'tersity' mean? Could not find that word anywhere. Pls. help me.

"Tersity", I love it. Not in my dictionary but I still love it.

Tersity is my new swing thought.....maybe it will lead to terse scores.

> @"Mr. Bean" said:

> > @LeoLeo99 said:

> > > @"Mr. Bean" said:

> > > > @LeoLeo99 said:

> > > > Good thing they clarified that. Can't tell you how many times my ball gets stuck in a snow covered tree.

> > > >

> > > Isn't it great you are now relieved from pondering that particular issue..?

> > >

> > > Remember Leo, you are living in your own extremely limited bubble and have no idea of the conditions around the world. That explains why you (and I) cannot comprehend all the possible twists in the Rules.

> > >

> > No matter the size of my bubble, I'm sure more people are confused about a puddle on a cart path than snow in a tree. Often in their desire for maximum tersity the rules introduce ambiguity or uncertainty.

> >

>

> What does 'tersity' mean? Could not find that word anywhere. Pls. help me.

Mr Bean, I am not at all familiar with " tersity". I would use "terseness" rather than "tersity", but "brevity" rather than either in that context.

The subtle difference in the sense of the words suggests to me that in Leo's case brevity is the better word but tersity is a nice demonstration of brevity in use re terseness.

Terse - abruptly concise; curt; brusque.

Brevity - briefness

> @Newby said:

> The subtle difference in the sense of the words suggests to me that in Leo's case brevity is the better word but tersity is a nice demonstration of brevity in use re terseness.

> Terse - abruptly concise; curt; brusque.

> Brevity - briefness

I used "terse" as a subtle dig at the rules. Would you expect anything less from me? o:)

Perhaps less brevity in the rules would result in less interpretations and less emails to Liberty Corner and less debate on https://forums.golfwrx.com/categories/rules-of-golf-and-etiquette.

> @"Mr. Bean" said:

> > @LeoLeo99 said:

> > > @"Mr. Bean" said:

> > > > @LeoLeo99 said:

> > > > Good thing they clarified that. Can't tell you how many times my ball gets stuck in a snow covered tree.

> > > >

> > > Isn't it great you are now relieved from pondering that particular issue..?

> > >

> > > Remember Leo, you are living in your own extremely limited bubble and have no idea of the conditions around the world. That explains why you (and I) cannot comprehend all the possible twists in the Rules.

> > >

> > No matter the size of my bubble, I'm sure more people are confused about a puddle on a cart path than snow in a tree. Often in their desire for maximum tersity the rules introduce ambiguity or uncertainty.

> >

>

> What does 'tersity' mean? Could not find that word anywhere. Pls. help me.

I believe that in this case the preferred term is "tersitiness" as in "your tersitiness makes you the most tersity person that I know". :)

dave

> @LeoLeo99 said:

> > @Newby said:

> > The subtle difference in the sense of the words suggests to me that in Leo's case brevity is the better word but tersity is a nice demonstration of brevity in use re terseness.

> > Terse - abruptly concise; curt; brusque.

> > Brevity - briefness

>

> I used "terse" as a subtle dig at the rules. Would you expect anything less from me? o:)

>

> Perhaps less brevity in the rules would result in less interpretations and less emails to Liberty Corner and less debate on https://forums.golfwrx.com/categories/rules-of-golf-and-etiquette.

As we are talking about words, perhaps you will use 'fewer' more frequently and less less often ;)