Did you see that!?

[Vindog]

GGeneral area is a new term that replaced 'through the green' down here in Australia, this area covers everything except tee, bunkers,penalty area and green. Assuming it's the same in the US? So waste areas would fall under penalty areas? And would the same relief procedures apply?

 

Yes it's the same for US, but no... waste bunkers would be in the general area, so the restrictions for penalty areas would not apply.

[Vindog]

I guess I could add that in 2019 a committee could, if they so chose, to designate a waste area as a "penalty area" under the expanded definition of that term.

[davep043]

 

 

Nope. You can now ground your club in a water hazard, you can inadvertently touch the sand and remove loose impediments in a bunker, but you still can't ground your club in a bunker

 

2019 Rule: Under Rule 17:

• There will no longer be any special restrictions when a ball is in a “penalty area” (the expanded designation for the area that includes what are now called water hazards).
  
• A player will be allowed to touch or move loose impediments and touch the ground with hand or club (such as grounding the club right behind the ball) for any reason, subject only to the prohibition on improving conditions for the stroke (see new Rule 8.1a).
  

Also, I'm pretty sure touching even one grain of sand is considered "grounding" the club under the old rules. That's what I was getting at initally, but it appears setting up with your club in the sand is okay under the new rules. That I did not know.

 

 

I don't think those are accurate. Here is new rule:

 

 

b. Restrictions on Touching Sand in Bunker

 

stroke at a ball in a bunker, a player must not:

• Deliberately touch sand in the bunker with a hand, club, rake or other object to test the condition of the sand to learn information for the next stroke, or
  
• Touch sand in the bunker with a club:
  
  • In the area right in front of or right behind the ball (except as allowed under Rule 7.1a in fairly searching for a ball or under Rule 12.2a in removing a loose impediment or movable obstruction),
    
  • In making a practice swing, or
    
  • In making the backswing for a stroke.
    

 

 

Red results in penalty.

For @soregongolfer, you quoted some comments regarding Rule 17, which is for Penalty Areas. There's a separate rule (Rule 12) for bunkers, which is what @vindog quoted.

[Krt22]

Nope. You can now ground your club in a water hazard, you can inadvertently touch the sand and remove loose impediments in a bunker, but you still can't ground your club in a bunker

 

2019 Rule: Under Rule 17:

• There will no longer be any special restrictions when a ball is in a “penalty area” (the expanded designation for the area that includes what are now called water hazards).
  
• A player will be allowed to touch or move loose impediments and touch the ground with hand or club (such as grounding the club right behind the ball) for any reason, subject only to the prohibition on improving conditions for the stroke (see new Rule 8.1a).
  

Also, I'm pretty sure touching even one grain of sand is considered "grounding" the club under the old rules. That's what I was getting at initally, but it appears setting up with your club in the sand is okay under the new rules. That I did not know.

 

 

I don't think those are accurate. Here is new rule:

 

 

b. Restrictions on Touching Sand in Bunker

 

stroke at a ball in a bunker, a player must not:

• Deliberately touch sand in the bunker with a hand, club, rake or other object to test the condition of the sand to learn information for the next stroke, or
  
• Touch sand in the bunker with a club:
  
  • In the area right in front of or right behind the ball (except as allowed under Rule 7.1a in fairly searching for a ball or under Rule 12.2a in removing a loose impediment or movable obstruction),
    
  • In making a practice swing, or
    
  • In making the backswing for a stroke.
    

 

 

Red results in penalty.

For @soregongolfer, you quoted some comments regarding Rule 17, which is for Penalty Areas. There's a separate rule (Rule 12) for bunkers, which is what @vindog quoted.

 

 

Bingo, I was just going to say the same thing. Bunker's are not penalty areas. Penalty areas are what lateral/water hazards were reclassified as.

[soregongolfer]

Nope. You can now ground your club in a water hazard, you can inadvertently touch the sand and remove loose impediments in a bunker, but you still can't ground your club in a bunker

 

2019 Rule: Under Rule 17:

• There will no longer be any special restrictions when a ball is in a “penalty area” (the expanded designation for the area that includes what are now called water hazards).
  
• A player will be allowed to touch or move loose impediments and touch the ground with hand or club (such as grounding the club right behind the ball) for any reason, subject only to the prohibition on improving conditions for the stroke (see new Rule 8.1a).
  

Also, I'm pretty sure touching even one grain of sand is considered "grounding" the club under the old rules. That's what I was getting at initally, but it appears setting up with your club in the sand is okay under the new rules. That I did not know.

 

 

I don't think those are accurate. Here is new rule:

 

 

b. Restrictions on Touching Sand in Bunker

 

stroke at a ball in a bunker, a player must not:

• Deliberately touch sand in the bunker with a hand, club, rake or other object to test the condition of the sand to learn information for the next stroke, or
  
• Touch sand in the bunker with a club:
  
  • In the area right in front of or right behind the ball (except as allowed under Rule 7.1a in fairly searching for a ball or under Rule 12.2a in removing a loose impediment or movable obstruction),
    
  • In making a practice swing, or
    
  • In making the backswing for a stroke.
    

 

 

Red results in penalty.

For @soregongolfer, you quoted some comments regarding Rule 17, which is for Penalty Areas. There's a separate rule (Rule 12) for bunkers, which is what @vindog quoted.

Aha. That makes sense. Thanks!

[Porker]

I guess I could add that in 2019 a committee could, if they so chose, to designate a waste area as a "penalty area" under the expanded definition of that term.

Yeh, but they Better make sure it’s clean! The boys will be grumpy if it’s full of crap

[Awsi Dooger]

With only two pages I knew it couldn't be Bernhard Langer

[Vindog]

I guess I could add that in 2019 a committee could, if they so chose, to designate a waste area as a "penalty area" under the expanded definition of that term.

Yeh, but they Better make sure it’s clean! The boys will be grumpy if it’s full of crap

 

Why would they? They'll be able to clean it themselves and touch the ground without fear of penalty.

[Porker]

Yea, but it’s still a PITA to do all that and you don’t know what’s directly beneath your ball! ... which you can’t move or ground your club ... waste areas are not set up clean like bunkers which is filled with clean sand