Ruggles golf course planted a ton of trees since last season in these neat little rows spaced about 10-feet apart so some places look like the march of the tin soldiers. I can’t blame them – if you have no imagination or no desire to replicate nature and no training in landscape architecture, you’ll plant trees in orderly rows. They aren’t the only ones. How many homes do you drive by on a daily basis in which trees are planted around their lot to define property lines.? One right after another, usually the same species guarding the perimeter, these soldiers are planted to stop prying eyes, the neighbor’s dog or his lawn mower. Most of my neighbors have done the same thing, it’s easy and unimaginative.
So, these new trees are planted in a lot of the waste areas of the course. Areas like the wedge of land west of the 3rd hole, to the left of #13 and #10, and the strip of land between the course and Rt. 715. The state of Maryland encourages reforestation, especially in areas near the bay. Trees hold land and discourage runoff which reduces silt runoff into the bay. Ruggles had some land available – we now have saplings planted in areas we’d never had trees before. For the most part, all of these were areas where the grass and undergrowth had been allowed to grow uninhibited – maybe getting mowed once a year. These were areas where in the middle of summer you’d hit a ball and forget about it – you’d never find it. However, because these were planted in strips, some of the weed killer they used to define the rows has still managed to keep the grass low between the trees, and I guess there’s a chance you’ll find your ball in amongst the tree soldiers at some point.
According to the USGA, you don’t get relief from trees, and nearly everyone I’ve ever played with has a story about being stuck right behind a tree trunk. Sometimes there are stories of a miraculous shot off a tree root, but in general, most of the stories end with “I had to take an unplayable”. Well, the new tree soldiers, being mere saplings need to be protected for a few years against your five irons. The poor things might be permanently scarred, so WITH NO EXCEPTION (this means you have to do this) Ruggles golf course has decreed that if you happen to find your ball in the junk in these new treed areas, if your swing would happen to hit one of these new tree soldiers, you must drop the ball within a club length of the nearest point of relief (no closer to the hole) so that your swing will not impact a new tree. If you drop the ball and there’s a tree in your potential line of flight, tough luck. Apparently the trees are resistant to golf ball impacts but can be mortally wounded by your favorite iron.
Now, a word of advice. These new tree soldiers are in those old “no mow” areas of the course. Unless you just trickle into that junk, I’ve always found it better to rule your ball unplayable, take a penalty stroke and play again from your last location, hopefully with a better result. So, can you hunt for the ball, find it, and then declare it unplayable? Yes, but you have to make that walk back to the previous spot to play your next shot. But what if I’ve hit a provisional already, and hit a beauty into the fairway? Can I use that if I’ve found the ball in the junk? Sorry. Once your ball has been found, the provisional becomes null and void. You’ll still have to troop back to your previous location and hit again, and then have to pick up that beauty in the middle of the fairway. Here’s a thought. If you hit it into the junk, presume the ball is lost and hit that beautiful provisional into the fairway, don’t hunt for the ball, and discourage the players on the other team not to look for it either. You might do this by saying something like “I picked up 2 deer ticks in there last week!”
For the third time in my life, I’m going to golf heaven next week to watch a practice round of The Masters. While you guys tee off in earnest, I’ll be limbering up to walk on the greatest golf course in the world. Hit ‘em straight!