My teammates at one point or another have put themselves in a position during a golf match in which I have to give them some bad news. Last week was no exception....
One of our new team members has been getting some bad breaks in league play. He keeps going out against players with larger handicaps and his opponents have been having career nights. Through 8 holes on Tuesday night, his opponent was running 6 strokes under his handicap, but Derek's fighting tooth and nail. Our last hole of the night was the par-5 11th and we've won the honor and are on the tee box. Derek's giving a stroke on this hole and thinks (quite rightly) that he'll probably have to make at least birdie to win the hole and halve his match. A birdie on that hole is usually always set up with a long drive into the fairway. Derek's drive was hit well, but just too far left - clanging off one of the sycamore's and back earthward. His opponent (of course) rips one right down the middle (nice round, John...). All isn't lost yet.
.... until we arrive at the ball's location which (seemingly impossible) is right on top of the middle of one of the spruce tree's roots about 3 feet from the trunk.
Our opponents saw the situation and recommended a free drop off of the tree root, saying something to the effect that "you should never have to play off a tree root, might damage your club, etc." Unfortunately, I was there.
There's a little statement in the REGL Rules that applies to every shot in every match. It mirrors one in the Rules of Golf for stroke play (which are the rules we play (loosely) under). It says " Golfers shall not, by mutual agreement waive rules." You see, a tree root is part of the course and it is NOT man made. The roots of the tree belong to the tree and are not a) obstructions, nor are they b) an abnormal ground condition. Balls ending up in front, in back or on top of a root must either be played as they lie or the player may seek relief under the unplayable ball rule (with the normal 1-stroke penalty).
I informed our opponents that relief from the condition is not allowed under any rule. I suppose REGL could impose a "root rule" that would allow dropping away from the condition with free relief (I hope I never live to see that, but I digress....), but there is no such local rule on the books. I said that "we'll either play the ball as it lies or take an unplayable". Derek left the ball on the root and started looking at his drop options (within 2 club lengths). None of these were much good either. The dropped ball might end up near another of the copious roots nearby. After contemplating other options, Derek decided to play the ball off the root. The ball was struck well and he was able to advance the ball about 50 yards up the fairway. Saving a stroke really didn't help much, as John went on to make a really nice birdie on that hole to close out the match.
This isn't my first encounter with roots in league play. I remember my first - it was on the old 6th hole up near the green and my opponent (who I consider a pretty good friend) was rather displeased that he didn't get any free relief from a tree root that his ball was snugged up against. I apologized for having to tell him his options, but that didn't feel good.
Sometimes golf throws you some nasty bad luck. It's a lot like life in that respect, but it can also throw you some good. Last month I decided to play The Wetlands prior to coming out for Tuesday night league play. While playing the 5th hole, a 41-year monkey (by this time a pretty large gorilla) was removed from my back when my majestic 8-iron approach came down and rolled about 10 feet before disappearing into the cup.... a hole in one. Maybe, just maybe, the golf gods were smiling that day because I'm a stickler for playing by the rules and they were throwing me a bone. Maybe, just maybe, it's all just the luck of where the greens-keeper decides to put the hole that day, but I hope that all of you might be able to experience that happy moment on the golf course. Until then, there are probably holes like Derek's 11th....