Relief from RIFA(fire ant) mound??

[Tex1986]

Today my ball landed next to a fire ant mound twice during my round. I simply picked up and approximated a club length back on the same line and dropped since it was just my normal weekly casual round.

 

What would be the appropriate way to handle this in tournament play? I know from Bubba's episode last year that regular ants aren't considered burrowing animals, but RIFA mounds are legit dangerous.

[Baitkiller]

Move it. I'd make the rules guy sit on the mound while he explained why I shouldn't have.

[dormie1360]

Today my ball landed next to a fire ant mound twice during my round. I simply picked up and approximated a club length back on the same line and dropped since it was just my normal weekly casual round.

 

What would be the appropriate way to handle this in tournament play? I know from Bubba's episode last year that regular ants aren't considered burrowing animals, but RIFA mounds are legit dangerous.

 

33-8/22

 

Local Rule Treating Ant Hills as Ground Under Repair

 

 

Q. An ant hill is a loose impediment and may be removed, but there is no other relief without penalty. Some ant hills are conical in shape and hard, and removal is not possible, but relief under Rule 25-1b is not available since an ant is not a burrowing animal. If such ant hills interfere with the proper playing of the game, would a Local Rule providing relief be authorized?

 

A.Yes. A Local Rule stating that such ant hills are to be treated as ground under repair would be justified.

 

 

Such a Local Rule is also justified on courses where fire-ants exist. A fire-ants' mound or hill is removable, but its removal will cause the fire-ants to swarm out of the ground. When this occurs, anyone in the vicinity is in danger of being bitten by the ants, and the bite of a fire-ant can cause serious illness.

If a Local Rule giving relief from fire-ants has not been adopted and a ball is so close to a fire-ants' mound that the player is in danger, the player is, in equity, entitled to relief as prescribed in Decision 1-4/10

[Tex1986]

Today my ball landed next to a fire ant mound twice during my round. I simply picked up and approximated a club length back on the same line and dropped since it was just my normal weekly casual round.

 

What would be the appropriate way to handle this in tournament play? I know from Bubba's episode last year that regular ants aren't considered burrowing animals, but RIFA mounds are legit dangerous.

 

33-8/22

 

Local Rule Treating Ant Hills as Ground Under Repair

 

 

Q. An ant hill is a loose impediment and may be removed, but there is no other relief without penalty. Some ant hills are conical in shape and hard, and removal is not possible, but relief under Rule 25-1b is not available since an ant is not a burrowing animal. If such ant hills interfere with the proper playing of the game, would a Local Rule providing relief be authorized?

 

A.Yes. A Local Rule stating that such ant hills are to be treated as ground under repair would be justified.

 

 

Such a Local Rule is also justified on courses where fire-ants exist. A fire-ants' mound or hill is removable, but its removal will cause the fire-ants to swarm out of the ground. When this occurs, anyone in the vicinity is in danger of being bitten by the ants, and the bite of a fire-ant can cause serious illness.

If a Local Rule giving relief from fire-ants has not been adopted and a ball is so close to a fire-ants' mound that the player is in danger, the player is, in equity, entitled to relief as prescribed in Decision 1-4/10

 

In order to address the ball in both cases, I would've been standing in the mound. I simply went straight back keeping the same line to the hole.

 

Would I be able to take 1 or 2 club lengths? And is it on the same line straight back or is the leeway as long as it's "no closer to the hole?"

[dormie1360]

Today my ball landed next to a fire ant mound twice during my round. I simply picked up and approximated a club length back on the same line and dropped since it was just my normal weekly casual round.

 

What would be the appropriate way to handle this in tournament play? I know from Bubba's episode last year that regular ants aren't considered burrowing animals, but RIFA mounds are legit dangerous.

 

33-8/22

 

Local Rule Treating Ant Hills as Ground Under Repair

 

 

Q. An ant hill is a loose impediment and may be removed, but there is no other relief without penalty. Some ant hills are conical in shape and hard, and removal is not possible, but relief under Rule 25-1b is not available since an ant is not a burrowing animal. If such ant hills interfere with the proper playing of the game, would a Local Rule providing relief be authorized?

 

A.Yes. A Local Rule stating that such ant hills are to be treated as ground under repair would be justified.

 

 

Such a Local Rule is also justified on courses where fire-ants exist. A fire-ants' mound or hill is removable, but its removal will cause the fire-ants to swarm out of the ground. When this occurs, anyone in the vicinity is in danger of being bitten by the ants, and the bite of a fire-ant can cause serious illness.

If a Local Rule giving relief from fire-ants has not been adopted and a ball is so close to a fire-ants' mound that the player is in danger, the player is, in equity, entitled to relief as prescribed in Decision 1-4/10

 

In order to address the ball in both cases, I would've been standing in the mound. I simply went straight back keeping the same line to the hole.

 

Would I be able to take 1 or 2 club lengths? And is it on the same line straight back or is the leeway as long as it's "no closer to the hole?"

 

You can click on Decision 1-4/10 in my post and it will explain the relief option. Here is the pertinent part for a ball through the green.

 

If the ball lay through the green, the player may, without penalty, drop a ball within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest spot not nearer the hole that is not dangerous and is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.

[Tex1986]

Today my ball landed next to a fire ant mound twice during my round. I simply picked up and approximated a club length back on the same line and dropped since it was just my normal weekly casual round.

 

What would be the appropriate way to handle this in tournament play? I know from Bubba's episode last year that regular ants aren't considered burrowing animals, but RIFA mounds are legit dangerous.

 

33-8/22

 

Local Rule Treating Ant Hills as Ground Under Repair

 

 

Q. An ant hill is a loose impediment and may be removed, but there is no other relief without penalty. Some ant hills are conical in shape and hard, and removal is not possible, but relief under Rule 25-1b is not available since an ant is not a burrowing animal. If such ant hills interfere with the proper playing of the game, would a Local Rule providing relief be authorized?

 

A.Yes. A Local Rule stating that such ant hills are to be treated as ground under repair would be justified.

 

 

Such a Local Rule is also justified on courses where fire-ants exist. A fire-ants' mound or hill is removable, but its removal will cause the fire-ants to swarm out of the ground. When this occurs, anyone in the vicinity is in danger of being bitten by the ants, and the bite of a fire-ant can cause serious illness.

If a Local Rule giving relief from fire-ants has not been adopted and a ball is so close to a fire-ants' mound that the player is in danger, the player is, in equity, entitled to relief as prescribed in Decision 1-4/10

 

In order to address the ball in both cases, I would've been standing in the mound. I simply went straight back keeping the same line to the hole.

 

Would I be able to take 1 or 2 club lengths? And is it on the same line straight back or is the leeway as long as it's "no closer to the hole?"

 

You can click on Decision 1-4/10 in my post and it will explain the relief option. Here is the pertinent part for a ball through the green.

 

If the ball lay through the green, the player may, without penalty, drop a ball within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest spot not nearer the hole that is not dangerous and is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.

 

Thanks. It sounds like I played it correctly today just using common sense.

[sui generis]

Today my ball landed next to a fire ant mound twice during my round. I simply picked up and approximated a club length back on the same line and dropped since it was just my normal weekly casual round.

 

What would be the appropriate way to handle this in tournament play? I know from Bubba's episode last year that regular ants aren't considered burrowing animals, but RIFA mounds are legit dangerous.

 

33-8/22

 

Local Rule Treating Ant Hills as Ground Under Repair

 

 

Q. An ant hill is a loose impediment and may be removed, but there is no other relief without penalty. Some ant hills are conical in shape and hard, and removal is not possible, but relief under Rule 25-1b is not available since an ant is not a burrowing animal. If such ant hills interfere with the proper playing of the game, would a Local Rule providing relief be authorized?

 

A.Yes. A Local Rule stating that such ant hills are to be treated as ground under repair would be justified.

 

 

Such a Local Rule is also justified on courses where fire-ants exist. A fire-ants' mound or hill is removable, but its removal will cause the fire-ants to swarm out of the ground. When this occurs, anyone in the vicinity is in danger of being bitten by the ants, and the bite of a fire-ant can cause serious illness.

If a Local Rule giving relief from fire-ants has not been adopted and a ball is so close to a fire-ants' mound that the player is in danger, the player is, in equity, entitled to relief as prescribed in Decision 1-4/10

 

In order to address the ball in both cases, I would've been standing in the mound. I simply went straight back keeping the same line to the hole.

 

Would I be able to take 1 or 2 club lengths? And is it on the same line straight back or is the leeway as long as it's "no closer to the hole?"

 

You can click on Decision 1-4/10 in my post and it will explain the relief option. Here is the pertinent part for a ball through the green.

 

If the ball lay through the green, the player may, without penalty, drop a ball within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest spot not nearer the hole that is not dangerous and is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.

 

Thanks. It sounds like I played it correctly today just using common sense.

 

Common sense only produces optimal results by accident.

[Augster]

Going straight back probably wasn't correct.

 

For dangerous situations, you find the nearest point that would be safe to play from, no closer to the hole, then you drop within a club length.

 

Nearest point is not necessarily straight back.

[Bonneville85308]

You could always call it to be an unplayable lie, take a stroke, drop within 2 clublengths no closer to the hole. However, if this were in a casual round and it happened to one of my buddies, I'd just tell him to move it to wherever he felt it was safe, no closer to the hole, no penalty.

[LittleLeftToRight]

I am curious if the fire ants are in a bunker. What then?

[KevCarter]

I am curious if the fire ants are in a bunker. What then?

 

From 1-4/10 Dangerous Situation; Rattlesnake or Bees Interfere with Play

 

If the ball lay in a hazard, the player may drop a ball, without penalty, within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest spot not nearer the hole that is not dangerous. If possible, the ball must be dropped in the same hazard and, if not possible, in a similar nearby hazard, but in either case not nearer the hole. If it is not possible for the player to drop the ball in a hazard, he may drop it, under penalty of one stroke, outside the hazard, keeping the point where the original ball lay between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped.

[LittleLeftToRight]

Thanks!

 

That actually happened to me in a tournament last year. I didn't notice the ants until I was over the ball. I just hit it really quick, but that didn't turn out so well....

[KevCarter]

Thanks!

 

That actually happened to me in a tournament last year. I didn't notice the ants until I was over the ball. I just hit it really quick, but that didn't turn out so well....

 

I've heard those things are brutal. Have a great rest of your Sunday!

[HitEmTrue]

You could always call it to be an unplayable lie, take a stroke, drop within 2 clublengths no closer to the hole. However, if this were in a casual round and it happened to one of my buddies, I'd just tell him to move it to wherever he felt it was safe, no closer to the hole, no penalty.

 

No reason for taking unplayable lie...the rules allow free relief if someone really is in danger from fire ants.

 

[Tex1986]

Thanks!

 

That actually happened to me in a tournament last year. I didn't notice the ants until I was over the ball. I just hit it really quick, but that didn't turn out so well....

 

Yeah, you learn quickly as a kid. The one off lone ant bite sucks and hurts, but the swarm from a mound will swell your foot and hurt like hell for days after.

 

If your allergic...it's bad news. What's scary is most people don't know they're allergic until your first encounter.

[Jackal]

Thanks!

 

That actually happened to me in a tournament last year. I didn't notice the ants until I was over the ball. I just hit it really quick, but that didn't turn out so well....

 

Yeah, you learn quickly as a kid. The one off lone ant bite sucks and hurts, but the swarm from a mound will swell your foot and hurt like hell for days after.

 

If your allergic...it's bad news. What's scary is most people don't know they're allergic until your first encounter.

 

That's what happened to me about a month ago. I got bit by 2 small black ants. My hand got hot with fever swelled up HUGE, and after going to the doctor, I'm waiting for insurance to ok my Epipens.

 

Does this mean I would get a drop from any anthill??

[Augster]

Thanks!

 

That actually happened to me in a tournament last year. I didn't notice the ants until I was over the ball. I just hit it really quick, but that didn't turn out so well....

 

Yeah, you learn quickly as a kid. The one off lone ant bite sucks and hurts, but the swarm from a mound will swell your foot and hurt like hell for days after.

 

If your allergic...it's bad news. What's scary is most people don't know they're allergic until your first encounter.

 

That's what happened to me about a month ago. I got bit by 2 small black ants. My hand got hot with fever swelled up HUGE, and after going to the doctor, I'm waiting for insurance to ok my Epipens.

 

Does this mean I would get a drop from any anthill??

 

Yes.

 

If you have a medically verifiable allergy to ants, that makes them a "dangerous animal" to you whereas they wouldn't be to me.

 

At the end of the day, golf is a game of honor and honesty. If it's legitimately dangerous to you, take your free relief.

[Sawgrass]

If just two ants can hurt you that much, should you even be playing? How can you protect yourself at all!

[RagingPlatypus]

If just two ants can hurt you that much, should you even be playing? How can you protect yourself at all!

 

I suspect he protects himself the same way someone allergic to a bee sting would, he avoids them

 

[Stuart_G]

Going straight back probably wasn't correct.

 

For dangerous situations, you find the nearest point that would be safe to play from, no closer to the hole, then you drop within a club length.

 

Nearest point is not necessarily straight back.

 

I don't see anything wrong with his going back. The nearest location that one considers them self safe from a dangerous situation is almost always going to be based on how far away they get from that dangerous situation and rarely is the direction a factor. So the 'nearest point' isn't usually going to be a point, it's really going to be an arc. In fact, "nearest point" technically isn't the correct term for this case, 1-4/10 instead uses 'nearest spot'. So a lot more flexibility is allowed than what we are used to for relief from other situations in the rules (IO,GUR, etc..).

[Augster]

Going straight back probably wasn't correct.

 

For dangerous situations, you find the nearest point that would be safe to play from, no closer to the hole, then you drop within a club length.

 

Nearest point is not necessarily straight back.

 

I don't see anything wrong with his going back. The nearest location that one considers them self safe from a dangerous situation is almost always going to be based on how far away they get from that dangerous situation and rarely is the direction a factor. So the 'nearest point' isn't usually going to be a point, it's really going to be an arc. In fact, "nearest point" technically isn't the correct term for this case, 1-4/10 instead uses 'nearest spot'. So a lot more flexibility is allowed than what we are used to for relief from other situations in the rules (IO,GUR, etc..).

 

"Point" and "spot" are interchangeable. It's just a different word meaning the same thing. The operative word is "nearest".

 

Nearest is nearest whether it's a point, a spot, a place, or a location. It's still nearest.

 

I said it "probably wasn't correct" due to where his ball and stance were in relation to the mound. As a right handed player, for example, if only my heels were on the mound, I may have to move further right. If only the ball were on the mound, I'd already be 2-3 feet away with my body, so moving left would likely be appropriate.

 

Moving straight back would likely only be appropriate when addressing my ball puts my stance directly in the middle of the mound. A stance where there is no bias right or left. Which is rare.

 

But every situation is different and one would have to be there to evaluate where to drop.

[Sawgrass]

Going straight back probably wasn't correct.

 

For dangerous situations, you find the nearest point that would be safe to play from, no closer to the hole, then you drop within a club length.

 

Nearest point is not necessarily straight back.

 

I don't see anything wrong with his going back. The nearest location that one considers them self safe from a dangerous situation is almost always going to be based on how far away they get from that dangerous situation and rarely is the direction a factor. So the 'nearest point' isn't usually going to be a point, it's really going to be an arc. In fact, "nearest point" technically isn't the correct term for this case, 1-4/10 instead uses 'nearest spot'. So a lot more flexibility is allowed than what we are used to for relief from other situations in the rules (IO,GUR, etc..).

 

"Point" and "spot" are interchangeable. It's just a different word meaning the same thing. The operative word is "nearest".

 

Nearest is nearest whether it's a point, a spot, a place, or a location. It's still nearest.

 

I said it "probably wasn't correct" due to where his ball and stance were in relation to the mound. As a right handed player, for example, if only my heels were on the mound, I may have to move further right. If only the ball were on the mound, I'd already be 2-3 feet away with my body, so moving left would likely be appropriate.

 

Moving straight back would likely only be appropriate when addressing my ball puts my stance directly in the middle of the mound. A stance where there is no bias right or left. Which is rare.

 

But every situation is different and one would have to be there to evaluate where to drop.

 

Auguster, are you saying that you don't concede Stuart's point that there is not just one single closest point to another point? Because in all of life, that's simply a truth.

[bermuda]

If just two ants can hurt you that much, should you even be playing? How can you protect yourself at all!

 

Since red imported fire ants are ubiquitous in the southern and southwestern U.S., playing golf isn't any more dangerous for an allergic person than going to the grocery store or walking to the mailbox. The other two might be more dangerous since the ants prefer to build their mounds on the edges of something, such as the edge of a sidewalk or curb.

[Jackal]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I know some people with food allergies that are a lot worse.

One of my friends went into a chicken place where the chicken is cooked in peanut oil.

She had to go to the hospital .

The first time she ever had a reaction, she was 27 years old. They were at a baseball game, and everyone around her was eating peanuts, and the wind was blowing.

She went to the hospital in an ambulance.

I just have to watch for ants on benches, outdoor chairs, lawnmower, etc.

 

The ones I'm allergic to, are the tiny imported fire ants.

[DavePelz4]

The ones I'm allergic to, are the tiny imported fire ants.

 

This is why we buy domestic.