Do you think that you should recieve relief from Posion Ivy if your ball is lying on or near a patch of it?

Question

Do you think that the USGA should change this rule so that you can get relief from a patch of poison ivy or poison oak?

Answer 1

You Can Take An UnPlayable Lie Take The Penalty Or Dont Hit It There No More Ya Feel Me.

Answer 2

My ball came to rest inches away from a rattlesnake in Colorado during a highly contested skins game.  Because I wasnt willing to risk death to retrieve my ball, and I couldnt properly identify it due to the fack that a big friggin snake was shaking its tail at me, I declared the ball lost, went back to the tee, and played my third shot, all in accordance to the rules of golf.  Golf is a game that is played outdoors, in the elements, and amongst all the creatures of nature.  If you start giving free relief from naturally occuring things that only grow in the rough, we might as well let the PGA Tour players start kicking the ball back into the fairway if they hit a bad drive.  If you are too scared to hit the shot, take your penalty like a man and make a birdie on the next hole to get the stroke back.  Dont sit there and wine about a friggin weed being in your way.

Answer 3

no,keep ivy cleanse with you.

Answer 4

No because then people will find ways to use and abuse of the relief. Then we would have people asking to play indoor to avoid bees.

You play it where it falls or you give up, that's it.

Answer 5

Yes, Im surprised you dont already get relief.

Answer 6

Why?

Answer 7

I am highly allergic to poison ivy and I will put 10 strokes on the card before I go after the ball. I don't care what the rule is.

Answer 8

No, you don't get free relief nor should you.  The rules don't force you to play from such a situation. You can always leave the ball and take "stroke and distance" penalty for example.  The rules do give you free relief from dangerous situations-  If your ball was lying beside an alligator for example.

Answer 9

"Play the ball as it lies"  one of the top rules in golf.  Plus you would still get poison ivy if you moved your ball.

Answer 10

lol We don't have Posion Ivy here in Australia... at least i don't think we do... i know we have a sh@t load of poison snakes here:-)

Nah, i don't think that you should be given relief... you should be keeping the ball on the fairway... Maybe it should be pegged out as out of bounds and you have to take a drop!!

Answer 11

No.  I've never seen any poison ivy in the fairway or on the green.  If you hit it in the woods, you just have to deal with what you get.

Answer 12

I think golf courses should have the responsibility to keep poison ivy off their courses, or directly adjacent to them

Answer 13

If it's a friendly round, I'd give you a free drop.  In a tourney, play it as it lies.

Answer 14

You are not allowed relief but you will need relief. Try Calamine lotion.

Answer 15

NOPE

Answer 16

I think that it should be allowed, although it doesnt bother me. I have some friends if they get in the same area code as that stuff start itching so it would be a safety issue that could be accounted for within reason. What we do, cuz we have a course with some on it we declare it a free drop, which probably would make the usga cringe but its a way to get around it.

Answer 17

I mean it is a weed. But you could just keep a bottle of poison ivy or oak ointment just in case.

Answer 18

Wear tall socks; if it doesn't touch yer skin, you should be fine. You shouldn't be playing in poison ivy, 60% of folk are allergic, and some can die. There should be no poison ivy in the playing area, that's stupid. But if it doesn't touch yer skin, it can't hurt you.

Answer 19

It would be nice, but golf is all about playing each shot from where it was hit.

Some circumstances (artificial impediments) allow moving the ball a specified distance.

Per the Rules of Golf, poison ivy is not considered to be a "dangerous situation". So your only option is to declare an unplayable lie. (In fact, you can declare an unplayable lie on ANY shot, take a one shot penalty and move the ball according to Rules of Golf.

Accept a stroke penalty and proceed with one of three drop options: 1. As nearly as possible to the spot from which the original ball was last played; 2. Within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but no nearer the hole; 3. Anywhere behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball was dropped.

Then go make up the penalty shot by shooting from an improved lie and make the first putt ... (Golf is also about optimism!)