Golf Rules Discussion

Pls. explain to me.

Dec 1-2/10 says one is allowed to wrap a towel around one’s waist in order to avoid the nuisance of a cactus. Then again Dec 13-2/2 says one is NOT allowed to wrap a towel around one’s knees in order to avoid the nuisance of getting one’s knees wet. Where’s the difference here?

The second case is about building a stance as prohibited by 13-3, not protecting oneself against the wet.
It is analogous to piling up some earth or placing a stone in order to level your stance.

Mr. Bean wrote:Pls. explain to me.

Dec 1-2/10 says one is allowed to wrap a towel around one’s waist in order to avoid the nuisance of a cactus. Then again Dec 13-2/2 says one is NOT allowed to wrap a towel around one’s knees in order to avoid the nuisance of getting one’s knees wet. Where’s the difference here?

As you state it, the rule appears illogical. However, the issue to be considered is where do you draw the line on allowing building a stance? If you allow people to kneel on a towel, can they then bring in some bricks to kneel on? If they can bring in bricks, can they bring in chairs or a table to kneel on? If they can kneel on these items, can they stand on them? I think that the RB's have decided, in their infinite wisdom, that you can do nothing that would constitute building a stance. That may rule out some actions that do not aid the player, but on the other hand, it is definitive.

Doug wrote:The second case is about building a stance as prohibited by 13-3, not protecting oneself against the wet.
It is analogous to piling up some earth or placing a stone in order to level your stance.

Not really, as you are piling earth on the ground, not into/onto your trousers.

In both cases a player is protecting himself from a nuisance. Is the only difference really that in one of the cases he is kneeling down on the towel he wrapped around his knees? So in this case the RB's have decided not to allow anything to be wrapped around player's knees in order to avoid any discussions whether this or that is allowed and those are not allowed to be wrapped around the knees? Maybe so.

What is the player stuffed he towel into his trousers? After all, he is allowed to put on waterproof trousers to protect himself from the moisture. Well, I answer to myself. Putting anything into the trousers could be intrepreted as building a stance as the 'stuff' could be anything.

All in all, I think I have seen the light and there really IS a difference.

Thanks.