Just a query re a green becoming unplayable due to being flooded. I live and play on the Gold Coast and just recently we have again had heaps of rain…10 inches in 2 weeks according to our Super.
What is the procedure if a green is temporarily under water and therefore unplayable during a heavy downpour mid round? Are you allowed to wait for the water to drain away before continuing? This is about all I could find in the Rules;
“6-8. Discontinuance of Play; Resumption of Play
a.When Permitted
The player must not discontinue play unless:
(i) the Committee has suspended play;
(ii) he believes there is danger from lightning;
(iii) he is seeking a decision from the Committee on a doubtful or
disputed point (see Rules 2-5 and 34-3); or
(iv) there is some other good reason such as sudden illness.
Bad weather is not of itself a good reason for discontinuing play”. The “Abnormal Ground Conditions” rule says that “if complete relief is
impossible, at the nearest position to where it lay that affords
maximum available relief from the condition”, which I would interpret that you must continue play.
I would be very grateful if someone could clear this up for me.
Cheers, Alan

In such cases the Committee must act:

Dec 33-2d/2 – If all the area around a hole contains casual water, in stroke play the course should be considered unplayable and the Committee should suspend play under Rule 33-2d. In match play, the Committee should relocate the hole.

Dec 33/1 Removal of Casual Water and Loose Impediments on Putting Green By Committee.

Q .If casual water, leaves, sand or other loose impediments accumulate on a putting green during a round, would it be appropriate for the Committee to remove them?

A. Yes. The Committee may do what is necessary to eliminate the condition, e.g. use a squeegee or brush or blow the surface of the putting green. It is not necessary for the Committee to suspend play to take these actions.
In such cases, the Committee may, when necessary, enlist the help of players to eliminate the condition. However, a player would be in breach of Rule 13-2 if he were to mop up casual water on his line of play or line of putt without the Committee’s permission. (Revised)

Thanks Belligerant
Looking more at a situation when the green is only flooded for about 10 minutes which is what has happened a couple of times recently and the “committee” can’t be contacted by the time the water has drained away. We waited last week and this idiot behind us said we were all disqualified for not playing with “undue delay”. The rain had been pelting down and once the rain cleared you could see the green draining so we waited until the water had cleared from the cup area. All up the delay was probably 12 minutes. Most other players had left the course and headed back to the clubhouse.
Should there perhaps be a local rule to cover the temporary flooding of a green and the procedure?
Thanks again, Alan.

Alan,
LRs are made to provide for local abnormal conditions if they are consistent with the policy set out in Appndix 1 of the RoG. I don’t think that greens that get swamped during torrential rain are abnormal, to the contrary. The Decisions quoted above cover your situation, the “rules expert” playing behind you might like to read them. Perhaps you should have let him play through so he could have shown you how to play an unplayable green. You were within your rights to discontinue play as the green was unplayable and you were barred from doing anything about it, you were also within your rights to discontinue if there was a threat of lightning.
Maybe your greens have drainage or design issues, but it sounds more like rain of a quantity that any course would struggle to cope.