krupicka
Double Eagle Member
"Professional courtesy" is why so many don't actually enforce the rules these days. I'll cut you slack so you can cut me slack later.Again, this is first time I have heard this. Maybe this is a regional thing?
I started playing in 1998 in Rochester, NY, with a bunch of the old school 3 and 4 digit OGers.
I was taught you could back into your lie, but not hold anything with your arms once you established a lie, and this is how the rule is written now.
And by precedent, since I afforded him this interpretation on hole 10, and he accepted it, professional courtesy dictates that he is not allowed to change the interpretation of the rule when it is my turn to play. That is super shady.
Just because someone taught you a rule, does not mean it is a rule. There is nothing in the rules mentioning arms. As someone else posted earlier, the big booty back-up is most likely is holding back parts of the bush. Approaching the bush from the side or behind is most likely going to move the obstacle a lot less than backing into it. And if that is the case, then backing into bush and holding branches back with your body is not legal.