dinoroger
Sep 12 2011, 02:49 PM
So I play on a course that uses sand/pebbles as the T surface. You find yourself slipping and sinking into the previous millionth players rut causing bad drives for everyone. I mentioned during the game, "wouldn�t it be nice if you could bring your own roll up T surface to put over this crap". Another player said that was against the rules and I agreed. Not that I would bring a roll up surface to T-off of anyways I still decided to lookup the rule. The description shown below sounds like it could actually allow it. Any thought on the rule interpretation?

802.04 Artificial Devices
A. During a round, a player shall not use any artificial device that may assist in making a
throw, except those devices that reduce or control abrasion to the skin (such as gloves, tape, bandages, gauze, etc.) and medical items (such as knee and ankle braces, etc.). Items used to prevent slipping on the teeing surface are also allowed. A player is specifically prohibited from using any artificial device that changes the position of the disc in the player's hand or artificially lengthens any of the player's throwing levers (fingers, wrist, arm, shoulder, etc.). The use of devices which assist in determining distances over 10 meters , such as range finders and GPS devices are prohibited. Measuring devices such as a tape measure may be carried and used to determine distances 10 meters and less for the purpose of rules enforcement.

cgkdisc
Sep 12 2011, 03:44 PM
Yep, you can do it. Typically it's a towel but it's not restricted to a towel. The maximum thickness is indirectly specified as 1 cm in the Rules Q&A regarding Kneeling on a Towel.

dinoroger
Sep 12 2011, 05:03 PM
Sound like someone can make a buck by making something portable and selling it then.

Annoucing the Rollo-Pad.

jconnell
Sep 12 2011, 07:18 PM
Heard through the grapevine that Nikko (or his caddy) was carrying a beach towel this weekend, and laying it down on concrete pads that had been over-run with a thin but slick layer of mud due to flooding. Perfectly legal, and a brilliant idea if you're willing to carry such a large towel around the course like that. Gotta imagine it gets pretty gross by the end of the round.

gotcha
Sep 13 2011, 12:13 AM
Heard through the grapevine that Nikko (or his caddy) was carrying a beach towel this weekend, and laying it down on concrete pads that had been over-run with a thin but slick layer of mud due to flooding. Perfectly legal, and a brilliant idea if you're willing to carry such a large towel around the course like that. Gotta imagine it gets pretty gross by the end of the round.


Mike Moser has been using a beach towel for years. :)

bob
Sep 13 2011, 10:00 AM
Justin Madore went and bought a rubber backed bath mat for the Yetter's mud slicked concrete tees. He was even letting other players in his group use it. Said it was great

I don't know of anything that would help on an uneven tee like the first poster described.

bravo
Sep 13 2011, 04:57 PM
towels and bath mat may meet the pdga rules but wouldn't do much to help with sand and gravel pads.
as they may collapse or twist under pressure.