lonhart
Jan 20 2012, 02:03 AM
I recently played a non-PDGA sanctioned tournament that had a buncr hole. The TD explained it as such: if your disc comes to rest in the roped off buncr area, which is u-shaped around the pin, then you must take your next shot from the designated drop zone with no additional stroke penalty.

The pin is on a ridge, about 20 ft wide, and very steep, with no vegetation.

I watched one player almost empty his bag trying to land a disc on the fair area from the drop zone.

Here are my questions:
1. Can you retrieve a disc after landing in the buncr?
2. If you run out of discs, what do you do?
3. If you land fair, but close to the buncr line, do you get relief just as you would from OB?
4. Must your stance at the time of releasing the disc be outside of the buncr area?

Thanks for your help!
Steve

cgkdisc
Jan 20 2012, 08:58 AM
1. Only if you have time to do it before you have to make your next throw.
2. You can borrow discs from other players willing to loan you some.
3. Yes, you can get up to 1 meter relief.
4. Yes, your stance should be outside the buncr.

Note: a buncr should never be designed to be as punitive or tough to avoid after going to the drop zone. Or was this player just being bullheaded and tin cupping on purpose? In the case of USDGC buncrs, you're allowed time to retrieve your discs if you run out. So TDs are allowed to specify that option.

pterodactyl
Jan 20 2012, 02:57 PM
That drop zone was too punitive in Visalia for AM players.
I didn't land in the buncr, but I took a meter relief on the green from the buncr line. I had to or I would have been standing in the buncr for my par putt.

lonhart
Jan 22 2012, 12:17 PM
Hi Chuck,

The drop zone made it a difficult shot, and the poor guy I saw was really trying to make the shot, but I watched at least 4 go foul.

And the hillside is so big, there is no physical way to retrieve it in the time allotted.

Is the info on buncrs in the Q and A section? I seem to have missed seeing it in the rules. Or is it just one of several special condition areas?

Thanks as always for your help!
Steve

cgkdisc
Jan 22 2012, 01:19 PM
A "buncr" is the course design term we created to define a casual relief area where players are required to proceed to the drop zone without penalty. This is indicated as an option in 804.01 Special Conditions. I hope to get it specifically defined in the next rules update so it's not a "special" but regular option for course design.

stevenpwest
Jan 24 2012, 08:00 PM
"Mandatory" Casual Relief? Nah, need a different term. "Non-optional"?

Don't forget to allow for line-of-play type buncrs, or any other definitions of places the player must take the next throw from.

cgkdisc
Jan 24 2012, 08:31 PM
The original idea behind the buncr options came from the Bluebonnet ruling which is the first one in the now official rules Q&A: http://www.pdga.com/files/documents/Authoritative_Rules_QA_v12_2011.pdf