Be the Referee: Abnormal Course Condition
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
October 1, 2024
Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.
Below is this week's segment – Abnormal Course Condition - Listen
We’re on the golf course today and our approach into 18 has gone from bad to worse. Or has it?
Our shot lands in a puddle, in the middle of a bunker, which certainly isn’t good. But because water in a bunker is an abnormal course condition, we’re allowed free relief.
We’re able to go to the nearest spot of relief, no closer to the hole, and drop within a club’s length of that spot while still playing from the bunker.
Or relief can be taken outside of the bunker, no closer to the hole, and within line of the shot – but a penalty stroke is added.
So you have two options if you find water inside a bunker; only one requires you to take a penalty stroke.
Of course the best course of action is to avoid the bunkers all together!
Previous 2024-25 Editions
Sept. 25: Tennis Nets - Listen
Sept. 18: Libero - Listen
Sept. 10: Cross Country Uniforms - Listen
Sept. 3: Soccer Handling - Listen
Aug. 24: Football Holding - Listen
Performance of the Week: Big Rapids' Kate Posey
September 5, 2025
Kate Posey ♦ Big Rapids
Senior ♦ Golf
Posey is off to a magnificent start to her senior season, and it’s included a career first. A four-year high school golfer who tied for 18th individually at last season’s Lower Peninsula Division 3 Final, Posey drilled her first hole-in-one, on No. 8 at Katke Golf Course at Ferris State on Aug. 26 during her team’s first Central State Activities Association event this fall. She used a 9-iron to ace the 117-yard hole.
Big Rapids is the reigning CSAA champion and won the tournament, with Posey shooting a first-place 75. She then finished second at the Whitehall Invitational a day later and Tuesday carded an 80 to win the Lady Tullymore Invitational against a field that included several top teams from the west side of the state. Posey also serves as manager/statistician for Big Rapids’ girls basketball and softball teams and would like to study sports medicine and play golf in college.
@mhsaasports ⛳️POW: Kate Posey #bigrapids #highschoolsports #performanceoftheweek #mistudentaid #MHSAA ♬ Bright and fun upbeat pops, Kids, Animals, Pets, Fun, Cute, Happy, Playful, Upbeat(1465232) - SAKUMAMATATA
@mhsaasports ⛳️POW: Kate Posey #funfacts #tiktalk #performanceoftheweek #mistudentaid #MHSAA ♬ Girly and cute synth pop - SAKUMAMATATA
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(Photos courtesy of the Big Rapids girls golf program.)