Gonna need a ruling

[Kaos]

http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2015/08/mountain_brook_man_commits_sui.html#incart_river

A Mountain Brook man committed suicide on the golf course at Vestavia Country Club on Monday afternoon.
Officers found him dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on the one of the fairways, according to the Jefferson County Coroner's Office.

Police roped off the area with crime scene tape, but said no foul play is suspected.

What do you think?  Unplayable lie, drop and cost you a stroke?  I tend to think the dead body would be more like a loose impediment.  Move it and play on. 

Here's a chart from the rule book that I think would apply:


While bigger than a rat, I think the application would fit the rules. 

No stroke penalty. 

[dallaswareagle]

Disqualified:    Slow Play. 

[Godfather]

With no foul play suspected I'm gonna say unplayable lie, it will cost you a stroke.

[WiregrassTiger]

free drop within a club length. Early winter rules apply in the case of a dead body.

[Snaggletiger]

Don't need a ruling.  The guy had a mulligan left. He's alive again and has decided to play through.

[Pell City Tiger]

Mark it "Ground Under Repair" and have the golfers proceed according to Rule 25.

[Buzz Killington]

Play it where it lies...unless it's in an orifice.

[Jumbo]

Play it where it lies...unless it's in an orifice.

Can I play through?

[Buzz Killington]

Can I play through?

You're rather attractive for a beautiful girl with a great body.

[Kaos]

What if the body was in a hazard?  Does that change the ruling?

[bottomfeeder]

Obviously, he was out of Mulligans.

[Buzz Killington]

What if the body was in a hazard?  Does that change the ruling?

This is when your foot wedge comes into play.

[dallaswareagle]

This is when your foot wedge comes into play.

[wesfau2]

Play it where it lies...unless it's in an orifice.

I had to hit it off Frankenstein's fat foot!

[Snaggletiger]

This is when your foot wedge comes into play.

Easily the best club in my bag.

[dallaswareagle]

Easily the best club in my bag.

The ultimate golf good scoring weapon.

[WiregrassTiger]

What if the body was in a hazard?  Does that change the ruling?

If the ball is laying on the ground, then you obviously can't ground your club in the hazard. But if the ball is laying on the body, I don't see why you couldn't ground the club on the body, as long as you don't touch the ground with the club.

If the lie of the ball is in such a position that the body is in the way of getting a proper stance, I don't think that you can move it if it's in a hazard. I'm not sure on that one. To be safe, I would just stand on top of the body, assuming I had the old metal spikes on and could get good traction.

Then, I would tell someone in the clubhouse at the turn, obviously, to try to get the poor fellow some medical attention, help and/or the coroner.

Hope this helps for the next time you are faced with this.