Question
1. If a bridge crosses a water hazard, is it part of the hazard, or do  you proceed under the applicable rule for obstructions (as a bridge  would be deemed to be an immovable obstruction)?

2. If your ball lies behind an obstruction in a bunker, do you proceed under the obstruction rule? If so, must you take relief in the bunker?

3. If a bunker is completely filled with water that no relief may be taken from the casual water inside the bunker, may you take relief outside the bunker without penalty?

Answer - David Ferries, Rules Chairman

1. The part of a bridge that crosses a water hazard, no matter how high up, is part of the water   hazard because the Definition of a water hazard reads, in part, "The margin of a water hazard extends vertically upwards and downwards."   

The bridge is still defined as an immovable obstruction, but under Rule 24-2b, there is no relief from an immovable obstruction when the ball is in a water hazard, and we have determined that a ball on a part of a bridge crossing a water hazard is in the water  hazard.  When the ball is in a water hazard there is no relief from any immovable obstruction either inside or outside the water hazard.

However, the bridge is not considered to be "ground" within the water hazard and, thus, you can ground your club or touch the bridge in making the backswing and stroke.  This is covered in Decision 13-4/30.

Before directly answering questions 2 and 3, it is worth noting that if you hit your ball into a bunker, the consensus is that you have made a poor shot and that there is some penal aspect to be incurred.  Thus, there is no rule in golf that allows relief for you to get your ball out of a bunker without a penalty stroke being applied

2. You have not specified in your question the nature of the obstruction in the bunker. If it is a movable obstruction, such as a coke can, piece of paper, a rake, then under Rule 24-1a, the movable obstruction can be removed even when the ball is in the bunker.

If the obstruction is immovable, Rule 24-2b allows for relief from an immovable obstruction in a bunker.  However, the relief from the obstruction when the ball is in the bunker is limited in that after taking proper relief, the ball must be dropped within the bunker--Rule 24-2b(ii)a.If you want, or need, to have relief and drop the ball outside the bunker there is a one-stroke penalty--Rule 24-2b(ii)b.

3. The answer to question 3 is similar to that for question 2. If the bunker is full of casual water, you do get relief, but not free relief outside the bunker. You can only come out of the bunker with a one-stroke penalty--Rule25-1b(ii)b.

You can get relief inside the bunker under Rule 25-1b(ii)a, but the ball must be dropped in the bunker. The rule states that if you cannot get full relief from the casual water( a bunker filled with water) you can get "maximum available relief".

Question
I recently moved to Ottawa and would like to play in OVGA tournaments. How do I get an entry form.

Answer
In order to play in OVGA tournaments you must belong to one of our member clubs ( see a list of clubs on our web site under the OVGA Courses tab) and be in possession of a valid Golfquébec handicap card. Club Captains have received the tournament posters and co-ordinate the sign up sheets for their club's entries.

Question
I asked the USGA but they will not give an answer because I am from Canada.

Immediately after every iron or wood shot, even tee shots my competitor tells every one in the group what club he hit. He hides his admission by saying stuff like "I sure hit that 8 iron solid!"  He appears to do this to either throw us off or to impress us with his great strength.
Is he breaking the rules by announcing his club after every shot?

Answer - David Ferries, Rules Chairman
The operative rule is Rule 8-1 Advice which does not allow during the "stipulatedround" a player to  give "advice" to anyone in the competition playing on the "course" other than his partner or ask for "advice"from anyone except his partner or their caddies. In the question posed, we need to determine if the player announcing his club used after each stroke is giving advice.

The definition of "advice" is " any counsel or suggestion that could influence a player in determining his play, the choice of a club or the method of making a stroke." Clearly, knowing what club was hit prior to making a stroke from the same location
is advice under the definition.

If the announcement of the club hit is made after all other players have played, there is no penalty. This is covered in Decision 8-1/7 where it was held that player A asking  player B  what club was used to hit to a green after A had played his shot is not advice under Rule 8-1. Also Decision 8-1/6 leads to a similar conclusion. This decision would apply to the case at hand if all shots had been played by the players before the announcement was made.

It is a different matter if the announcement was made prior to the strokes being played from a similar location (the teeing ground or any other place on the course) by all other players in the group.Decision 8-1/8 Comment about Club Selection After Stroke covers this situation.

Question: After playing a stroke, a player says: "I should have used a five
iron."  Was the player in breach of Rule 8-1?

Answer: If the statement was made casually, there was no breach.If the statement
was made to another player who had a shot to play from about the same position, there was a breach.

Thus, if in a competition a ruling was required, a loss of hole penalty in match play and a two-stroke penalty in stroke play would be applied to the player if it was clear that other players had gained knowledge that would influence their play as per the second statement in Decision 8-1/8 answer. The player is responsible to know the rules.  The referee would, or should, try to determine that it was only a casual reference so that no penalty need be imposed.If penalties can be avoided, all the better. However, if this is the result, the player would be clearly warned not to repeat the situation.Certainly, if the referee ascertained that the behaviour had been occurring for a number of instances, any measure  of doubt would go against the player.

The player announcing after every shot what club he used would clearly be in breach of the Rules at some point in the "stipulated round" and he would incur the penalty. Also, if there is any concept that this is being done to "throw us off" etc., as stated in the situation posed, the player is clearly not playing within "The Spirit of the Game" which is now covered under Section 1-Etiquette; Behaviour On The Course of the Rules of Golf. If the player continued the behaviour, the penalty of disqualification could be imposed.

The answer to the question still comes down to the referee having to decide based on the actual facts gathered in the situation. Rule8-1 and the two decisions provide the reference points for the decision.

Question -
         1.  By adding the weights is my driver legal
         2.  If not, how can I add weight without constantly loosing the weights

Answer - Dean Ryan, Vice Chairman Rules

Assuming your driver conformed with the Rules as outlined in Rule 4-1a and Appendix II prior to adding the weights, then the addition of weight(s) would not change it's status.

The use of lead tape is the exception to Appendix II, 1b(ii), provided it is done before the start of a round - Decision 4-1/4: Weight(s) may be applied anywhere, with the exception of the clubface.

There is a Decision regarding the weights coming off during a round you should
be aware of: Decision 4-2/0.5 Lead Tape Applied to the Clubhead During a Round
Lead tape that becomes detached from the club in the normal course of play may be placed back onto the club in the same location. If the lead tape will not remain on the club in the same location, new tape may be used. Every effort should be made to restore the club, as nearly as possible, to its previous condition. Alternatively, the club may be used in its damaged state (without the lead tape) for the remainder of the round (Rule 4-3a).

If the tape is altered or damaged other than in the normal course of play,  the club may not be used for the remainder of the round, under penalty of disqualification (see Rules 4-2a and 4-3).

 Note: Should the weight(s) come off as a result of removing or replacing the
head cover or removing or replacing the club in your bag, it would be covered under
the "normal course of play".