Golf is known to be a technical sport full of expressions and technical terms that you may not know the meaning of. One of those expressions sometimes thrown out in conversation and on golf course signs is the term “Ground Under Repair”, or “GUR”.
If you are reading this article, you may wonder: What exactly does “Ground Under Repair (GUR)” mean in golf?
In this article, we will explain to you exactly what a Ground Under Repair (GUR) is in golf, along with an example to solidify your comprehension.
What Is A Ground Under Repair (GUR) In Golf?
In golf, a Ground Under Repair, also denoted by its abbreviation GUR, is a part of a golf course’s turf that is under maintenance & repair. The Ground Under Repair (GUR) is a zone golfers are not allowed to play on because it needs time to heal without anyone stepping on it.
In the great game of golf, the term “Ground Under Repair” is a term that is fairly common to hear on golf courses. Most golfers have heard of the term “Ground Under Repair” before, as a turf section flagged as a Ground Under Repair appears on every golf course at least once a year, usually.
When you hear the word “Ground Under Repair”, it will usually be in person, on a golf course, after some bad weather or excessive turf use in some areas.
In golf, a Ground Under Repair (abbreviated GUR) is an area on a golf course that is closed off from play in order to give the turf it contains time to heal, repair, and go through maintenance. Golf course maintenance teams, superintendents and other staff are usually the ones to create GURs.
If your golf ball lands on the edge or in a Ground Under Repair zone, you get free relief. However, unless prohibited by your local golf course, you are allowed to play from the Ground Under Repair zone if your judgement tells you it is fine.
If lightning strikes, making trees fall down on the golf course, they also become Grounds Under Repair, and you get free relief if your ball lands near. You also get free relief if the trees are cut down due to planned golf coursework.
There are many cases and situations that can lead to part of a golf course becoming a Ground Under Repair.
In most cases, it is better to take relief when your ball lands in a Ground Under Repair.
Golfers are usually advised not to walk on GURs, except to retrieve their ball that went in by accident. When they do walk on the GUR, they need to use extreme caution to not damage the healing turf.
Grounds Under Repair (GURs) are typically denoted clearly by using a picket sign with “Ground Under Repair” written on it. Sometimes, there is a picket and rope fence that goes all around the Ground Under Repair. Other golf courses prefer to draw a circle on the turf to delimitate the GUR.
You can see about an example of a Ground Under Repair (GUR) sign, down below.
In the image above, you can see that the Ground Under Repair (GUR) sign has its text written in big letters so that golfers cannot miss it.
Grounds Under Repair are usually flagged due to overuse, turf damage, excessive temperatures (cold or hot) and various weather conditions.
For example, if there were heavy rains and the water accumulated in a small zone of a golf hole, it may be flagged as Ground Under Repair, since playing a ball from inundated turf is hardly enjoyable.
If someone chipped off the green and accidentally damaged it badly, then the zone around the divot may be deemed to be a Ground Under Repair. The Ground Under Repair would then allow the damaged turf to heal, since no one would be allowed to play golf or step on it.
One important note to mention, known by few golfers, is that any elements that are piled up and meant to be removed from the golf course count as Grounds Under Repair. These elements mentioned here include grass clippings, leaves, piled up snow, etc.
This means that if your ball lands on these elements (leaves, grass clippings, etc.), you get free relief. However, these elements need to be piled for removal to constitute Grounds Under Repair. For example, if the leaves are scattered randomly across the golf course, they are obviously not a GUR.
Animal habitats, such as a bird’s nest, are also considered Grounds Under Repair because we do not want to hurt the animals or their habitats. If your ball lands near animal habitats, you get free relief, and you should take it to protect the animals.
The origin of the term “Ground Under Repair (GUR)” is obvious. A Ground Under Repair is a section of turf or a golf course’s ground that is…under repair.
Conclusion
There you go! After reading this article, you have learned exactly what the term “Ground Under Repair (GUR)” means in golf. You also got to read about an example to further improve your understanding of the meaning of “Ground Under Repair (GUR)”.
Do you have any other words you wish to know more about? Did you know the meaning of GUR before reading this article? Let us know in the comments down below!
