A guy I hadn’t seen for years was passing through town yesterday, and I made that pre-dawn drive we all love to get in a round of golf with him. As I drove across town ahead of the morning rush I couldn’t help but notice how different a drive at that hour feels if you’re going to play golf rather than going to work.

Anyway, I arrived in Floresville (a town just south of San Antonio) in time for a quick breakfast taco and a fill up with the diesel fuel that’s cheaper on that side of town, and then headed out to the course. River Bend is a relaxed little course with an interesting layout and I hadn’t played there in quite a while, so I was looking forward to seeing Tom and the course again.

We had a good round and played a semi-decent game, but had a lot of fun catching up. After I got home I glanced at the back of the scorecard and saw this local rule:

“If your ball comes to rest in or near a non-human creature, you are entitled to nearest relief, no nearer the hole.”

Now that is a great local rule! The course runs along the banks of the San Antonio River on a few holes, and it’s pretty wild in there. There’s also undeveloped territory in other spots, and I suspect you could find coyotes, snakes, and other beasties and things that go bump in the night in there, so it’s eminently reasonable. On the other hand, the course is generous enough that you have a good chance of avoiding the most serious trouble, and the serious trouble isn’t on many holes.

But what I love is the thought of my ball in a non-human creature. That’s a shot I certainly wouldn’t want to hit. My free drop might even get nearer the hole, assuming I ever slowed down enough to drop another ball and take a swing.