RULES

Entitled to free relief from an Immovable Obstruction, this player is dropping the “Right way” – from knee height (not shoulder height), after the Rules of Golf were updated by the USGA and R&A.

RULES OF GOLF

Robin’s Rules of Order

WORDS BY ROBIN FARRAN, ED GOWAN AND LOGAN RASMUSSEN

Immovable Obstructions such as cart paths, electrical boxes, and sprinkler heads were not put in place by a golf course architect as a “defense of the course” and players should not have to “play around” these objects. The same thing goes for Ground Under Repair, Temporary Water, and Animal Holes. Rule 16 covers how, when, and where a player is entitled to free relief when they are affected by one of these Abnormal Course Conditions.

Let’s explore some real-life examples on the golf course that involve Rule 16, courtesy of Rules Expert Robin Farran:

INCIDENT 1

Player A’s relief area for her ball on a cart path was on a sloped area of hard dirt. Player A dropped the ball in the right way and, as the ball rolled quickly down the slope, Player A stopped the ball in the relief area before it rolled out of the relief area.

>> As long as the ball would have rolled out of the relief area with no possibility to return on its own, stopping the ball is not a violation. The same applies on a slope above a penalty area where the ball could be lost in water. If the ball could have stopped in the area or returned on its own, there would have been a two-stroke penalty and the drop would NOT have counted.

RULES OF GOLF

After Player A dropped the ball in the right way a second time and it rolled out of the relief area, Player A carefully placed the ball on the spot where the ball rst touched the ground on the second drop. Player A played the ball.

>> Correct procedure. The first drop was legal, and the proper procedure was followed to put the ball into play.

INCIDENT 2

Player A’s relief area for his ball on a cart path was on a sloped area in the fairway with several divot holes in the relief area.

Player A dropped the ball in the right way and, as the ball slowly rolled toward a divot hole in the relief area, Player A stopped the ball.

>> The player stopped his ball in play – two-stroke penalty and the drop does not count. Player A would need to redrop his ball into play.

Player A dropped the ball in the right way a second time, almost one club-length from the reference point for relief and the ball rolled out of the relief area.

>> First good drop, as the ball left the relief area, a second drop is required.

Player A dropped the ball in the right way a third time and the ball remained in the relief area. Player A played the ball.

>> Correct procedure, as the third drop was the second proper drop.

Abnormal course condition

INCIDENT 3

Player A’s relief area for his ball on a cart path was on a sloped area of hard dirt. Player A dropped the ball in the right way and the ball rolled quickly down the slope and out of the relief area.

>>First drop counted, but a second drop is now required.

Being certain that the ball would likely roll out of the relief area on the next drop, Player A placed the ball on a spot in the relief area where he expected the ball to remain at rest. Player A played the ball.

>>As a second drop was required, placing the ball resulted in the ball being played from a “wrong place”. The ball is in play with a two-stroke penalty.

In summary, free relief procedures have only a few requirements. e ball in the general area must be dropped (placed on a putting green) in the designated relief area de ned by the Rule governing the situation. As the ball must be played from that area, should it have rolled out of the area, a second drop is required. If again the ball rolls out of the area, it must be placed where it rst struck the ground when dropped the second time as it must be played from that designated relief area.

If the ball is accidentally de ected or stopped, there is no issue and the ball would be considered in play if it remained in the designated relief area; but, if purposely done so, then the drop does not count. A penalty is incurred in that case by the person responsible.

It will only take a few minutes’ reading to identify which Rule governs the relief area to be used. For free relief, it is always a half circle not closer to the hole than the identi ed “Nearest Point of Complete Relief.”

When taking relief from ground under repair, it must be the nearest point of complete relief.