Ask Linda #274-Scale wall for relief?

Dear Linda,

I would appreciate your advice on the applicable ruling for the following scenario.

Firstly, I will endeavour to describe the layout of the two holes concerned on this golf course. Hole 14 is a par 4 in a North-South direction, where the putting green is at the south end. Hole 15 is a par 3 in a North-South direction too. The tee-box of hole 15 is on the left side of the putting green of hole 14.

The buggy track (cart path) is on the entire left of hole 14 from tee box to putting green; relative to hole 15, the buggy track is on the entire right side of hole 15. In other words, the buggy track is separating the putting green of hole 14 and the tee box of hole 15. From the tee box of hole 14 to the putting green of hole 15, the terrain is on a gentle downhill. The perimeter of hole 14 putting green is a vertical concrete wall.

In my scenario, my opponent's second shot from the fairway of hole 14 landed on the green but then rolled off the green and came to rest at the base of the vertical concrete wall on the left side of the putting green (about 10 o'clock position with respect to the 14th putting green). The ball was just one foot away from the vertical wall and the vertical wall is about ten feet below the level of the 14th putting green. The buggy track is about three feet away from the ball at the base of the vertical wall. The tee box of hole 15 is on the other side of the buggy track.

As there is interference to both the player's stance and the area of his intended swing, my opponent is entitled to relief due to the vertical wall, which is an immovable obstruction, as per rule 24-2.

My question: Can the player drop his ball above the vertical wall by estimating the 1 club-length horizontally with respect to the ball at the base of the vertical wall and totally ignoring the vertical distance, which is about ten feet? The place where he could drop a ball above the vertical wall would be about one foot from the edge of the wall, which would be on a closely mown area but not on the putting green. Also, the place where the ball would be dropped above the vertical wall is not nearer to the hole with respect to where the ball was lying at the base of the vertical wall. Please comment.

Meanwhile, I tried to make reference to decision 28/12 for ball unplayable. In this decision, vertical distance cannot be ignored because the ball is on the ground. In my scenario, the ball is on the ground but there is interference from the immovable obstruction. Hence, I am wondering whether vertical distance can or cannot be ignored in taking relief within one club-length.

If the player is not allowed to ignore vertical distance, does it mean that he would need to drop his ball on the road and subsequently take relief from the road as immovable obstruction? Eventually, he would be dropping his ball around the tee box area of hole 15.
I would appreciate your advice on my scenario.

Thank you and best regards,
Lou Lou

Dear Lou Lou,

Don’t panic, everyone. I promise the answer will be simpler than the question.

When a player’s ball is not on the ground (e.g., perched on the walkway of a bridge over a deep hollow), he is permitted to ignore vertical distance and take relief (stance plus one club-length) from a point on the ground directly underneath where the ball lies on the obstruction. The reverse is not true. If a ball lies on the ground, the player may not ignore vertical distance and climb to the top of the obstruction to seek relief. (I confirmed this ruling yesterday with a USGA official.) He is obligated to find the nearest point of relief. In your scenario, Lou, it seems unlikely that the nearest relief would be on top of the wall, once you add in the extra 10 feet to scale the wall.

Players are entitled to free relief from an immovable obstruction such as a concrete wall. The player in your question must lift the ball and drop it within one club-length of the nearest point of relief no closer to the hole. If this point is on the cart path, then that is where he must drop the ball. After the drop, if the ball settles on the cart path, or the cart path interferes with his stance or swing, he is entitled to again lift and drop the ball within one club-length of the nearest point of relief off the cart path no closer to the hole. If that spot turns out to be on the tee box of another hole, then that is where he will drop and play the ball.

If this is a frequent occurrence, and the management of your golf course is not pleased by players taking divots out of the nearby tee box, it has the option to establish a dropping zone. That zone should not be placed on top of the wall, as this would unfairly offer players an easier shot.

Linda
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