Hi Linda,
Thank you so much for taking the time to help all of us amateur golfers! It seems like a new rule question arises every time we play.
This week we had a player in our group that was off the green, on the fringe. He wanted to putt his ball but there was a slightly sunken sprinkler head in the line of his putt. He said he was entitled to free relief because the sprinkler head was within 1 yard of the green. He said he was allowed to a free drop, no closer to the hole. As far as I know, our course has no "local rule" stating such. Is relief allowed under USGA rules? If this is true... I'd sure love to know where it is in the rule book!
Thank you!
Lulu
Dear Lulu,
The Rules of Golf do not permit free relief from an immovable obstruction, such as a sprinkler head, that interferes with a player’s line of play. Free relief is available only if the ball is lying on the obstruction, or the obstruction interferes with the player’s stance or swing [Rule 24-2a].
However, there is a Local Rule that a Committee may wish to adopt for courses where there are sprinkler heads on the aprons surrounding the greens and the aprons are so tightly-mowed that some players prefer to putt when their ball lies on the apron. For the precise wording, see Appendix I, Part B, #6 in the back of your rulebook. Basically, this Local Rule allows a free drop for a ball if there is an obstruction (e.g., sprinkler head) within two club-lengths of the green that interferes on the line of play. The ball must be within two club-lengths of the obstruction, and obviously not in a hazard. The ball may be cleaned when it is lifted, and it must be dropped at the nearest point to where it lay that avoids the interference, is not closer to the hole, is not on the green, and is not in a hazard.
This free relief is available only if the Committee has adopted this Local Rule.
Linda
Copyright © 2012 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
