Ask Linda #429-Nearest Point of Relief March 12, 2012
Linda, I’d like to get a clarification on the rule for dealing with a ball that would require a player to take a stance on or to hit a ball that lies on the cart path. (1) I understand that it is always an option to play it where it lies, but in attempting to take relief, if there is not enough room on the side of the cart path where you normally would do so due to out of bounds or a hazard, can you take relief on the other side of the cart path?
(2) Would the answer be any different if the insufficient room was caused by something else like a rock or tree?
(3) Would the answer be any different for a right-handed or left-handed golfer? Also, as I understand it, in the case of a ball lying just off the cart path, a right-handed player could be entitled to relief due to having to stand on the path, but a left-handed player would have to play the ball as it lies (and vice versa)
(4) When faced with a narrow area just off the cart path in a relief situation, when the rule says you must take full relief, what does a player do when there is just enough room to take a stance and possibly hit a ball, but not enough to take a stance and the club length the player is entitled to?
(5) When taking relief in a narrow area near the cart path I assume it would behoove the player to have someone guard against the ball rolling into a hazard or out of bounds area and the “two drop then place” rule would be in use.
(6) And lastly, if necessary, can the player stand in a hazard or out of bounds area to hit the shot after taking a drop?
Sure seems like cart paths present a lot to think about and would be best played away from.
Lou
Dear Lou,
If we take a look at the definition of Nearest Point of Relief (NPR), and then see what the Rules say about taking relief from immovable obstructions (IO’s), we will find the answers to your questions.
Definition: The NPR is the point on the course nearest to where your ball lies that is not nearer the hole and that gives you complete relief from the IO. When you look for that point, you should use the club you would use to hit the shot if the obstruction were not in your way.
Relief from an immovable obstruction: After you find the NPR, you must drop the ball within one club-length of that point, no closer to the hole (you may use any club in your bag for this measurement). You may not drop the ball in a hazard or on a putting green. It must strike a part of the course that avoids interference from the IO [Rule 24-2b].
Now let’s apply this information to your questions.
1. When you determine the NPR, it must not be in a hazard. Nor can it be out of bounds (OB), since if you drop a ball OB you have not dropped it on the course. If it turns out that the nearest point to where your ball lies is in a hazard or OB, you have not found your NPR. It may very well turn out to be on the opposite side of the cart path.
2. If the NPR turns out to be on or amongst rocks, behind a tree, in the middle of a bush, or in a similar undesirable location, there is no escaping the problem. If the area in which you are entitled to drop will put you in a worse predicament, then I would recommend that you play the ball as it lies on the cart path.
3. The Rules are not different for right- or left-handed golfers. Either the cart path interferes with your stance or the area of your intended swing or it doesn’t. Let’s take the example of a cart path that runs along the right side of the fairway. If the ball lies one foot to the left of the cart path, then the right-handed player will have no interference, while the left-handed player will be standing on the cart path and will be entitled to relief.
4. The player is entitled to full relief for his stance, but he is not “entitled” to a full club-length beyond that. The Rules state that the player must drop within one club-length; they do not state that if there is not a full club-length beyond the NPR that the player may move elsewhere. Once the player has found the correct NPR, he must drop the ball, even if there is merely an inch of space between that point and a hazard or a putting green. If it rolls into the hazard or onto the green after both the first and second drop, he will then place the ball.
5. I would recommend that no one be positioned to stop a ball that may roll into a hazard or out of bounds. You run the risk of a two-stroke penalty under Rule 1-2 [Exerting Influence on Ball]. If it is important to do so, then you must be virtually certain that the ball has no chance of hitting something and rebounding onto a spot that would meet the requirements of a proper drop.
6. A player may stand out of bounds or in a hazard to hit a ball. While there are Rules requiring where the ball must be, there are no Rules telling you where to place your feet.
Linda
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