Thursday, December 20, 2012

Ask Linda #577-Full relief from cart path


Hi Linda,
Can you clarify this rule for us? If you decide to take relief from a cart path and your ball falls within the correct area, but when you take your stance, your feet are still touching the cart path, if you play the ball anyway, are you penalized because you didn't take full relief?
Lulu from Rhode Island

Dear Lulu,

You certainly are!

When you take relief from an immovable obstruction, such as a cart path, you are required to take complete relief. If you drop your ball properly and it rolls into a position where you still have interference from the cart path, you are required to re-drop [Rule 20-2c (v)]. The penalty is severe if you neglect to do that: loss of hole in match play and two strokes in stroke play [Penalty for Breach of Rule 20-1, 20-2, or 20-3].

Linda
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