Dear Linda,
The preferred lie may be established by local rule when
the course condition is extremely adverse. However, our social golf
league now considers to apply the preferred lie to include the
rough area because of long and tough grass in rough.
It is my understanding that the preferred lie can be
applied to the limited area of a ball lying on a closely mown
area through the green.
I would like to know if the whole rough area through
the green may be included for the preferred lie.
Thank you.
Lou from Seoul, Korea
Dear Lou,
The Local Rule in Appendix I, Part B, limits the use of
preferred lies to closely mown areas through the green. “Closely mown areas”
refer to any area mowed to fairway height or less, including the apron around
the green, paths cut through the rough, and, of course, fairways.
Preferred lies are not an option in the rough. However,
there are Local Rules that may be adopted to provide specific relief in the
rough. Committees may allow relief for embedded balls “through the green” (which
includes the rough, but no bunkers or hazards), and they may allow “lift,
clean, and replace” in the rough
(generally when conditions are so wet that mud is likely to adhere to the
ball).
“Long and tough grass” is not an unusual condition in the
rough. If the Committee has a problem with the difficulty of the rough, it is
time to have a discussion with the greenkeeper.
Linda
Copyright © 2015 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
