Linda, is a player permitted to repair aeration holes in her
line of play?
Don't think this matters, but we were playing lift, clean
and place (i.e., winter rules).
Thanks!!
Lulu from East Setauket, New York
Dear Lulu,
No. You are not permitted to improve your line of play by
eliminating irregularities on the surface of the ground.
In addition, aeration holes are not defined as holes made by
a greenkeeper, which means you are not entitled to relief if your ball lies in
or on an aeration hole [Decision 25/15].
However, there is a Local Rule that the Committee may adopt
to allow players relief if their ball lies in or on an aeration hole. When this
Local Rule is in effect, players would be permitted to lift, clean, and drop the ball as near as possible to
where it lay, no closer to the hole, when the ball lies through the green. On
the green, the ball would be placed
at the nearest spot not nearer the hole [Appendix I, Part A, #3d].
Linda
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