Dear Linda
Recently, a player took relief from a lateral cart path that
runs directly across the fairway before the green. As her ball was on
or near the cart path (green side), and the path interfered with her swing or
stance, she picked up her ball and dropped it from shoulder height onto
the far side of the cart path (no closer to the hole) while standing on the
cart path facing away from the green.
This was done without marking or measuring in any manner. Because
of that, the fellow competitor in stroke play suggested that the ball was
either played from the wrong place (20-7) or the ball at rest was moved (18-2).
The fellow competitor said that picking up a ball in play and dropping it
without reference to the NRP or one club-length left the dropped ball's
position as ambiguous.
The issue was that the player just picked up her ball and
dropped it on the other side of the cart path. (By luck, this very well
could have been dropped within one club-length of the NRP).
We teach a method called “stance, swing, mark & drop” to
our players so that there is no question as to dropping procedure.
Unfortunately, that method was not used. Is the drop correct or is the fellow
competitor correct?
Thanks,
Lulu from British Columbia, Canada
Dear Lulu,
The player may have dropped correctly.
When a player takes relief from an immovable obstruction (also
from an “abnormal ground condition” or a “wrong putting green”), the player is
not required to follow the recommended procedure to determine the NPR that is
explained in the Note to the Definition of “Nearest Point of Relief.” As long
as the drop meets the requirements of the Rule [in your case, Rule 24-2b (i)],
and does not roll into a position requiring a re-drop (see Rule 20-2c), the
drop is good [Decision 24-2b/2].
In other words, if the player in your scenario dropped the
ball behind the cart path within one club-length of the nearest point of relief
simply by estimating that spot, and the ball didn’t roll somewhere it shouldn’t
(see Rule 20-2c), it doesn’t matter that she didn’t follow the recommended
measuring procedure.
When the drop area is obvious and the terrain is such that I
know the drop will be routine, I often “eyeball” the NPR and the one club-length
distance. It is not difficult, and is a time-saver.
I would recommend that you read and study Decision 24-2b/2.
Linda
Copyright © 2016 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
