Hello Linda,
Can you clarify a definition please? A friend and I both
read your answers each day, trying to improve our knowledge of the
rules of golf, and occasionally test each other. But we are at odds with
one another over the relief from a buggy path, or cart track in the USA.
We are not arguing over what happens when a ball is on the
path, but rather when the ball is so close to the path, but still on the
grass, that your stance comes into contact with the path.
We both understand the relief procedure when the ball is on
the path, but disagree as to what constitutes interference to your
stance as described in 24.2a.
I believe the rules to be giving relief if you cannot take a
regular stance because of the immovable obstruction, and so, I
maintain having one foot on the grass and the other on the path does not
warrant relief. Your stance is normal. I agree that if the immovable
object was a boulder or something similar, and you had to modify a
normal stance, then relief would be fair enough.
My friend’s opinion is that being in contact with the path
is interference with the stance. End of conversation.
I know I might not want to read the answer, but I do need to
read the answer.
Many thanks, and love the daily lesson.
Lou from Wales, UK
Dear Lou,
If the player’s foot is on the cart path when he takes his
normal stance, the cart path is interfering with his stance and he is entitled to free relief. What the
player may not do is take an unnecessarily abnormal stance in order to claim
relief from a situation where there would be no interference if he took his
normal stance. For example, if the player’s normal stance did not contact the
path, he could not claim relief by widening his stance to put his toe on the
path. Your friend’s understanding is correct.
When a player chooses to take relief from an immovable
obstruction under Rule 24-2, he must take complete
relief. The “nearest point of relief” is the point on the course that is no
closer to the hole where there is no
interference to the player’s stance or area of intended swing [Definition
of “Nearest Point of Relief”].
In the case of a cart path, if the player’s foot is still in
contact with the path after he has dropped the ball, he has not taken complete
relief and must re-drop [Rule 20-2c (v)]. Failure to re-drop when there is
still interference results in a loss-of-hole penalty in match play or a
two-stroke penalty in stroke play.
Linda
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