Hi Linda,
A few days back we had an interesting situation with respect
to a temporary local rule allowing preferred lies.
The club hosting the event had suffered some significant
disease to their fairways, resulting in bare patches, that prompted their
committee to allow placing on your own fairway “within one club-length, not
nearer the hole”.
On two quite separate occasions, players whose ball was on
their own fairway, but just off the green sought relief under this temporary
local rule to place their ball on the putting green, as doing so was within 1
club-length and not nearer the hole from where it was originally at rest.
After considerable debate it was decided by the rules
officials that this was not permissible, the ball should be placed on the
fairway, and all parties agreed, but several different explanations were given.
Can you please confirm exactly why this is not permissible?
Lou from Wellington, New Zealand
Dear Lou,
I am puzzled as to why this debate among rules officials was
“considerable.” It should not have taken any longer than the small amount of
time necessary to open the rulebook to the Appendix, Part A, and read the
wording of the recommended Local Rule for “preferred lies.” I have printed it
below in its entirety. The sentence that answers your question is the last
sentence of the first paragraph. Note that there is no requirement to place the
ball “on the fairway” – the distance limit for placement is simply the distance
decided by the Committee (one club-length, in your case).
I would suggest that everyone read the entire Local Rule with attention to the details. I have
received numerous questions regarding different aspects of this Local Rule this
year. A careful reading would have answered all of those questions.
3. Course Conditions
b. "Preferred
Lies" and "Winter Rules"
A ball lying on a closely-mown area through the green (or specify a more restricted area, e.g., at the 6th hole)
may be lifted without penalty and cleaned. Before lifting the ball, the player
must mark its position. Having lifted the ball, he must place it on a spot
within (specify area, e.g., six inches, one club-length, etc.) of and not
nearer the hole than where it originally lay, that is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.
A player may place his ball only once,
and it is in play when it has been placed (Rule 20-4). If the ball fails
to come to rest on the spot on which it was placed, Rule 20-3d applies. If the ball when placed comes to rest on the spot
on which it is placed and it subsequently moves, there is no penalty
and the ball must be played as it lies, unless the provisions of any other Rule apply.
If the player fails to mark the
position of the ball before lifting it, moves the ball-marker prior to putting
the ball back into play or moves the ball in any other manner, such as rolling
it with a club, he incurs a penalty of one stroke.
Note: "Closely-mown area" means any area of the course, including paths
through the rough, cut to fairway height or less.
Linda
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