When you take relief under a Rule, each Rule will require you to drop a ball in a specific relief area. While the size and location of that area will differ depending on the Rule, you will always determine your relief area by following this procedure:
(1) Establish a reference point. The Rule you are playing under will tell you where this point must be (e.g., back on the line, within two club-lengths of where the ball crossed an edge, right behind where the ball was embedded, etc.). It is recommended that you place a tee (or other object) in the ground to mark your reference point; this will save you time-wasting arguments about whether your ball rolled closer to the hole.
(2) The size of your relief area will be either one or two club-lengths from the reference point. All relief areas are one club-length except for the two lateral drops that are two club-lengths: lateral relief from a penalty area, and lateral relief for an unplayable ball. The relief area may have other limitations such as:
• on which area of the course you must drop the ball (e.g., general area; in or outside a bunker or penalty area)
• not nearer the hole than your reference point
• no interference by the condition from which you are taking relief
No matter what club you use to measure the size of the relief area, the actual relief area is the length of your longest club (except a long putter).
No matter what club you use to measure the size of the relief area, the actual relief area is the length of your longest club (except a long putter).
When you drop your ball in the relief area, you must drop it from knee height (the height of your knee when you are standing straight, not kneeling), it must fall straight down (you may not throw, spin, or roll the ball), it must hit the course in the relief area, and it must not touch any part of your body before it touches the relief area. If the ball hits you or your equipment after it hits the relief area, it is in play, provided it remains in the relief area. The ball must come to rest in the relief area. If the ball is dropped correctly (the rulebook calls this the “right way”) and rolls out of the relief area, you must drop it a second time. After an unsuccessful second drop, you must place the ball where it hit the relief area after the second drop.
If you do not drop the ball in the "right way," it does not count as one of your two drops. There is no limit to how many times you may drop a ball in the wrong way. If you drop in the wrong way and hit it, you will get a one-stroke penalty if you hit it from within the relief area, or a two-stroke penalty if you hit it from outside the relief area.
If you do not drop the ball in the "right way," it does not count as one of your two drops. There is no limit to how many times you may drop a ball in the wrong way. If you drop in the wrong way and hit it, you will get a one-stroke penalty if you hit it from within the relief area, or a two-stroke penalty if you hit it from outside the relief area.
Click on this link to watch a USGA video explaining how to measure the size of your relief area and drop your ball:
http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/rules-modernization/major-changes/measuring-the-size-of-the-relief-area.html
Copyright © 2018 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2018 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
