Linda,
It’s been raining in northern California and it takes time
for the traps to drain.
If I hit a ball in the trap, and it ends up in a pool of
water, may I drop the ball in a sandy section of the trap, no penalty?
Thank you,
Lou from Pleasanton, California
Dear Lou,
Casual water is an abnormal ground condition under the Rules
of Golf. Players are entitled to free relief from casual water [Rule 25-1].
When the casual water is in a bunker, free relief is
available only for a drop in the bunker.
The player must drop within one club-length of the nearest point of relief in the bunker that is no
closer to the hole.
Since the Rules require that a free-relief drop be in the bunker, it
is not required that the player find complete
relief from the casual water if complete relief is not available. He may drop his ball on a spot where the water is
more shallow [Rule 25-1b (ii)]. However, that spot must not be closer to the
hole. If there is no spot to drop the ball in the bunker that is not closer to
the hole, or the player prefers to take his relief from the casual water outside the bunker, the player’s drop will be on the flagline, and he
will incur a one-stroke penalty. The player may also deem his ball unplayable
and drop where he hit his previous stroke, adding one penalty stroke to his
score.
If several bunkers become completely filled with water, the
Committee has the option to provide free relief without penalty from those
specific bunkers. Please read Decision 33-8/27 for the details of this Local
Rule.
Linda
Copyright © 2017 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
