Corrections: Thanks to Jeff Gilham who has pointed
out that in my second illustration the nearest point
of relief for a left handed player is probably below
the GUR area rather than to the right hand side.
Also, check out the third comment below re standing
on a wrong putting green to play a ball that is not
on thet putting green.
I hope that you are now clear as to how to find the nearest point of relief and when that option is available to you. The most important thing to remember is that it is the ‘nearest’ point of relief, and not the ‘nicest’. You don’t get to choose where to drop, as it is a matter of fact. Where most golfers go wrong is that they assume that taking ‘relief’ means that they should be left with a clear, unobstructed shot in the direction of the putting green, whereas the relief is only from the condition that the Rules allow the drop from and does not relate to any other adverse condition or difficulty on the course. Hence, the nearest point of relief, from which the one club-length’s relief must be taken, could be in deep rough, on a steep slope, in the middle of a bush, on cracked earth, behind an immovable obstruction, or even, in the middle of the trunk of a large tree (see Decision 24-2b/3.7).
I am confident that if you watch your fellow competitors, or opponents, carefully over your next few rounds you will soon come across situations where they are about to drop in a wrong place because they don’t know how to locate the nearest point of relief. Handle the situation tactfully and you could save them incurring penalties in the future.
Good golfing,
Barry Rhodes
rules@barryrhodes.com
13 comments:
Barry,
Am I right in saying that taking the drop within 1 club length not nearer to the hole. the ball may rest anywhere in an area within 2 club length from the NPR??
thanks
JT,
Yes, that's right. Part of Rule 20-2c states that if a ball when dropped comes to rest more than two club-lengths from where it first struck part of the course, or comes to rest nearer the hole than its original position, it must be re-dropped.
Barry
Whilst this analysis is correct for the example shown, of GUR, it is not correct for ball on wrong putting green, one of the cases mentioned in the intro. Rule 25-3 a) clearly states that "Interference to a player's stance or area of his intended swing is not, of itself, interference under this rule." The player therefore has the possibility of taking his stance on the wrong putting green, which would then give him the option of choosing either side, in the (unlikely) equidistant case
You are absolutely correct. A player may stand on a wrong putting green to make a stroke at their ball that is not on that putting green. Thanks for pointing this out.
Barry
Could a right handed golfer in this situation elect to play there next shot left handed and take there nearest point of relief on the right hand side of the g.u.r. then once he dropped his ball play the shot right handed,assuming his stance was outside the area of g.u.r.
MLP,
No, this is not permitted. The exception to Rule 24-2 states;
"Exception: A player may not take relief under this Rule if (a) it is clearly unreasonable for him to make a stroke because of interference by anything other than an immovable obstruction or (b) interference by an immovable obstruction would occur only through use of an unnecessarily abnormal stance, swing or direction of play."
BY DEFINITION OF THE NEAREST POINT OF RELIEF,DOES SIMULATING YOUR ADDRESS POSITION AS IF THE IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTION IS NOT THERE MEAN THAT THE SLOPE BE THE SAME, BE IT FLAT OR STEEP?
DOES THE SLOPE AFFECT YOUR ADDRESS POSITION?
Anonymous,
Yes, you assume the same stance that you would make if the immovable obstruction was not there. So, if there is a slope where you would be making a stroke, then your stance will be on that slope and it will affect the simulated address position.
Barry
Barry,
Here is, perhaps, another variation on the election of changing sides of a swing. A golfer's ball is in the margins of a bush. The golfer has a reasonable play, LEFT handed, to advance the ball (He has no reasonable RIGHT handed play). When taking his Left-handed stance his is on a cart path. Can he take relief from the cart path and then play his next shot RIGHT handed?
Granitebaynotary,
Yes, Decision 24-2b/17 confirms that the player is entitled to relief in these circumstances where an abnormal (left-handed) stroke is necessary and reasonable.
Quoting from the Decision;
The proper procedure is for the player to take relief for a left-handed stroke in accordance with Rule 24-2b(i).
The player may then use a normal right-handed swing for his next stroke. If the obstruction interferes with the swing or stance for the right-handed stroke, the player may take relief for the right-handed stroke in accordance with Rule 24-2b(i).
Barry
player takes a drop ( ball on cart path) drops ball buts stands on cartpath to take stroke
Frank,
In these circumstances the player has not taken proper relief from the path (an immovable obstruction) Therefore, if they make their stroke from this position, they have played from a wrong place, incurring a penalty of two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play.
Barry
Frank,
In these circumstances the player has not taken proper relief from the path (an immovable obstruction) Therefore, if they make their stroke from this position, they have played from a wrong place, incurring a penalty of two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play.
Barry
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