Golf Rule from Fred Court August 18th 2020

 

Rules Blog 18^th August 2020.

 

Fortunately we are slowly getting back into our normal routine of golf at Clays, time for some of us to have a refresher on rules of the game. Three observations in the last week have prompted me to review the dropping of a ball when permitted under the rules.

Unlike the old rule which required a ball to be dropped from shoulder height to touchdown within the defined area, but allowed to bounce up to 2 club-lengths not nearer the hole.

 

The current rules require the ball to be dropped from Knee height; it must land in the relief area and also come to rest within the relief area. So what is a relief area you may ask? It is an area established by the player as permitted and defined within the rules, for example options when a ball is unplayable; relief from a Red or Yellow penalty area.

 

Players often make errors in such relief and take other influences into consideration; scorecard-markers should be aware of such errors and in fairness to the remainder of the competition field, apply appropriate penalties for an incorrect drop of the ball or playing from the wrong place.

 

            Let’s now take the easy relief area to establish with your options after your ball has entered a Red Penalty area. If you find your ball in the Red Penalty area, you may play the ball as it lies or establish where your ball last crossed the boundary into the area. From this point on the boundary measure the diameter of your relief area two club lengths, not nearer the hole in play using the club intended for your next shot. The imaginary half circle behind this diameter is your relief area and as stated the ball must be correctly dropped into and come to rest in this relief area.

This option is also available should you fail to find your Ball, Don’t forget the penalty of one shot to use this option.

 

If you are playing stroke and distance, or through a line to the flag from a crossing into a yellow area or the position of a ball unplayable, you establish the point from where you are playing and from this point mark the diameter of the relief area one club length either side of the established point; your relief area is the semi circle behind diameter. Again don’t forget the penalty.

 

You have another option for an unplayable ball, which is to measure two club-length radius of your relief area measured either side from the unplayable ball position, (giving, in this case, a relief area half circle of 4 club lengths in diameter) all growth within the relief area is still the relief area and it may be required to establish a second relief area from the dropped ball position under a further penalty.

 

Free relief from a situation such as pathway or casual water produces a quadrant relief area; regardless of surrounding features of the golf course, (you cannot amend the relief area because it places you in a disadvantaged position to drop into the relief area) the relief area is established at nearest position your ball would be, from where the ball is in order to give complete relief from the abnormal condition, from this position measure the radius of the quadrant, and the relief area is the quadrant behind this radius.

Please note depending on direction of play or left vs. right hand players, this complete relief may be a ball position adjacent to the abnormal condition or taking a stance adjacent to the condition and establishing the ball position using the club intended for your next stroke.

From this established full relief-ball position measure the one club length radius not nearer the Hole.

 

Sheriff.