The Rules Of Golf For Relief Situations

When lifting a ball if may be lifted by the player, his partner or a caddie, but the player will remain responsible for ensuring that the ball is lifted in accordance with the rules of the game. In cases where a ball being lifted is to be replaced, the position of the ball must be marked before it is lifted.

Dropping and Re-dropping.

A ball must be dropped by the player concerned who must stand erect and hold the ball out at shoulder height and arms length when dropping it.

If a ball, once dropped, touches a person or the equipment of any player before it comes to rest it must be re-dropped without penalty.

Where a ball is to be dropped as near as possible to a particular spot it must not be dropped nearer to the hole than that particular spot.

Placing And Replacing.

Only a player or his partner may place a ball and where a ball is lifted or moved it must be re-placed by the person who lifted or moved it.

If the ball fails to come to rest on the spot where it is placed it should be replaced. If it still fails to come to rest:

A player's ball which is lifted while in play will again be in play once it is dropped or placed. Similarly, a substituted ball will be in play as soon as it is dropped or placed.

A New Stroke From A Previous Position.

Where a player is required (or elects) to play his next stroke from the position taken for the previous stroke he must processed as follows:

Playing From The Wrong Place.

A player making a stroke from the wrong place during match play will lose the hole, while in stroke play the player will incur a two stroke penalty.

Rule 21. Cleaning The Ball.

On the putting green a ball may be cleaned when it has been legally lifted. Elsewhere the ball may also be cleaned when lifted except when it has been lifted:

Rule 22. Balls Assisting Or Interfering With Play.

If a player determines that a stationary ball in play may assist another player he may:

In stroke play a player who is requested to lift his ball may elect to play first rather than lift his ball.

If a player considers that another ball at rest may interfere with him playing his own ball he may request that the ball be lifted.

Rule 23. Loose Impediments

Loose impediments may be removed except when both the loose impediment and the ball lie in or touch the same hazard.

If a ball or ball-marker is accidentally moved in the process of removing a loose impediment on the putting green then the ball or ball-marker must be replaced.

A loose impediment which might influence the movement of the ball must not be removed if a ball is in motion.

Rule 24. Movable Obstructions

An obstruction which might influence the movement of the ball, other than the equipment of any player or the flagstick (when attended, removed or held up), must not be moved when a ball is in motion.

Immovable Obstruction

When a ball lies in or on the obstruction, or when the obstruction interferes with the player's stance or the area of his intended swing interference by an immovable obstruction occurs.

Interference also occurs if the player's ball lies on the putting green and an immovable obstruction on the putting green intervenes on his line of putt.

Except when the ball lies in a water hazard or a lateral water hazard, a player may take relief from interference by an immovable obstruction as follows:

A Ball Which Cannot Be Found In A Movable Obstruction.

If a ball cannot be found in a movable obstruction, the player may substitute another ball and take relief without penalty.

A Ball Which Cannot Be Found In An Immovable Obstruction.

If a ball cannot be found in an immovable obstruction, the player may take relief. If he elects to do so, he must determine the spot where the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the obstruction and the ball is deemed to lie at this spot. The player must then proceed as follows:

Rule 25. Abnormal Ground Conditions.

When a ball lies in or touches an abnormal ground condition, or when the condition interferes with the player's stance or the area of his intended swing, then interference by an abnormal ground condition occurs.

Interference also occurs if an abnormal ground condition on the putting green intervenes on a player's line of putt.

Other than circumstances in which the ball is in a water hazard or a lateral water hazard, a player may take relief from interference by abnormal ground conditions as follows:

A Ball in Abnormal Ground Condition Which Cannot Be Found.

If a ball cannot be found in an abnormal ground condition, the player may take relief and the spot where the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the abnormal ground condition must be determined. The ball is then deemed to lie at this spot and the player must proceed as follows:

Embedded Ball.

A ball which is embedded in its own pitch-mark in the ground in any closely mown area through the green may be lifted, cleaned and dropped as near as possible to the spot where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must initially strike a part of the course through the green.

A 'closely mown area' means any area of the course, including paths through the rough, which is cut to fairway height or less.

Wrong Putting Green.

If a player's ball lies on a wrong putting green, he must not play the ball as it lies and must take relief.

The ball must be lifted and dropped within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief, which must not be in a hazard or on a putting green. When dropping the ball within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, the ball must first strike a part of the course at a spot which avoids interference by the wrong putting green and is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.

Rule 26. Water Hazard.

If a ball is in a water hazard or if it is known that a ball that has not been found is in a water hazard (whether the ball lies in water or not), the player may under penalty of one stroke:

A Ball Played Within A Water Hazard.

When a ball which is played from within a water hazard comes to rest in the same or another water hazard the player may:

If a ball played from within a water hazard is lost or deemed unplayable outside the hazard or is out of bounds, the player may, after taking a penalty of one stroke:

Rule 27. A Ball Lost Or Out Of Bounds And Provisional Balls.

A player may, at any time and under penalty of one stroke, play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played.

When a ball is out of bounds, the player must play a ball, under penalty of one stroke, from as near as possible to the spot from which the original ball was last played.

When a ball is lost as a result of not being found or identified as his by the player within five minutes of starting a search for it, the player must play a ball, under penalty of one stroke, from as near as possible to the spot from which the original ball was last played.

When a ball may be lost outside a water hazard or may be out of bounds the player may, to save time, provisionally play another ball.

The player may play a provisional ball until he reaches the spot where the original ball is thought to be. If he makes a stroke with the provisional ball from the place where the original ball is likely to be or from a point nearer the hole than that place, the original ball is lost and the provisional ball becomes the ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance.

When the original ball is lost outside a water hazard or is out of bounds, the provisional ball becomes the ball in play, under penalty of stroke and distance.

When the original ball is neither lost nor out of bounds, the player must abandon the provisional ball and continue playing the original ball. If he makes any further strokes at the provisional ball, he is playing a wrong ball.

Rule 28. Ball Unplayable.

A player may deem his ball unplayable anywhere on the course, other than when the ball is in a water hazard. The player is the sole judge of whether his ball is unplayable and, if the player deems his ball to be unplayable, he must, under penalty of one stroke: