You are playing your third shot on hole #11. There are people working in the bunker short of the green on the right. You aim for the middle of the green. The ball takes off straight then begins to bend to the right, hits the ground and bounces into the bunker where it rolls under the equipment used by the men.
But wait! One of the men reaches down, picks up the ball and tosses it out of the bunker.
What would you do?
A. The man is an outside agency, right? Can’t you play the ball where it lies?
B. You get free relief from the immovable obstruction but you must drop the ball within the bunker.
C. You can pay your way out of the bunker with one penalty shot.
C. is correct.
It is true that the man is an outside agency. If the ball had bounced off him you would be allowed to play the ball as it lies. But since he lifted it you have to replace it. THEN consider your options.
You get free relief from the immovable obstruction. That means that you can drop the ball within one club length of the nearest point of relief (no nearer the hole). But the ball must be dropped within the bunker.
You can get out of the bunker but it will cost you. Draw an imaginary straight line starting at the flagstick. Draw that line through your ball and back out of the bunker as far as you wish. You can drop your ball anywhere on that line behind the bunker under penalty of one stroke. This is a new 2004 Rule.
Open your Rules of Golf Book
Turn to rule #24 Obstructions. You will see:
24-2. Immovable Obstruction
b. Relief
Except when the ball is in a water hazard or a lateral water hazard, a player may take relief from interference by an immovable obstruction as follows:
(ii) In a Bunker: If the ball is in a bunker, the player must lift the ball and drop it either: (a) Without penalty, in accordance with Clause (i) above, except that the nearest point of relief must be in the bunker and the ball must be dropped in the bunker; or (b) Under penalty of one stroke, outside the bunker keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the bunker the ball may be dropped.
C. is correct.
It is true that the man is an outside agency. If the ball had bounced off him you would be allowed to play the ball as it lies. But since he lifted it you have to replace it. THEN consider your options.
You get free relief from the immovable obstruction. That means that you can drop the ball within one club length of the nearest point of relief (no nearer the hole). But the ball must be dropped within the bunker.
You can get out of the bunker but it will cost you. Draw an imaginary straight line starting at the flagstick. Draw that line through your ball and back out of the bunker as far as you wish. You can drop your ball anywhere on that line behind the bunker under penalty of one stroke. This is a new 2004 Rule.
Open your Rules of Golf Book
Turn to rule #24 Obstructions. You will see:
24-2. Immovable Obstruction
b. Relief
Except when the ball is in a water hazard or a lateral water hazard, a player may take relief from interference by an immovable obstruction as follows:
(ii) In a Bunker: If the ball is in a bunker, the player must lift the ball and drop it either: (a) Without penalty, in accordance with Clause (i) above, except that the nearest point of relief must be in the bunker and the ball must be dropped in the bunker; or (b) Under penalty of one stroke, outside the bunker keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the bunker the ball may be dropped.
REMEMBER: You can pay your way out of the bunker when taking relief from an immoveable obstruction.
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