2007 #5 Be Creative. Rules Can Help You

THE SCENE
At a PGA tournament the weather was bad. The players were allowed to lift, clean and place their ball within 6 inches of where it lay. One player’s drive stopped within a few inches of a sprinkler head. The sprinkler head bothered him but since it didn’t actually interfere with his stance or swing, he wasn’t allowed any relief. But by using the rules creatively he was able to provide himself with free relief of a full club length.

HOW?
He lifted the ball, cleaned it and placed it within 6 inches of where it lay – on the sprinkler head! Then, since his ball was now on an immoveable obstruction he got free relief and was allowed to drop his ball within one club length of his nearest point of relief.

Open your Rules of Golf book to Rule 24-2. You will see the following:
24-2 Immovable Obstruction
a. Interference
Interference by an immovable obstruction occurs 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. ...
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: 
(i) Through the Green: If the ball lies through the green, the player must lift the ball and drop it without penalty within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief. The nearest point of relief must not be in a hazard or on a putting green. When the ball is dropped within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, the ball must first strike a part of the course at a spot that avoids interference by the immovable obstruction and is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.

REMEMBER: Be creative with the Rules. Sometimes they can really help you.