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.

2006 #11 Ball Lost in an Immovable Obstruction

The Scene:
You are playing hole #17, just before the Bay Hill Invitational. You hit a fantastic high drive but it draws, and drops down left of the green. Bang, crack, it hits the grandstand and rattles around underneath. When you arrive at the hole, you walk under the stand and search for your ball. But you can’t find it.

What would you do?
A. Realize that your ball is lost, take a penalty of stroke and distance, go back to the tee and hit again?
B. Determine where your ball entered the grandstand? Take free relief from that spot? Find your nearest point of relief and drop a ball within one club length of that point, no closer to the hole?

B is correct.
The grandstand is an immoveable obstruction and your ball is lost in it.
Open your Rules of Golf book to Rule 24, Obstructions.

24-3. Ball in Obstruction Not Found
(new 2008) It is a question of fact whether a ball that has not been found after having been struck toward an obstruction is in the obstruction. In order to apply this Rule, it must be known or virtually certain that the ball is in the obstruction. In the absence of such knowledge or certainty, the player must proceed under Rule 27-1.

 24-3b. Ball in Immovable Obstruction Not Found
If it is known or virtually certain that a ball that has not been found is in an immovable obstruction, the player may take relief under this Rule. If he elects to do so, the spot where the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the obstruction must be determined and, for the purpose of applying this Rule, the ball is deemed to lie at this spot and the player must proceed as follows:

(i)Through the Green: If the ball last crossed the outermost limits of the immovable obstruction at a spot through the green, the player may substitute another ball, without penalty, and take relief as prescribed in Rule 24-2b(i).

24-2. Immovable Obstruction
 b. Relief
(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.

So, as in B above, determine where your ball entered the grandstand. Take free relief from that spot. Find your nearest point of relief and drop a ball within one club length of that point, no closer to the hole.

REMEMBER: Prior to the Bay Hill Invitational many new structures are built on the course. If you know your ball went into one of them and stayed there, but you can’t find it, your ball is lost in an immoveable obstruction, and you get free relief! Take advantage of the Rules. They can help you.

2005 #4 What if your ball is beside a sprinkler switch box?

THE SCENE:
You are playing hole #7. Your approach shot flies over the green and lands beside a sprinkler switch box. You take your stance but the box interferes with your swing.

What would you do?
A. The box is an immoveable obstruction so you get free relief. Drop your ball within 1 club length of the nearest point of relief, no nearer the hole.
B.  This one is easy. Just hit the ball sideways to avoid the box.
C. Declare the ball unplayable. Take a one stroke penalty and drop within two club lengths.

A is correct. You have interference from an immoveable obstruction.
How do you know this?
The box is an immovable obstruction.

Look in your Rules of Golf book under Definitions. Find Obstruction. It says:
An “obstruction’’ is anything artificial, including the artificial surfaces and sides of roads and paths and manufactured 
ice, except:
a. Objects defining out of bounds, such as walls, fences, stakes and railings;
b. Any part of an immovable artificial object that is out of bounds; and
Any construction declared by the Committee to be an integral part of the course. 

An obstruction is a movable obstruction if it may be moved without unreasonable effort, without unduly delaying play and without causing damage. Otherwise it is an immovable obstruction.

You do have interference. Look at Rule #24-2a
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.

You do get free relief. Look at Rule #24-2b
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.

So, just drop your ball within 1 club length of the nearest point of relief (see rule above) and play. (No penalty.)

REMEMBER: If your ball is next to an immovable obstruction that interferes with your stance or swing you get FREE relief.

2004 #3 Relief from Immoveable Obstruction in Bunker

The Scene:
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.

REMEMBER: You can pay your way out of the bunker when taking relief from an immoveable obstruction.