Learn the golf rules and amaze your friends and playing partners. Do you get a free drop from an obstruction in golf. Yes, you can drop for free from abnormal course conditions. One club length no nearer the hole.
Rule 16 – Relief from Abnormal Course Conditions (Including Immovable Obstructions), Dangerous Animal Condition, Embedded Ball
Purpose of Rule: Rule 16 covers when and how the player may take free relief by playing a ball from a different place, such as when there is interference by an abnormal course condition or a dangerous animal condition.
These conditions are not treated as part of the challenge of playing the course, and free relief is generally allowed except in a penalty area.
The player normally takes relief by dropping a ball in a relief area based on the nearest point of complete relief.
This Rule also covers free relief when a player’s ball is embedded in its own pitch-mark in the general area.
16.1 Abnormal Course Conditions (Including Immovable Obstructions)
This Rule covers free relief that is allowed from interference by animal holes, ground under repair, immovable obstructions or temporary water:
These are collectively called abnormal course conditions, but each has a separate definition.
This Rule does not give relief from movable obstructions (a different type of free relief is allowed under Rule 15.2a) or boundary objects or integral objects (no free relief is allowed).
a. When Relief Is Allowed
(1) Meaning of Interference by Abnormal Course Condition. Interference exists when any one of these is true:
The player’s ball touches or is in or on an abnormal course condition,
An abnormal course condition physically interferes with the player’s area of intended stance or area of intended swing, or
Only when the ball is on the putting green, an abnormal course condition on or off the putting green intervenes on the line of play.
If the abnormal course condition is close enough to distract the player but does not meet any of these requirements, there is no interference under this Rule.
See Committee Procedures, Section 8; Model Local Rule F-6 (the Committee may adopt a Local Rule denying relief from an abnormal course condition that only interferes with the area of intended stance).
(2) Relief Allowed Anywhere on Course Except When Ball Is in Penalty Area. Relief from interference by an abnormal course condition is allowed under Rule 16.1 only when both:
The abnormal course condition is on the course (not out of bounds), and
The ball is anywhere on the course, except in a penalty area (where the player’s only relief is under Rule 17).
(3) No Relief When Clearly Unreasonable to Play Ball. There is no relief under Rule 16.1:
When playing the ball as it lies would be clearly unreasonable because of something from which the player is not allowed to take free relief (such as when a player is unable to make a stroke because of where the ball lies in a bush), or
When interference exists only because a player chooses a club, type of stance or swing or direction of play that is clearly unreasonable under the circumstances.
See Committee Procedures, Section 8; Model Local Rule F-23 (the Committee may adopt a Local Rule allowing free relief from interference by temporary immovable obstructions on or off the course).
b. Relief for Ball in General Area
If a player’s ball is in the general area and there is interference by an abnormal course condition on the course, the player may take free relief by dropping the original ball or another ball in this relief area (see Rule 14.3):
Reference Point: The nearest point of complete relief in the general area.
Size of Relief Area Measured from Reference Point: One club-length, but with these limits:
Limits on Location of Relief Area:
Must be in the general area,
Must not be nearer the hole than the reference point, and
There must be complete relief from all interference by the abnormal course condition.
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1 Comment
back in my day, we just called this cheating!