The two golf balls on the right side of the cart path... Under Rule 24-2b Immovable Obstruction - If your ball lies on or near the cart path OR when the obstruction interferes with your stance OR the area of intended swing you may take free relief - you must determine the nearest point of relief no closer to the hole with in one club length and the ball must be dropped 1. You’re entitled to relief from the path; you are NOT entitled to a clear shot. 2. However, because you are entitled to stance and swing relief from the cart path, if the ball is on the right edge of the path it is very possible, if not likely, that the nearest point of complete relief is to the left side of the path for a right-handed golfer. This is where knowing the EXACT procedure you need to follow when taking relief is critical.
You first need to find the reference point, which is the nearest point of complete relief. That point can't be nearer to the hole and must be in the general area (so not in a penalty area). Then you determine the relief area, which is one club length from the reference point, but it also can't be nearer to the hole than the reference point, must be in the general area (not in a penalty area) and still provide complete relief (so it doesn't extend back into the cart path). You aren't entitled to a relief area of any particular size, as long as you have a valid reference point. Once you have the relief area, you must drop the ball in it and the ball must come to rest inside the relief area. If it bounces or rolls out, you would try a second time. If it bounces or rolls out again, you place the ball where it first contacted the relief area on your second attempt. So even if your relief area was hardly bigger than your reference point, you will eventually end up with the ball at or near the reference point (which will always be outside a penalty area).
Thanks for the reply, at our course, we play desert rules, "All non-turf areas are to be played as a lateral penalty area. If the area behind you was a lateral area (red) where would you drop. @@dylankerr2411
An additional point of Penalty Area Relief - only the Ball MUST be in the General Area. Your Stance can still be IN the PA - with the Ball Outside - and this is Legal to Play the Ball from.
Like the content and format so thanks for your time. You may have covered this elsewhere, but just for clarity, what would happen if the bank on the right as you played the hole was instead (i) OOB or (ii) a penalty area, (iii) bunker, (iv) tee or (v) green. Would the nearest point of relief (for the ball on the far right of the path) be 'nicer' in some of these situations? I've seen such nicer relief taken in situation i), ii). Thanks again.
Hi Gavin When the ball is in the "general area" (as is the case here), then the nearest point of relief must also be in the general area. This means it can not be OOB, in a penalty are, bunker, the teeing area of the hole being played, or on the green. The correct point is then likely to be on the "nicer" side of the path.
I suppose you could have a club of opposite handedness in your bag, and use it to take free relief on the side of the path which was more favourable but which wouldn't be available using your normal stance?
You may not use a clearly unreasonable stroke to obtain relief. If, for example, you only carry one left handed club and you used this to gain relief on the more favourable side of the path I would expect you to use this club and play the next stroke left handed if I was refereeing.
I'm right handed. What if I choose to play left handed, to get relief but then in a position to change my mind and seek relief to play right handed as Seve did back in the 80s ?
You would only get relief for the left handed stroke if it was a reasonable stroke without the interference from the path. If you are a right handed player there would be no reason to attempt to play any of the balls in the video with a left handed swing. If you are left handed, it might be reasonable to play the balls on the left in the video with a right handed swing as gaining a stance could be difficult because of the vegetation and the bank. However this would still lead to a drop to the left of the path as we look.
@@keithharris6442 I don't recall the particular incident with Seve, but can remember that he could play almost as well left handed as right (there are stories of him shooting 75 round St Andrews playing left handed). This ability would make a difference to the "reasonability" of attempting the left handed shot. Even so, if there wasn't some other interference for a right handed swing he maybe got away with one....
@@TheGolfRulesGuru the left handed shot choice allowed him to get relief closer to the fairway. When he then stated to play his shot right handed, he would have stood on the path to do so. So they allowed him to move closer still to the fairway so he could hook it to the green. I'll try to find the link
The two golf balls on the right side of the cart path...
Under Rule 24-2b Immovable Obstruction - If your ball lies on or near the cart path OR when the obstruction interferes with your stance OR the area of intended swing you may take free relief - you must determine the nearest point of relief no closer to the hole with in one club length and the ball must be dropped
1. You’re entitled to relief from the path; you are NOT entitled to a clear shot.
2. However, because you are entitled to stance and swing relief from the cart path, if the ball is on the right edge of the path it is very possible, if not likely, that the nearest point of complete relief is to the left side of the path for a right-handed golfer. This is where knowing the EXACT procedure you need to follow when taking relief is critical.
If relief is in a lateral penalty area can the ball be placed in the general area, no closer to the hole
You first need to find the reference point, which is the nearest point of complete relief. That point can't be nearer to the hole and must be in the general area (so not in a penalty area). Then you determine the relief area, which is one club length from the reference point, but it also can't be nearer to the hole than the reference point, must be in the general area (not in a penalty area) and still provide complete relief (so it doesn't extend back into the cart path). You aren't entitled to a relief area of any particular size, as long as you have a valid reference point.
Once you have the relief area, you must drop the ball in it and the ball must come to rest inside the relief area. If it bounces or rolls out, you would try a second time. If it bounces or rolls out again, you place the ball where it first contacted the relief area on your second attempt.
So even if your relief area was hardly bigger than your reference point, you will eventually end up with the ball at or near the reference point (which will always be outside a penalty area).
Thanks for the reply, at our course, we play desert rules, "All non-turf areas are to be played as a lateral penalty area. If the area behind you was a lateral area (red) where would you drop. @@dylankerr2411
An additional point of Penalty Area Relief - only the Ball MUST be in the General Area.
Your Stance can still be IN the PA - with the Ball Outside - and this is Legal to Play the Ball from.
Like the content and format so thanks for your time. You may have covered this elsewhere, but just for clarity, what would happen if the bank on the right as you played the hole was instead (i) OOB or (ii) a penalty area, (iii) bunker, (iv) tee or (v) green. Would the nearest point of relief (for the ball on the far right of the path) be 'nicer' in some of these situations? I've seen such nicer relief taken in situation i), ii). Thanks again.
Hi Gavin
When the ball is in the "general area" (as is the case here), then the nearest point of relief must also be in the general area. This means it can not be OOB, in a penalty are, bunker, the teeing area of the hole being played, or on the green. The correct point is then likely to be on the "nicer" side of the path.
I suppose you could have a club of opposite handedness in your bag, and use it to take free relief on the side of the path which was more favourable but which wouldn't be available using your normal stance?
You may not use a clearly unreasonable stroke to obtain relief. If, for example, you only carry one left handed club and you used this to gain relief on the more favourable side of the path I would expect you to use this club and play the next stroke left handed if I was refereeing.
Thanks
I'm right handed. What if I choose to play left handed, to get relief but then in a position to change my mind and seek relief to play right handed as Seve did back in the 80s ?
You would only get relief for the left handed stroke if it was a reasonable stroke without the interference from the path. If you are a right handed player there would be no reason to attempt to play any of the balls in the video with a left handed swing. If you are left handed, it might be reasonable to play the balls on the left in the video with a right handed swing as gaining a stance could be difficult because of the vegetation and the bank. However this would still lead to a drop to the left of the path as we look.
@@TheGolfRulesGuru I hear you but Seve did as I discibed. Against the spirit of the rules, but technically correct at the time ?
@@keithharris6442 I don't recall the particular incident with Seve, but can remember that he could play almost as well left handed as right (there are stories of him shooting 75 round St Andrews playing left handed). This ability would make a difference to the "reasonability" of attempting the left handed shot. Even so, if there wasn't some other interference for a right handed swing he maybe got away with one....
@@TheGolfRulesGuru the left handed shot choice allowed him to get relief closer to the fairway. When he then stated to play his shot right handed, he would have stood on the path to do so. So they allowed him to move closer still to the fairway so he could hook it to the green. I'll try to find the link