Rules of Golf – Nearest point of relief 04Jan09

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23 Comments

  1. Barry, you might have a point there. Did not see it from that angle. Thanks
    for your well-rounded comments, Peter

  2. Barry, got it. Thanks. In 1976 at my home club the regional mini tour had
    come and us youngsters were of course following our local pro playing. At
    hole #4 he landed right in the rough but luckily for him in a GUR. He took
    his ball to the NPR and dropped it within one club length. However, he
    deliberately dropped it twice on an area where a stone was and after two
    drops=huge bounces he declared that now he had the right to place the
    ball… Maybe according to the rule but not the spirit of golf

  3. Divedown25, If you carry a left-handed club and regularly use it
    left-handed then determining the NPR for a left-handed person and playing
    from there left-handed would not be “a clearly unreasonable stroke “.
    However, I have never experienced anyone who has done this and suggest that
    for 99.9% of right-handed golfers the exception that I quoted in my
    previous email would apply and so they must drop at the NPR for their
    customary right-handed stroke. Barry

  4. Divedown25, I am not sure that I can agree with you there. The Rules often
    work against players, so I have no problem when they use them to their
    advantage. Also, the result of dropping a ball on a stone is by no means
    certain; the result may not be what is desired. Barry

  5. Another situation came to my mind. Assuming that me as a right handed
    player find the situation where I have those two trees in front of me after
    a drop, can I drop as a left handed player and play the following shot as
    left handed by using a normal right handed club twisted as I have seen pros
    do when tight to a tree?

  6. Hi Barry, thanks for answer. Got the fairway/green clear for me. Still
    unclear the right handed vs left handed. I understand that as right handed
    i should drop on the left side but if I opt to play next shot as left
    handed, can I drop myself out of GUR to the right then? Assume I use a
    right handed club cleverly or even carry s left handed iron among my 14
    allowed clubs.

  7. Hi Barry, thanks for vids. If the GUR is in Rough or Semi-rough but when
    dropping the ball within one club length the player will be able to drop on
    fairway or even green, is that allowed or do the ball after a drop have to
    rest in “same” condition as where the GUR is?

  8. Divedown25, A player taking relief from GUR in the rough may drop a ball on
    the fairway, providing it is within the permitted dropping area. They may
    not drop a ball on the putting green (see Rule 25-1b(i), Barry

  9. Divedown25, No, An Exception to Rule 25 (Abnormal Ground Conditions) and
    Rule 24 (Immovable Obstructions) states; “A player may not take relief
    under this Rule if (a) interference by anything other than an abnormal
    ground condition makes the stroke clearly impracticable or (b) interference
    by an abnormal ground condition would occur only through use of a clearly
    unreasonable stroke or an unnecessarily abnormal stance, swing or direction
    of play.” Barry

  10. @andersmic This is hard to describe without a diagram, but remember that
    the player must drop the ball within one club-length of the nearest point
    of relief, not nearer the hole. This means that the imaginary arc in which
    the player may drop their ball will be at an angle running approximately
    south-east of the nearest point of relief. Barry

  11. @glowgolfer @glowgolfer No, If you read the section on taking relief
    abnormal ground conditions, such as GUR, (Rule 25-1b) you will see the
    following words; “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.
    Barry

  12. @LRP6 This was removed from Rule 24-2b in 2000. It was replaced by Note 3:
    “The Committee may make a Local Rule stating that the player must determine
    the nearest point of relief without crossing over, through or under the
    obstruction.” Barry

  13. Jeff, No, the relief is only from the GUR. A tree is not an immovable
    obstruction, it is a natural feature of the course and there is no relief
    from it. The player must play to the side of it. Barry

  14. @glowgolfer This is one of those situations where you have to know all the
    facts of the situation before you can make a ruling. Read the Exception to
    Rule 24-2b, Relief from Immovable Obstruction and you will see that you
    cannot claim relief if the interference by an immovable obstruction would
    occur only through use of an unnecessarily abnormal stance, swing or
    direction of play. The same applies to any other time you are determining
    the nearest point of relief. Barry

  15. Well spotted! My mistake, but I hope that you understand the point that I
    was trying to make. Barry Rhodes

  16. Hey Barry, I have seen on another site, a definition of NPR from an
    immovable object It stated- ‘the spot or point of nearest relief must be
    determined without crossing over, under, or through the immovable
    obstruction. The exception where crossing over, through, or under does not
    apply is to cart paths or artificial surfaces’ Where in the Rules is this
    mentioned?

  17. @9ty9 Thanks Barry. Your answer may have caused a few grumbles but at least
    now we have definitive answer. Cheers Bob P

  18. Thaks Barry. One question though – if the hole location were right in front
    of the arrow, dropping on the right side of the GUR would actually move the
    ball closer to the hole. Is that in violation of the “not nearer to the
    hole” or is that only coming into consideration when dropping the ball
    AFTER having found the nearest point of relief?

  19. The ball once it strikes the ground within that club length, may then roll
    up to two club lengths from that point, but not closer to hole than relief
    pt. So the lucky guy has that ball hit near the one club length out, then
    roll just under two club lengths farther away from where it hit, to avoid
    the tree. usga rule 20-2 c vi. Also, when taking stance to determine
    nearest point relief, must use club youwould hit, but then use a driver to
    measure the one clublength from there.

  20. great video barry. question: supposing that after one drops from the npr,
    the ball settles in such a spot where the tree in your diagram interferes
    with his intended swing or stance. could the player then invoke the
    immovable obstruction rule, allowing him to take free relief? thanks!

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