Use The Rules to Your Advantage

Many people seem to apply the rules only in situations that penalize them. In fact many of golf's rules will give you relief when you may not instinctively know that you are entitled to take it. Here are some examples:

Taking free relief
  • Rule 25 – A player may take relief from a burrowing animal hole or runway from such animal including birds and reptiles.
  • Rule 20 - A player may take warranted relief (casual water, ground under repair, cart path, etc) - even if this means the relief would also provide the player relief from another obstacle (such as a tree).
  • Rule 25 - In regards to ground under repair, a player can get relief even if not marked. For example a hole made by a greens keeper or material piled for removal.
Making the most of a “hazardous” situation
  • Rule 15 Striking the wrong ball from within a hazard is not a penalty. This is because you are not entitled to touch your ball when identifying it inside a hazard.
  • Rule 13-4 - A player may ground his club on a bridge in the hazard- the bridge is considered an obstruction and not “ground in a hazard”.
  • Rule 24 - Water hazard stakes are considered obstructions and provided they are readily moveable. They may be removed.
Obstructions
  • Obstructions are any man made object. Any part of such object which is in bounds is an obstruction.
  • A moveable obstruction can be moved without penalty.
  • Interference by an immovable obstruction occurs when a ball lies in or on the obstruction, or so close to the obstruction that the obstruction interferes with the player’s stance or the area of his intended swing. The player is entitled to relief under rule 24
  • Examples of immoveable obstructions include cart paths, fences (except ob boundaries) wooden planks
  • Wooden steps which have been constructed on a steep bank are obstructions Steps which have been cut into a steep bank but which have not been covered with any artificial material such as wooden planks are not obstructions.
Removing objects or impediments
  • Rule 23 - Sand or soil (loose impediments) can be removed from a putting green but not a fairway.
  • Rule 23-3 - A player may move man made objects from a bunker (i.e. soda can, candy bar wrapper). The player may not remove natural objects (i.e. pinecones, apple cores).
Asking advice
  • Rule 8 - You may receive or ask advice from a competitor regarding public information such as yardage, pin positions, or position of hazards.
Playing a second ball
  • Rule 20-7 – A player may play a second ball at any time they are in doubt as to the rules, i.e. When procedure for relief is in doubt, the player may take relief with one ball and play the other as it lies. The ruling can be given at a later time.
On the tee
  • Rule 11 - At the teeing ground, if needed you may go 2 club lengths back from the markers. The markers define the front and the sides of the teeing ground.
Clubs
  • A player who breaks a club during the normal course of play, may replace that club during the round.
The ball
  • Rule 25-2 - If your ball is embedded through the green (i.e. fairway or rough excluding hazards) you may lift, clean, and re-drop your ball no closer to the hole without penalty.
  • Rule 5-1 - A player may borrow a golf ball from his/her opponent or fellow competitor as long as it does not delay play.
Simple guidelines for relief
  • ON IS IN – If a ball is on the hazard line, it is in the hazard. If a ball is on the out of bounds line, it is in bounds.
  • When taking free relief, you are always entitled to one club length. When taking relief with penalty, you are entitled to two club lengths.