Rule 24-2(b) Exception

[Michael Frame]

This is my first time posting to this forum, so please excuse stupidity, or repeating an oft asked question. Here goes:

Rule 24-2(b) has an "Exception" that says you may not take relief if "it is clearly unreasonable for him to make a stroke because of interference by anything other than the immovable obstruction ..."

I take this to mean that you may not take relief if (for example) you would put yourself into what a reasonable person would consider an unplayable lie. I assume you must leave the ball where it lies (say on a cart path) and either play it there, or declare it unplayable, take a one stroke penalty, and use rule 28 to determine how to play his next stroke.

Am I right? This is a major controversy within my golf group.

Thanks,

Mike

[Gary Hill]

This is my first time posting to this forum, so please excuse stupidity, or repeating an oft asked question. Here goes:

Rule 24-2(b) has an "Exception" that says you may not take relief if "it is clearly unreasonable for him to make a stroke because of interference by anything other than the immovable obstruction ..."

I take this to mean that you may not take relief if (for example) you would put yourself into what a reasonable person would consider an unplayable lie. I assume you must leave the ball where it lies (say on a cart path) and either play it there, or declare it unplayable, take a one stroke penalty, and use rule 28 to determine how to play his next stroke.

Am I right? This is a major controversy within my golf group.

Thanks,

Mike

Correct.

An example would be if your ball is deep within a tangle of exposed tree roots.
It is clearly unreasonable to make a stroke at the ball.
You notice a permanent ball wash station two feet from your ball.
You cannot invoke Rule 24-2 and claim interference by the ball washer.

[Kilroy]

I take this to mean that you may not take relief if (for example) you would put yourself into what a reasonable person would consider an unplayable lie

If your only relief from the immovable obstruction (cart path) is deep in the long grass (probably unplayable) there is nothing stopping you from dropping there in the rule. You would probably opt to play from the path though. Happened to me last week.