The recent rash of wet weather has been hard on golfers who prefer to play the bump and run style. The pro shop staff will tell you that the moisture means the greens are "holding nicely". The trouble is, so are the fairways, and the rough, and lots of other areas around the course that are normally dry. After all the rain this month, there is not a lot of bounce in the course right now.
Wet weather can lead to challenging course conditions. Standing water creates instant water hazards and saturated ground can cause balls to plug wherever they land. The real question is how to play the next shot. One tendency is for players to simply bump their balls to a more playable positions before hitting the next shot. Some players will claim relief under "Winter rules" or the rule of "preferred lies", but such rules don't really exist in the the official Rules of Golf (RoG).
Since 2004 the RoG have not included direct references to preferred lies. Appendix 1 of the Rules of Golf does entitle local courses to set local rules against abnormal temporary conditions, but even these local ground rules follow certain guidelines. Relief is normally restricted to closely cut surfaces through the green: in other words - in the fairway. If one is entitled to relief due an embedded lie or standing water the sequence of subsequent actions is usually: declare, mark, lift, clean,drop or place.
If folks are just playing a casual game with friends, no one is likely to get too excited if someone simply rakes their ball out of the muck to set up on the first available dry spot. However, if people are engaged in any sort of match, be it a friendly competition for coffee, a round in the match play tournament, a Commercial League fixture or formal tournament play, its always best to play to the letter of the rules. Don't assume any right to relief without checking with your competitor(s) and/or rules committee.
Things get particularly touchy if players improve lies while in a hazard, sandtrap, the rough or in the fringe. It is not ok to bump your ball forward to a better lie. If a ball has come to rest up against the collar of the fringe or lip of a trap, it still should be played from where it lies. It can be tricky when water hazards have jumped their regular banks or edges. Hazards are generally marked by stakes of varying colors. Lateral hazards are red staked. If your ball is within the hazard it must be played as it lies, or, in the case of red stakes, players can drop a ball at point of entry with a one stroke penalty. If the the hazard has grown beyond its regularly defined boundaries and grass can be clearly seen beneath the ball,then Rule 25 dealing with abnormal conditions, like standing water, can be applied and players are entitled to a degree of relief.
The key point of clarification will be whether or not the ball is in the hazard because it was hit there or because the hazard has jumped its boundaries. Sometimes consensus is hard to find. Ownership seems to be the determining factor - as in if the ball belongs to you then relief is clearly warranted. If the ball belongs to your competitor then maybe not so much.
Hopefully with the coming of August the rains will now stop and the question of improving lies will, like the puddles, slowly drain away! The positive side effect of all this moisture is that the course is still lush and green deep into the summer. The fairways are nicely defined and the mower is leaving clear patterns to guide players' efforts to line up shots. Hopefully by keeping shots on the short grass the only bumping that will need to happen is when players tap in their short putts to post a good score!
Since 2004 the RoG have not included direct references to preferred lies. Appendix 1 of the Rules of Golf does entitle local courses to set local rules against abnormal temporary conditions, but even these local ground rules follow certain guidelines. Relief is normally restricted to closely cut surfaces through the green: in other words - in the fairway. If one is entitled to relief due an embedded lie or standing water the sequence of subsequent actions is usually: declare, mark, lift, clean,drop or place.
If folks are just playing a casual game with friends, no one is likely to get too excited if someone simply rakes their ball out of the muck to set up on the first available dry spot. However, if people are engaged in any sort of match, be it a friendly competition for coffee, a round in the match play tournament, a Commercial League fixture or formal tournament play, its always best to play to the letter of the rules. Don't assume any right to relief without checking with your competitor(s) and/or rules committee.
Things get particularly touchy if players improve lies while in a hazard, sandtrap, the rough or in the fringe. It is not ok to bump your ball forward to a better lie. If a ball has come to rest up against the collar of the fringe or lip of a trap, it still should be played from where it lies. It can be tricky when water hazards have jumped their regular banks or edges. Hazards are generally marked by stakes of varying colors. Lateral hazards are red staked. If your ball is within the hazard it must be played as it lies, or, in the case of red stakes, players can drop a ball at point of entry with a one stroke penalty. If the the hazard has grown beyond its regularly defined boundaries and grass can be clearly seen beneath the ball,then Rule 25 dealing with abnormal conditions, like standing water, can be applied and players are entitled to a degree of relief.
The key point of clarification will be whether or not the ball is in the hazard because it was hit there or because the hazard has jumped its boundaries. Sometimes consensus is hard to find. Ownership seems to be the determining factor - as in if the ball belongs to you then relief is clearly warranted. If the ball belongs to your competitor then maybe not so much.
Hopefully with the coming of August the rains will now stop and the question of improving lies will, like the puddles, slowly drain away! The positive side effect of all this moisture is that the course is still lush and green deep into the summer. The fairways are nicely defined and the mower is leaving clear patterns to guide players' efforts to line up shots. Hopefully by keeping shots on the short grass the only bumping that will need to happen is when players tap in their short putts to post a good score!
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