Standing water relief

777twist · August 17, 2008

when the whole course is standing water!

I played yesterday, and the course got about 30 min of hard rain. Every fairway had water on it... So I hit a good one down the middle of a fairway and it's sitting in a puddle about 3 yards in diameter. I want to take relief, but I'm not sure how far I can go to the side without breaking any rules, and I would prefer not to go backwards too much as I would be losing yards...and there was lots of water behind me, so I would probably have to go back 10 or more yards.

Anyway, I guess my question is to take this "full relief" does my stance count when talking about standing water? And how far to the side can I go ...is it really the nearest point, even if it's 10 yards away (no nearer the hole)?

And if there's a spot to drop my ball that's clear enough, but my stance would put me in another puddle, can I keep going to the side until my stance and ball are free from the puddle?

Also, what about if I can find a spot for my ball, but then when I stand there, I sink because it's so wet...it may not be a typical puddle, but it's super saturated?

Normally, I just play the ball where it lies...even if it's in a puddle... but I'm trying to get to the point where the rules aren't always just a negative for me...but where I can use them to my advantage.

Twist

silliwilli · August 17, 2008

you have to take full relief, nearest point.

jjj912 · August 18, 2008

Such water meets the definition of Casual Water, which is an Abnormal Ground Condition. Relief is to drop within one club length of the nearest point of relief. If the nearest point is 10 yards back, then you'll have to go back 10 yards. You do have the option to play the ball as it lies instead of taking relief.

Normally, I just play the ball where it lies...even if it's in a puddle... but I'm trying to get to the point where the rules aren't always just a negative for me...but where I can use them to my advantage.

That's quite a statement, though I suspect you mean something different than what you wrote. One way you take "advantage" of the rules is to know when and how you can get relief, with or without penalty as the case may be. For example, a friend of mine played in an informal tournament the other day. He got in a situation next to a tree where he had to at the ball left-handed. His first attempt missed and his second attempt failed to get him to the fairway. Altogether it took him three strokes to get back into the fairway. Had he been aware of the rules, he would have known that he could have declared the ball unplayable and dropped within two club lengths of where the ball lay. He would have had to take a penalty stroke of course, but he would have had a much better lie and a much better angle to the green. If he had know the rule he would have saved himself at least one stroke and maybe two strokes.

777twist · August 18, 2008

Such water meets the definition of Casual Water, which is an Abnormal Ground Condition. Relief is to drop within one club length of the nearest point of relief. If the nearest point is 10 yards back, then you'll have to go back 10 yards. You do have the option to play the ball as it lies instead of taking relief.

What about to the side? What if 10 yards to the left (but no nearer the hole) is the the nearest point of relief? Is that legal? Is there a limit to the "nearest point of relief?"

777twist · August 18, 2008

That's quite a statement, though I suspect you mean something different than what you wrote.

No, that's actually how I meant it. If I'm even in doubt about a rule, I always take the worse lie or penalty.

But as I get more familier with the rules, I'm able to use them to my advantage.

jjj912 · August 19, 2008

Such water meets the definition of Casual Water, which is an Abnormal Ground Condition. Relief is to drop within one club length of the nearest point of relief. If the nearest point is 10 yards back, then you'll have to go back 10 yards. You do have the option to play the ball as it lies instead of taking relief.

What about to the side? What if 10 yards to the left (but no nearer the hole) is the the nearest point of relief? Is that legal? Is there a limit to the "nearest point of relief?"

The nearest point of relief could be to the side. I don't think there is a limit.

jjj912 · August 19, 2008

That's quite a statement, though I suspect you mean something different than what you wrote.

No, that's actually how I meant it. If I'm even in doubt about a rule, I always take the worse lie or penalty.

But as I get more familier with the rules, I'm able to use them to my advantage.

Part of the reason for the rules is to protect you. I suppose another way to take advantage of the rules is to know them well enough that you when you are in a tournament or a match you can make sure that your fellow-competititors or opponents aren't gaining an unfair advantage. And it works the other way around too. If you know the rules, you avoid a situation where you did something you thought was legal only to find out later that it wasn't and you get whacked with a penalty stroke or a DQ.