April 3rd is National Find a Rainbow Day which is quite fitting since we have sunshine followed by a downpour followed by sunshine, all in about 20 minutes. These rain showers can produce temporary water on the course, but not to worry. Knowing the proper procedure for taking relief from the abnormal course condition will put you on the right path to observe Stress Awareness Month, and ensure you have a pleasant round of golf. Check the Rules of Golf app on your phone, Rule 16, to determine if free relief is allowed in your circumstance, and if so, the proper procedure. The app is free and will work even when there is no service in the area. And even if today is April 1st, that’s no fooling.
The day after we celebrate Easter, we get to celebrate Golfer’s Day. And rain or shine, we should pack the courses on this special day. Should you hit a tree while playing, remember that millions of school children will be planting more trees on the 28th, Arbor Day. So the next time you hit the same tree you hit every time you play, remember that many years ago it might have been planted by yourself or a classmate.
April 15th is Husband Appreciation Day and the 20th is Volunteer Recognition Day. For those that fall into both of those categories, feel free to celebrate all week. Thank you to all who volunteer.
National Take a Chance Day is the 23rd of April, and we dare you to test your knowledge regarding temporary water on the course with the following questions.
Questions: True / False
1) The player’s ball is in a location where the player will need to stand out of bounds in order to advance the ball toward the hole. However, the player will be standing in a puddle of water due to a recent rain shower. Free relief is available since the player is standing in temporary water.
2) The course has marked an area of large rocks and brush as a penalty area. The player’s ball is in the penalty area but it lies in a small puddle of water. Since it is reasonable for the player to make a swing at the ball, they make take free relief from the temporary water by dropping a ball within one club-length of the nearest point of complete relief.
3) If the ball is in a bunker and there is interference by temporary water in the bunker, the player may take free relief. But the nearest point of complete relief, and the relief area where the player must drop the ball, must be in the same bunker.
4) An additional free relief option, available only when the ball lies in a bunker with interference from temporary water, is the back on a line relief option -- by dropping a ball outside the bunker, keeping the spot of the original ball between the hole and the spot where the ball is dropped, with no limit on how far back the ball may be dropped.
5) If temporary water is on the putting green and it interferes only on the player’s intended line of play for the ball being played from the fringe, the player is not allowed relief.
6) The player and several spectators see the ball land in a large area of temporary water. When arriving in the area, the player is unable to locate the ball within the three minutes allowed for searching. The ball is lost and the player must proceed under the stroke and distance option for a lost ball.
7) If the player’s ball lies on the putting green and there is interference to their stance from a puddle of temporary water, the player may take free relief by placing a ball within one club-length of the nearest point of complete relief.
8) In the situation presented in question #7, if the nearest point of complete relief is off the putting green in the general area, the player must drop a ball instead of placing it.
9) Snow and natural ice on the ground may be treated as temporary water and a player is allowed free relief.
10) Temporary water in the teeing area may be removed by the player at any time.
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Answers:
1) False. Rule 16.1a(2). Free relief from an abnormal course condition, such as temporary water, is only allowed when the condition is on the course and …(See question #2).
2) False. Rule 16.1a(2). Continued from question #1. … the ball is not in a penalty area. Therefore, since the ball lies in a penalty area, the player is not allowed free relief but may play the ball as it lies, or proceed under penalty area relief.
3) True. Rule 16.1c. To take free relief in this situation, the player needs to determine the nearest point of complete relief from all interference by the temporary water. This point must not be closer to the hole and is within the bunker. A ball must be dropped within one club-length of this point, in the bunker, not closer to the hole than this point, and where no interference exists for the intended stroke.
4) False. Rule 16.1c(2). The procedure described in this question is an option for taking relief outside the bunker when the ball lies in the bunker with interference from an abnormal course condition. However, it is not a free relief option, but rather comes with one penalty stroke.
5) True. Rule 16.1a and 16.1d. If the ball was on the putting green and an abnormal course condition on or off the putting green intervenes on the line of play, the player is allowed free relief. In the situation presented, the ball was in the general area and no free relief is allowed for interference on the line of play.
6) False. Rule 16.1e. April 14th is Look Up at the Sky Day, so thank your lucky stars that the Rules provide for such a situation without the player incurring a penalty. Since it is known or virtually certain that the ball is in the abnormal course condition, the player is allowed free relief. The estimated point where the ball last crossed the edge of the temporary water is treated as the spot of the ball for the purposes of finding the nearest point of complete relief. Once this reference point has been determined, the player must drop a ball within one club-length and no closer to the hole.
7) False. Rule 16.1d. Most of this question is true since the player is allowed free relief and that he or she will be placing the ball. However, the ball must be placed on the spot of the nearest point of complete relief as the player is not allowed the one club-length relief area (See question #8 for further clarity).
8) False. Rule 16.1d. Since the ball started on the putting green, the player must place the ball on the nearest point of complete relief. This might require the player to place a ball on the fringe, in the fairway or even the tall rough, depending on the layout of the hole.
9) True. Definition of Temporary Water. A player may treat snow and natural ice on the ground as either loose impediments or temporary water. Meaning that free relief is available, or the player may remove the snow or ice under Rule 15.
10) True. Rule 6.2b(3). Before making a stroke, the player may remove water from the teeing area. Please note that removing temporary water from other areas of the course without permission from the Committee is a breach of Rule 8, which comes with the general penalty of loss of hole in match play or two penalty strokes in stroke play.