Rules

Sprinkler Heads near the putting greens

This rule entitles you to free relief if a sprinkler head is located within two club lengths of the edge of the putting green, within two club lengths of your ball and in your line of play. First, find a spot that is within one club length of your ball's original spot, and no closer to the hole, where the sprinkler is no longer in your line of play. Then drop your ball and play on.

Stroke and Distance for a ball that is lost (not in a penalty area or out of bounds)

Normally for either situation you are to take a penalty of loss of stroke and distance and replay from where you last struck the ball. To use this rule you will need to estimate the spot where your ball either went crossed the out of bounds or is most likely lost. You come back to the fair way perpendicular to that spot. You can then measure two club lengths into the fairway. Drop your ball and under a penalty of two strokes, play on. So for example if your tee shot goes out of bounds or is lost, using the point as mentioned previously, drop your ball and you will now be hitting your fourth shot. Just remember this rule cannot be used if your ball went into a penalty area. This rule has been created mainly for speed of play and is not recommended to be used in serious competition events.

Casual Water

USGA defines “casual water” or “temporary water” as any temporary accumulation of water on the course that is not in a water hazard and is visible before or after the player takes his or her stance.

In other words, “casual water” is water on the golf course that isn’t meant to be there by design. Casual water can be anywhere on a golf course outside the water hazard, which is now called the “penalty area”. If there is water somewhere in the “general area” then is casual or temporary water.

If your ball lies in casual water, you are allowed free relief.

Casual water doesn’t have to be liquid. Snow and naturally occurring ice can be considered either casual water or loose impediments, at the option of the player. In those situations, you can either move the snow or ice away from your ball, or you can choose to take relief from it.

Manufactured ice is considered an obstruction. Dew and frost are not considered casual water.

To determine if your ball is in or lying on casual water is a two part issue:

If your ball is in the general area, is water visible on the surface of the ground underneath your ball before or after you take your stance? Does water squish up to the surface when you put your feet on the ground around the ball? If the answer to both questions is yes, then you get relief from casual water.

Taking relief from casual water is pretty easy. You can pick up your ball, clean it and then you can drop it at the nearest point without casual water that’s no nearer the hole. There is no penalty.

If the player finds their ball or stance in a bunker, there are two options. The player may drop the ball in the bunker at a point that provides maximum available relief (i.e. less water than the current position) without penalty. If that is not good enough, a player can take a one stroke penalty and drop the ball outside the bunker while going back as far as they want, keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and where the ball is dropped.

Player May Decide to Take Unplayable Ball Relief Anywhere Except Penalty Area

A player is the only person who may decide to treat his or her ball as unplayable by taking penalty relief under Rule 19.2 or 19.3.

• Unplayable ball relief is allowed anywhere on the course, except in a penalty area.

• If a ball is unplayable in a penalty area, the player’s only relief option is to take penalty relief under Rule 17.