Ok to take relief or not??

[Robobum]

Can anyone shed some light on this situation?

Pulled drive which sits about 2” off the left hand side of a cart path. About 2” further left is the start of a lateral water hazard (typical Spanish affair to keep play moving). I couldn’t play the shot “normally” as the hedge that lined the path was too thick to stand in/ against.
If I play the shot left handed with club hanging toe down, I could move the ball 20 yards or so back towards the fairway and to play this way I’d be standing on the cart path.

Q1. Is it okay to take the relief from the cart path because I chose to play left handed?
Q2. Am I right in thinking I can’t then drop into the water hazard, so would need to go to the other side of the cart path?

On the other side of the cart path is another 7 foot hedge, dense and thick (the hedge, not me!!) and so I can’t take a stance to get my nearest point of relief.

Q3. Do I just estimate where that would be and take a club length from there?

Thanks in advance

 

[Colin L]

Struggling slightly to get the picture but here is what I think is relevant to your question.

1. If playing left handed is clearly the only way you could play a shot had an obstruction not been there, then yes you can take relief from that obstruction. Once you have established the nearest point relief and correctly dropped, you are not required to play your shot left handed!

2. The nearest point of relief cannot be in a hazard.

3. The nearest point of relief might be in a bush, the middle of a tree where it is physically impossible to get to. If so, you estimate where the NPR and drop within 1 club length.

In your situation you might end up being better off just playing your LH shot which is why it is best to think through your options before lifting the ball.

 

[DCB]

I struggled to visualise it all. Ended up thinking playing it as it lay was possibly best option as the hedge on the other side didn't sound like the place to go to

 

[Colin L]

Just to add to what I said above, if a left handed stroke is reasonable in the circumstances and you take relief from the path, you should establish the nearest point of relief for a left handed stroke and drop within a club length. You are then entitled to play a right handed stroke and if you have interference from the obstruction you can proceed again to take relief.

 

[Robobum]

Thanks Colin, I think you've "seen it" correctly.

The buggy path was lined on both sides by 7' high hedges. In the bush on the left hand side were the lateral stakes. My ball was in between the path and the hazard. I couldn't get my backside into the hedge to play a conventional right handed shot, so took option to play left handed.

So I was correct in option to take drop, and that I couldn't drop to left of path as that was in the hazard.

I think it may have been an incorrect drop on the right of the path........

As the bush was tight up against the path, I estimated my nearest point (playing right handed) which was on the grass slope through the hedge and took a clubs length from there. This got me out far enough to punch one up the fairway.

Further question - if I took the drop left handed right next to the path (right hand side) with the ball pretty much under the bush. Could I then choose to hit that shot right handed and take relief from the path (stance) again?

Sounds complicated, I know. Will try to do a rudimentary pic.

 

[Colin L]

Further question - if I took the drop left handed right next to the path (right hand side) with the ball pretty much under the bush. Could I then choose to hit that shot right handed and take relief from the path (stance) again?

If the only shot available in the first place was left-handed, you should have found the NPR for a left-handed shot and dropped accordingly. You could then choose to play a right-handed shot and if there was interference from the path you could look for relief again. But, be careful. If your drop left you "pretty much under the bush", was a stroke practicable, could you actually play the ball from under the bush? If a stroke was impracticable ie couldn't be done, you would not be allowed relief from the path again and you would be faced with proceeding under penalty with an unplayable ball.

 

[DCB]

Robobum

Why did you hit it in there in the first place

 

[Robobum]

After the "left handed" drop a shot was definitely available right handed. By standing on the path I could have poked a shot low under the bush out onto the hole and back playable.

It looks like I ended up with the drop being in the correct place but arrived at that conclusion incorrectly. (I think)

Thanks for input Colin.

 

[Robobum]

Robobum

Why did you hit it in there in the first place

To be fair, finding the golf course off the tee was an achievment the way I was chopping it!!!

 

[duncan mackie]

After the "left handed" drop a shot was definitely available right handed. By standing on the path I could have poked a shot low under the bush out onto the hole and back playable.

It looks like I ended up with the drop being in the correct place but arrived at that conclusion incorrectly. (I think)

Thanks for input Colin.

Agre with Colin, but just to tidy up -

1. as long as you couldn't stand clear of the path on the left, and drop a ball anywhere but in the hazard you will be correct to establish the LH NPR on the right of the path.
2. as you didn't actually drop the ball there you have played from a wrong place, and in the situation outlined this would certainly be a serious breach and, if not corrected, you would be DQ. It doesn't matter that had you dropped in the correct place you would probably be able to get relief from there and drop it in the place you finally dropped it!
3. you have to drop it and establish the new relief situation, assessing practicability on the basis of where the ball actually ends up.
4. yes, if you can't stand in the bush you have to estimate the NPR on the basis of your being in the bush!

Strangely these situations seem common to some Spanish courses.

 

[Robobum]

Agre with Colin, but just to tidy up -

1. as long as you couldn't stand clear of the path on the left, and drop a ball anywhere but in the hazard you will be correct to establish the LH NPR on the right of the path.
2. as you didn't actually drop the ball there you have played from a wrong place, and in the situation outlined this would certainly be a serious breach and, if not corrected, you would be DQ. It doesn't matter that had you dropped in the correct place you would probably be able to get relief from there and drop it in the place you finally dropped it!
3. you have to drop it and establish the new relief situation, assessing practicability on the basis of where thie ball actually ends up.
4. yes, if you can't stand in the bush you have to estimate the NPR on the basis of your being in the bush!

Strangely these situations seem common to some Spanish courses.

Thanks Duncan