Thoughts on this ruling please.

[sawtooth]

On the course today whilst our group was waiting on the 15th tee , I looked across to the 8th where a group were discussing where to drop the ball that landed on the path.

Where should it be dropped? area A or area B? area A is unfortunate for the player because his 3rd shot would be from behind tree/bush. The player is right handed (if that makes a difference).

I've tried to illustrate attached.

 

[Imurg]

If it's a scale(ish) pic then probably A
But the nearest point of full relief could be B depending on exactly where the ball was on the path. Don't forget, if you pick A then your feet have to be off the path to get full relief.....in that instance B may be the one.

 

[sawtooth]

The ball was closer to the edge near area A.

 

[Imurg]

Then A is probably the drop zone.
Harsh but hey - that's golf.....

 

[bobmac]

Or....

 

[sawtooth]

Then A is probably the drop zone.
Harsh but hey - that's golf.....

Thats what I thought but you mentioned feet have to be off the path. Can a player drop within a club length from the path (area A) and have both feet clear of the path? If not does he then have to drop in area B?

 

[SocketRocket]

Its the 'Nearest point of relief no nearer the hole' not the 'Nicest' . The nearest point will be the side of the path the ball is nearest to, you can drop the ball within one clubs length of the nearest point. If the ball is exactly in the middle of the path it can be dropped either side, no nearer to the pin.

 

[bobmac]

Or......

 

[SocketRocket]

Or......

The 'OR' must be taking an unplayable lie or playing it from where it lies

 

[bobmac]

The 'OR' must be taking an unplayable lie or playing it from where it lies

That's what I was thinking. If the drop has to be behind a tree, I might chose to play it from where it lies.

The nearest point will be the side of the path the ball is nearest to,

Can you explain this a bit more please?

 

[SGC001]

The nearest point of relief is just that it is the nearest point of relief no nearer the hole.

It is the nearest point of relief, but it is full relief of stance and swing. This means the ball can be closer to one side and yet you still have to drop it the other side. This is where right and left handed would have an effect. You work out the nearest point with this full relief to determine where you get a club length from.

Oh and he could always play it as it lies unless it's a must drop area, which I doubt a path would be.

It gets more complicated when you take your relief from the initial condition and then find your due relief from another situation (such as set of fence posts that may be next to one side of a path). Here you just take relief (determining the nearest point of relief) drop it or whatever and then take relief all over again.

Edit: Oh and you should be using the club you intend to play the shot with to help determine the nearest point (a ball will most likely be further away form you with a driver than a wedge). You don't have to use that club if you drop it and get a lie you don't like.

 

[SocketRocket]

You cannot take additional relief just because your swing may hit an object. That would only be the case if the object was such as a staked tree or immovable object that was allowed by local rule.

 

[rosecott]

You should:

1. Mark where the ball lies.
2. Mark where the ball would lie on side A, having taken your stance off the path i.e NPR on side A.
3. Mark where the ball would lie on side b i.e. NPR which is not on the path.
4. Measure the distance from the ball to NPR on side A, then from ball to NPR on side B.

Whichever is the shorter distance, then that is THE NPR and you then have 1 clublength from there.

 

[SGC001]

Glad you agree with the due relief from another situation part of the post.

 

[rosecott]

Its the 'Nearest point of relief no nearer the hole' not the 'Nicest' . The nearest point will be the side of the path the ball is nearest to, you can drop the ball within one clubs length of the nearest point. If the ball is exactly in the middle of the path it can be dropped either side, no nearer to the pin.

Not so. If it was in the middle of the path, the NPR would definitely be on side B

 

[CliveW]

Not so. If it was in the middle of the path, the NPR would definitely be on side B

Agreed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2gPHxdg7oQ

 

[sawtooth]

Not so. If it was in the middle of the path, the NPR would definitely be on side B

I guess this is true for a right handed player in this case? A leftie wouldnt need to worry about the stance if playing from side A. Is that correct?

If you have a visual aid to help clear this up that would be great because I'm still confused by this. Cheers.

 

[SocketRocket]

Can you explain this a bit more please?

We had a guy from the R&A this year at our club give a talk on the Rules. One of the things he spoke about was where you should drop the ball if it lay on a path. He explained that you must drop the ball on the side of the path that is nearest to the point where the ball lay, as long as it is possible to take full relief. For example, if there was an OOB boundry on that side of the path that prohibited you from taking relief then you should drop the ball on the other side.

As explained if the ball is in the middle you must take into consideration your stance when considering the nearest point.

 

[SocketRocket]

Agreed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2gPHxdg7oQ

Thats correct, I was wrong there. I should have said that the NP was from where you took your stance.

 

[SGC001]

We had a guy from the R&A this year at our club give a talk on the Rules. One of the things he spoke about was where you should drop the ball if it lay on a path. He explained that you must drop the ball on the side of the path that is nearest to the point where the ball lay, as long as it is possible to take full relief. For example, if there was an OOB boundry on that side of the path that prohibited you from taking relief then you should drop the ball on the other side.

This year?

I seem to vaguely recall something a while backs about not been able to cross the condition (so for example you were taking relief form a staked tree and the tree you were taking relief from was on the left it had to stay on the left). I think that went out a while ago and you wouldn't exactly be crossing a condition if you're on it).

The nearest point must take into consideration the stance (may have changed in the new rule book but I don't recall noticing that), so I don't know if there was some misunderstanding with the guy from the R and A (maybe he said or meant after you've taken full relief???, but that is certainly not my interpretation of the rules without referring to the rule book.