Many players associate a strong knowledge of the Rules of Golf with penalties and procedures that can be detrimental to their score. In reality, knowing the Rules can actually save you strokes on the course in many cases. The Rules can turn boulders into large pebbles, and even turn right into left!
Here’s an example involving an out of bounds fence. Remember, when an out of bounds fence or stake interferes with the lie of a player’s golf ball, area of intended swing or stance there is no free relief. The player may play the ball as it lies or declare his ball to be unplayable under a penalty of one stroke and drop away from the fence.
During the recent USGA State Team Championship which was held at the Country Club of St. Albans (just outside of St. Louis) I had a ruling with a right-handed player whose stance and area of intended swing had interference from a boundary fence running along the left-hand side of the hole. His ball also happened to come to rest on a cart path. The player requested relief from the path and started to determine his nearest point of relief as a right handed player. I informed him that he was not entitled to relief right handed because the way the ball was positioned, it would have been impossible for him to play the stroke in that direction as the fence would have blocked his stance and swing. I proceeded to ask him, “If the cart path wasn’t here, how would you play this shot?” He responded that he would play the stroke left handed, which was clearly the only shot he could play under this circumstance. A little light bulb went on in his head, and he then asked if he could take relief as a left handed player.
The answer, of course, was yes.
In the Decisions on the Rules of Golf, Decision 24-2b/17 covers the player’s relief in this situation. Even though he is carrying a set of right-handed clubs and clearly plays the game from that side of the ball, in this situation he is entitled to take relief from the cart path as a left-handed player.
To proceed, he must now measure his nearest point of relief as if he was left handed. After determining this point he then must drop the ball within one club-length that is no closer to the hole and avoids interference from the path as if he would play the shot left handed. Once he has dropped the ball it is in play, and he may then play the shot right-handed if he chooses. Now, in addressing the ball right-handed if he has interference from the cart path he may take relief again, or play the ball as it lies. If he chooses to take relief from the path in this case, he must now do so as if he were going to play the stroke his natural way, right-handed.
This situation may seem strange and unfair to some people, but this is another case where knowing the Rules can help save you strokes on the golf course.
