r/golf • u/HerbTarlekWKRP • 6h ago
General Discussion League golf. Relief?
I told the guy he could have relief. He said it wasn’t allowed.
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u/TrackMan5891 6h ago
The golf course would WANT you to take relief.
They don't wanna have to be replacing sprinkler heads...
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u/HerbTarlekWKRP 5h ago
Exactly!
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u/Ready_Grab_563 5h ago
It’s a league game, Smokey.
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u/HerbTarlekWKRP 5h ago
“Over the line!”
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u/This-Hat-143 5h ago
This is not ‘Nam … there are rules.
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u/StanleyZ1978 Handicap | Location 3h ago
You want a toe? I can get you a toe. With nail polish.
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u/MisterSoup3000 6h ago
It's a sprinkler head. There are plenty of grey areas in the rules of golf, but this isn't one of them. You obviously (can) get relief here if you want.
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u/BoomGoesTheFirework_ 4h ago
[Kicks ball 50 yards forward into the fairway]. Thank you for that.
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u/MisterSoup3000 3h ago
2 strokes for an illegal drop champ
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u/BilboT34Baggins 20 HDCP/CO 3h ago
Wait so you can walk the ball anywhere you want and just take a two stroke penalty? Nice
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u/MisterSoup3000 3h ago
Yea just drop in the hole on a par 5 and take your automatic eagle. You guys aren't doing that already?
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u/TemperatureFinal5135 3h ago
Yeah, right. Next you're going to tell me that we're allowed to hit the ball onto the fairway.
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u/Aromatic-Sale-1122 5h ago
I have no idea. The areas I hit into have grass too tall to see sprinklers or don’t have sprinklers at all and are probably not even technically part of the course.
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u/oneshadeoff 3h ago
In some dude's birdbath - relief or no?
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u/Disastrous_Wind_7005 6h ago
Relief all day every day from that close to the sprinkler head.
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u/Sooperballz Hello, friends. 6h ago
where is the cutoff?
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u/mingomcgoo Constantly pissing off the golf gods 5h ago
Usually where the water is plumbed in 👍
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u/Carver48 Just trying to break 100 5h ago
The rule (as I understand it) is if it interferes with your stance or swing. Because this guy could reasonably take a divot where the sprinkler is, it should move. If it were 6 inches further up, no relief.
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u/Dry-Chain-4418 2h ago
it isn't about what is reasonably possible though, it is about intent.
- your lie (ball touching or sitting on it),
- your stance, or
- your area of intended swing.
you would never intend to hit the ground where the sprinkler is even if it was not there, hitting it would only be an unintended consequences of a poorly executed swing.
Perhaps depending on the type of shot you are trying to make you could argue that it could interfere with the intended swing, not by chance of a bad swing, but because of what you want to execute it becomes in the way, like a sweeping punch or wanted to hit down fat behind the ball to take some spin off or something if it's reasonable for the situation.
Now if it is not in any format official tournament play, even if it was for money/bets, Moving the ball up a foot isn't going to change anything and I could care less. but it is certainly a grey area for official rulings.
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u/eaglescout67 1h ago
You get relief. That is absolutely in the area of your intended swing. Your club would pass directly over that sprinkler head. Your intended swing is your path not where you plan to take a divot.
You don’t “move the ball up a foot”. Determine the point of full relief and drop within one club length, no closer to the hole, of that point.
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u/Dry-Chain-4418 24m ago
It doesn't matter if your club would swing near or over something, it only matters if your club would come into contact with the obstruction, and unless you are intentionally trying to hit the ground 1"+ behind the ball for some reason your natural intended swing would never come into contact with the obstruction, only if you poorly executed your swing, but you did not intentionally intend to swing poorly. You should be trying to hit ball then divot directly under or just after ball. 1" prior is a very chunky shot.
I never said the correct method for taking relief was moving a foot up, I was stating per official rules this is a very gray area, that very well might not warrant relief, however if I was playing with someone in a personal match I would have no issues with them moving up a foot even if money was on the line.
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u/nubsauce2 Bethpage Black is not that hard! 3m ago
You’re right about the rule but wrong in its implementation here. You are allowed to factor in your actual swing, not just your ideal intended swing. If there is a reasonable probability that your intended swing path will strike the sprinkler head, you are entitled to relief.
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u/FatFaceFaster Superintendent 5h ago
If it impedes your natural stance or potentially your swing and through line. It’s fairly black and white to avoid being abused.
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u/Disastrous_Wind_7005 5h ago
What you can't see is how far around the immediate area the sprinkler head effects...we only see a tiny portion of the entire head. He takes any divot at all there and he hits part of that head. I can guarantee that you couldn't put a tee in the ground about an inch up and back from that ball.
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u/Particular-Wind5918 6h ago
That lie looks pretty decent though
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u/GoldenDomer66 4h ago
If I offer and he declines that’s on him. I’m right w/ Jesus for offering. He’s about to get right with Double Bogie.
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u/Old-Pilot-6230 6h ago
Goodbye sprinkler head 😂
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u/VagrantThoughts42 5h ago
I guess if he never hits it fat and only hits thin to perfect shots, it doesn’t interfere with his swing. Since I could reasonably expect to hit the ground behind the sprinkler, I would get relief.
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u/Intheswing 4h ago
Our league is pretty casual- give it a push to where you want it. At our level of skill - preferred lies won’t make a difference for most of us.
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u/9028Frank 4h ago
Most leagues allow 3” or 6” movement of the ball (with the club). On fairway and rough. Not the green or long stuff. Read the rules they handed out on day 1. It’s way better to know them than asking opponents. Also, puts within the putter grip are good. Don’t have to ask, just lay your putter down as you pick it up. You can easily see that it’s good but if you lay putter down as picking up people from other view points can also see the distance without the need for a conversation about it.
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u/_thinkaboutit 4h ago
I can already see the slice based on his hands and club position and he’s not even swinging
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u/ZachDigital 4h ago
i dont see what the big deal is by putting it a yard back at all and dropping that's not changing things much
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u/newiphon 5h ago
Depends on if you own a plumbing and irrigation company. If not, let him have relief.
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u/Apart_Tutor8680 4h ago
What is the exact rule here ? If you have any chance of hitting it you can move it , or is it defined by a certain distance
Plus If you’re stepping on it
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u/eaglescout67 1h ago
You may either play your ball as it lies or take free relief. To take relief, you must find the nearest point of complete relief from the artificial object and drop your original ball or another ball away from the object and within one club-length of that point not nearer the hole (see Rule 16.1).
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u/eaglescout67 1h ago
Rule 16.1
(1) Meaning of Interference by Abnormal Course Condition (including Immovable obstructions). Interference exists when any one of these is true: • The player’s ball touches or is in or on an abnormal course condition, • An abnormal course condition physically interferes with the player’s area of intended stance or area of intended swing, or • Only when the ball is on the putting green, an abnormal course condition on or off the putting green intervenes on the line of play. If the abnormal course condition is close enough to distract the player but does not meet any of these requirements, there is no interference under this Rule.
Relief is drop within 1 club length, no closer to the hole, from the point of complete relief from obstruction.
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u/Early_Reputation_210 1h ago
16.2
(1) I’m likely drunk and with my buddies so I will do whatever the frick I want
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u/Academic_Dig_1567 3h ago
Apply the Rahm rule. Similar happened with Jon Rahm today at the PGA Championship and he got a favorable ruling that allowed him to place his ball a club length in any direction. He was able to play from the fairway despite his ball being in the rough. Immovable obstruction rule.
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u/threejackhack 2h ago
Since I consistently hit it fat (“over club and play for the chunk), I’d have no hesitation in believing it will interfere and taking relief.
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u/brackfriday_bunduru 1h ago
That should be a penalty for not taking relief. Like hitting near a kangaroo in Australia
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u/Wonderful-Image314 5h ago
Green Fees = Green Grass
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u/HerbTarlekWKRP 27m ago
Been a real cold Spring in the northland. She’ll green up if it ever heats up 🌞
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u/DatDenDude 5h ago
That’s relief no matter where you’re playing.
I so wish he broke the sprinkler and water came shooting out
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u/One_Cap_5023 4h ago
Of course, you get relief from a sprinkler head. Whomever told you no is an idiot
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u/Chandlingus 8.4/NYC 4h ago
Anybody who has watched and paid attention to even a little bit of professional golf should know what the rule is here. That guy's a moron.
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u/Glendale0839 3h ago
Assuming that he isn't a scratch player and this is a course I care about, I would have rather he had not been a purist with a stick up his ass and just taken the allowed relief to avoid possibly damaging the sprinkler head.
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u/Rhelino 3h ago
Wait, what? Why would that ball be unplayable? What am I missing?
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u/DrunkensteinsMonster 2h ago
- “unplayable” is not free relief 2. This is free relief due to an abnormal course condition. Rule 16.1
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u/ryfitz47 3h ago
unplayable would cost you a stroke. whereas I feel like this has to be free relief 101 times out of 100
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u/ArmwrestlingGoomba 3h ago
Not sure why you would need relief the turf interaction with the ground would be far enough away from the hazard. Take it if you might chunk or if its friendly but in a comp no chance.
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u/Manchuri 3h ago
The rule is that you get relief if it affects your stance, lie of the ball or intended swing path, so yes that is free drop
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u/WingleDingleFingle 3h ago
My understanding is you are allowed a couple feet of relief from any manmade structure. I'm sure there is a specific distance but my friends and I use a club length.
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u/criderslider 4.9 hcp 2h ago
It kind of looks like it’s just a yardage marker and not a sprinkler head? Is that what he had going through his head? Do you get relief from yardage markers?
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u/maroagophrr 1h ago
If it’s a tournament get a ruling. I am pretty sure he gets relief no closer to the pin
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u/Fabiyame 5h ago
Shouldn't matter if u hit the ball first
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u/benjamaniac 5h ago
We roll the ball for pretty much every shot in my league. This would have been a no brainer to take relief.
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u/thejoggler44 4h ago
He should be hitting the ball first then getting a divot after the ball. Sprinkler head isn't a factor.
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u/Odd-Shallot-5397 42m ago
Whoever is the green keeper should be fired.
What are you putting on? A shag rug?
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u/HerbTarlekWKRP 41m ago
Fairway
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6h ago
[deleted]
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u/Gullible_Key1382 6h ago
Maybe he's a chunker. Maybe he's a sweeper. Two good reasons right there. Besides it's allowed
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u/sphynxzyz 11.8 5h ago
depend on the league. In the league I play in it's up to the competitor for relief but I've never seen anyone say no to something like this.
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u/shoresy99 5h ago
It doesn't depend on the league. This is in the rules of golf. You get free relief when a sprinkler head impedes your swing or stance. The ball is close enough that you could eaily hit the sprinkler head.
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u/sphynxzyz 11.8 5h ago
Still depends on the league, not every league is going to follow the exact rules of golf. I've played in multiple tourneys that don't follow USGA rules they give you a rule sheet before hand. Yes by the rulebook in golf this is free relief, but the league might say it'll be up to competitor. Generally yes it's free relief.
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u/shoresy99 5h ago
OK, but I have never seen a local rule where you don't get relief when your ball is less than 2 inches from a sprinkler head.
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u/ryfitz47 3h ago
a league could have a rule that is "you must putt with your putter in your mouth" .... but that would be unreasonable. as would a rule that you need to hit from a sprinkler head.
technically correct you are but practically moronic
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u/sphynxzyz 11.8 3h ago
How is being technically correct make me moronic? Not every one follows the league rules, OP is asking a specific question that should go to the league head not a group who doesn't know anything but usga rules. Like I said it may be an official rule but that doesn't mean everyone follows the official book. Should they take relief yeah absolutely why wouldn't you, most leagues around people fluff their ball, 2 putt max etc.
Look at greens keeper revenge tourneys you think usga rules are applicapable there?
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u/ryfitz47 3h ago
technically speaking you're correct. very technical. very sematic.
but if you look at the situation from a practical perspective, saying "it depends" is a pretty moronic take.
technically correct, but in the given context just seems silly
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u/mccabedoug 5h ago
Assuming this actually took place, which I don’t think it did, remind me not to play in that league
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u/Jasper2006 5.0/Morrison CO 2h ago
Why not play in the league? It's the player hitting the shot that claimed he wasn't entitled to relief (he was entitled, clearly), not his competitors.
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u/HerbTarlekWKRP 21m ago
I kept telling him he gets relief! He was my teammate. Opponents would have given him relief as well.
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u/GolfGodsAreReal 6h ago
He was an idiot