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| Four Seasons Hemet Herald | September 2015 | 28 to drop within one club length of the nearest point of relief, no closer to the hole, but in the bunker. If the ball being dropped rolls more then two club lengths you would be required to re-drop. If it rolled past two club lengths again you would place it where it hit the ground after the second drop. It gets kind of sketchy depending on where the burrowing animal hole is located (in the face or under lip) and how you would determine nearest point of relief and "complete relief". The other option would be to drop outside of the bunker under penalty of one stroke; no closer to the hole, with no limit to how far behind the bunker the ball may be dropped. This option from a bunker is only available for "abnormal ground conditions." (Abnormal ground conditions are casual water (entire bunker flooded), GUR and holes made by burrowing animals, reptiles or birds.) Other than "abnormal ground conditions" the only other time you may drop outside of a bunker is when there is interference from an immovable obstruction under penalty of one stroke. Where do I drop? "I hit my ball on 13 toward the green, got over the hazard, landed on the fringe, then it kicked back into the hazard. Where can I drop my ball?" This has been an ongoing issue with many members. Your reference point is the point where the ball last crossed into the hazard as it rolled back in. If you hit on the bank and it rolls into the hazard you may drop on the green side of the hazard as long as you can take a drop within two club lengths and not be "closer to the hole" under penalty of one stroke. If this is not possible you may have to drop back behind the hazard. You would draw a straight line from the hole through the point the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard and drop the ball behind the hazard as far back as you want under penalty of one stroke. The rules never allow you to drop closer to the hole than whatever reference point you are using to establish your relief option. Ball landing on or near an anthill. What's the ruling? An anthill is classified as a loose impediment. An anthill may be removed but there is no other relief without penalty since an ant is not a burrowing animal. Only options would be for the course to declare them as GUR or have a "local" rule adopted. Although the rules specify fire ants, the ants I have run into on this course definitely bite! The rules of golf do allow for relief if a players ball comes to rest in a situation that is dangerous to the player e.g., near a live rattlesnake, bees' nest or in this case, an ant hill. Take one club length relief no closer to the hole. Standing behind a fellow competitor while he makes his stroke. This action does not breach any rule, but it is extremely poor etiquette. Players should never stand close to or directly behind the line of play, or directly behind the hole, when a fellow competitor or opponent is about to play. Relief from sprinkler near green. The player's ball is off the green, but close enough that they want to putt. Directly in their putting line - between the ball and the green - is a sprinkler head. There is no relief. If the ball was on top of the sprinkler head, resting up against the sprinkler header or it affected your swing or normal stance then you could get relief. Marking your ball on the green. You are not required to place the ball marker behind the golf ball before lifting your ball on the putting green. You can place your ball marker in front of the ball or beside it, so long as you replace the ball in the correct position later. However, it is recommended and traditional to place the marker behind the ball. continued from the previous page

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