Local Rules for Unpleasant Course Conditions

If you refer to Preferred Lies and Winter Rules as "Lift, clean and cheat" I would submit that you simply do not understand the Local Rule.

Let's start with a quick two question quiz:

1) Preferred Lies can be used:
a) anywhere on the course
b) fairways and rough only - but not within 36" of trees and out of bounds
c) only in closely mown areas, through the green
d) anywhere through the green

2) The Committee posts a sign near the first tee that reads only, "Winter Rules Today," and provides no other clarification or posting regarding how to proceed under the Local Rule. In stroke play, a player's ball comes to rest in a bush in a water hazard and the player uses preferred lies to place the ball 20 yards away, closer to the hole in the middle of the fairway. How many penalty strokes has the player incurred?
a) no penalty is incurred
b) 1 stroke
c) 2 strokes
d) the player is disqualified

Answers

1) c - Preferred Lies or Winter Rules can only be utilized in closely mown areas, through the green (which means any areas through the green cut to fairway height of less and is described in depth in the post below).

2) a - no penalty is incurred - though this seems odd, if the Committee doesn't fulfill their responsibilities, a player must not be penalized for proceeding in a way the Committee did not forsee. The Rules of Golf are a carefully drafted code that are designed to handle whatever situation a player may end up in. Local Rules, by their very nature modify this carefully drafted code (and are only allowable if first approved by the Ruling Bodies). "Winter Rules Today" is an example of a poorly written Local Rule. No matter how poorly written, it is still a Rule! There is no requirement in "Winter Rules Today" for the ball to be "on the ground," "in the fairway" and there is no mention of how far the ball may be placed nor if it must not be placed closer to the hole. Thus, 20 yards away, outside of the hazard and closer to the hole is perfectly acceptable.

If you have used Preferred Lies to lift a ball that lies in the rough and place it a small distance from where it was lifted – please read on because you are not using "Preferred Lies". If you are on a Committee and work at a course that posts a sign reading only “preferred lies” or “winter rules” – please read on, you are not living up to your obligations under the Rules of Golf.

If the Local Rule for Preferred lies is in effect, it applies to the photo above and
not to the photo below.

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING HANDICAPPING:

The purpose of this post is to clear up the many misunderstandings circulating about preferred lies with respect to the Rules of Golf. Note that regardless of whether the Committee, your group, or you as an individual golfer “decide” to use lift the ball under your own rules, or use use authorized Local Rules as discussed in this post, you are still required by the Rules of the USGA Handicap System to post your score.

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My primary job with the Oregon Golf Association is to help others interpret the Rules of Golf. The beginning and the end of the open handicap season signals that golfers throughout the region often find areas golf courses deteriorating due to poor weather.

Of all Rules this Local Rule, Preferred Lies (also called Winter Rules), is quite clearly the most misunderstood Rule in Golf. I want to first make clear that the OGA has no problem with a Committee employing Preferred Lies when course conditions are poor – in fact, we would encourage them to. The Local Rule provides the relief necessary to allow for an enjoyable playing experience even in the worst of conditions. The problem is not the Rule itself but the prevalent misapplication of the Rule, which leads to artifically low scores and it's undeserved alter ego, "Lift, Clean and Cheat."

The Rules of Golf allow the Committee, not a player or group, the option to employ preferred lies in any closely mown area, through the green. Through the Green includes all areas within the boundaries of the course except:

1. Hazards (includes all bunkers & water hazards, including lateral water hazards on the course)
2. The putting green (specific to the hole you are playing)
3. The teeing ground (specific to the hole and tee color you are playing)

Combined with closely mown areas (those areas mown to fairway height or less) this leaves a restricted area for this Rule that includes fairways, the fringe, dew strips or closely mown walkways and tee boxes. For a visual description of what constitutes closely mown areas through the green, I have included photos at the bottom of this post.

The allowable Local Rule for Preferred Lies may be found in the appendix of the Rules of Golf. When the Committee has employed Preferred Lies, a player whose ball lies in a closely mown area, through the green may mark, lift, clean and place through the green (within an area defined by the Committee – often 6”,a club length or the length of the scorecard) no nearer the hole. Likely you are already familiar with the application part of the Rule.

Note that the Rule not only restricts the areas that it may be used but the Committee is also required to provide guidance when the Rule is in effect. Why? Without guidance, my group may decide we can place within two club lengths, no nearer the hole, your group may decide to allow just 4” while another may be comfortable moving the ball 30 yards closer to the hole. If the Committee only provides "Winter Rules Today" as guidance these are all perfectly acceptable applications. In fact, with "Winter Rules Today" as Committee guidance, it would also be acceptabel to take your ball that lies through the green in a tree and place the ball in the middle of the fairway.

The appendix covers suggested wording for a Committee that includes both the procedure and what penalty would be incurred by a player that either breaches the Rule itself (e.g. two stroke penalty in stroke play or loss of hole in match play for placing or substituting where not allowed) or simply errs in the procedure (e.g. one stroke penalty in all forms of play for not marking before lifting).

Two additional Local Rules provide relief from poor conditions and can also be found in the appendix to the Rules of Golf. These are

1. Cleaning Ball and
2. Embedded Ball Through The Green.

Both of these options may be extended to any area that lies through the green and are not, like Preferred Lies, restricted only to areas that are closely mown.

I’ll begin with Cleaning Ball. This Local Rule allows a player to mark, lift, clean and replace in an area defined by the Committee and may be used anywhere through the green. Golfers are universally familiar with the procedure when your ball comes to rest on the putting green as they practice it dozens of time each round. This procedure for this Local Rule is exactly the same. Note that I have underlined the last step of the procedure, replace. In the Rules, “replace” has a very different meaning than the “place” used in the procedure for Preferred Lies.

For example, my drive ends up just off the fairway, either in a horrible lie in the rough or hopelessly in the roots of a tree. The Committee has employed the Local Rule as listed in the appendix for Cleaning Ball anywhere through the green. I am permitted to mark, lift, clean, and replace my ball. When I replace, though my ball will be clean, I am left with the same horrible lie in the rough or hopeless lie in the roots of the tree. If my ball lands in the fairway, this is also through the green and I would be permitted to clean my ball but under Cleaning Ball, I would replace it on the exact spot I lifted it from.

Between the two Local Rules addressed so far, Preferred Lies vs. Cleaning Ball, the two main differences are:

1. Preferred lies, though more generous in allowing the player to place the ball some distance from where it came to rest, no nearer the hole, it is far more restrictive in the area on the course where it may be utilized.
2. Cleaning ball is exactly the opposite. It is far more restrictive in that it requires you to replace the ball exactly from where it was lifted but is more generous in where on the course it may be utilized.

The Rules of Golf, specifically Rule 25-2, Embedded Ball, provides free relief to any ball that embeds in any closely mown area through the green. The third Local Rule, Embedded Ball Through The Green may be employed by the Committee to extend the area where a player will receive free relief from an embedded ball to any area through the green. The procedure is quite simple. Lift, clean and drop as near as possible to where it embedded, no nearer the hole. Note the requirement to mark is absent in this Rule. Because the likelihood of a ball embedding in the rough is high year round in the Northwest, the OGA strongly encourages all clubs and Committees to employ this Local Rule year round to provide equitable playing conditions to all.

Note that the Committee may use a combination of these Local Rules. For example, Preferred Lies can be used in any closely mown area, through the green, Cleaning Ball may be employed in any area through the green and Embedded Ball Through The Green may also be employed all at the same time. Unless you hit your ball into a hazard (remember bunkers and water hazards are not through the green) you will be entitled to mark, lift and clean it.

If all three Local Rules are in effect, when your ball comes to rest in

1. a closely mown area, through the green you will be rewarded for your accuracy by being allowed to place,
2. through the green outside of closely mown areas you will be required to replace it in the exact lie from where it was lifted, and
3. you will receive relief from an embedded ball anywhere through the green.

Below is a visual representation of where these Local Rules may be employed at your course.

The light blue shaded areas in the image above diagram all areas that Preferred Lies, or Winter Rules, may be adopted. The Committee may further restrict the application to individual holes or specified areas. The areas in light blue are closely mown areas, through the green and include:

1. Fairways
2. The fringe of all putting greens
3. Tee boxes (but notice in the top left that this does not include the teeing ground as the teeing ground is not through the green)
4. Though not present on this hole, if your course has dew strips or walkways that are through the green and mowed to fairway height or less, they would also apply.

The image above is a visual depiction of the parts of the course. The white shading is out of bounds. Special attention should be paid to:

1. The teeing ground (specific to the hole and tees being played) TOP LEFT, LIGHT GREEN
2. The putting green (specific to the hole being played) TOP RIGHT, LIGHT GREEN
3. All hazards on the course (including bunkers, water hazards, and lateral water hazards) RED
4. Everything else in this picture is through the green.

The Local Rules for "Cleaning Ball" & "Embedded Ball Through The Green" may be employed anywhere that is not shaded above though like preferred lies the Committee may restrict the application to a more restrictive area.

One last thing, if you have read this post – I ask that you please pass it on. Sharing this with others will create equitable playing conditions and more accurate handicapping for everyone playing the game. If you have any additional questions don’t hesitate to contact Craig Winter by phone (503)981-4653 x 222 or e-mail, rules@oga.org.

Thank you for your interest in the Rules of Golf!

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This blog has been republished from an earlier Outside Agency post dated March 18, 2009.

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