Ask the Ref: An unusual situation with a tree, your ball and a puddle...

By Sheila Waltham

We have had a lot of heavy rain recently. I found my ball at the base of a large tree. I couldn’t play my normal right-handed stroke due to its position, so I decided to play it left handed. However, to do this, I found myself standing in a puddle. Am I allowed to take relief from the water?

Yes. You had clearly decided that although a right-handed shot wasn’t possible, a left-handed shot was a practical option, and this is a reasonable action in the circumstances. Rule 16.1a(3) allows free relief unless when playing the ball as it lies is clearly unreasonable because of something from which the player may not take relief, for example, the middle of a bush or does not require an unreasonable stance, swing or direction of play.

In this scenario, playing the stroke left-handed was reasonable. Now you have the issue of standing in a puddle when taking your stance for the stroke. Temporary water is an abnormal course condition from which you may take free relief (Rule 16.1b).

You must find your nearest point of complete relief for the left-handed stroke and then drop the original ball or a substitute ball within 1 club length of this reference point (no nearer the hole).

Having taken the available relief, you may then play the stroke either right or left-handed, with any club, any direction of play and any type of swing.

About the author

Sheila Waltham has been a qualified rules official for over 15 years and joined the England Golf Tournament Panel of Referees in 2019. A keen golfer since 1995, Sheila’s interest in the Rules was born out of the realisation that a lot of the information she received as a novice golfer was incorrect. So, she took matters into her own hands!

Become a whizz on the rules and check out our previous Ask the Ref features, like this one: What happens if my ball becomes damaged when playing a hole? >