Women & Golf’s rules expert Sheila Waltham explains what happens when your ball ends up in a hole created by hollow tining
If during a competition your ball lands in a hole caused by recent hollow tining, can you move it to a level playing area on the green?
The basic premise of golf is to play the course as you find it and the ball as it lies. If you wish to do anything else, then you need to find a Rule that applies that you can use to help you.
Unfortunately for the player, aeration holes do not fall within the meaning of “holes made by the maintenance staff” (ground under repair) or “damage to putting green” (Rule 13/1c). Therefore, players are not allowed to repair them or take relief from them on either the putting green or in the general area.
You may get relief if preferred lies are active and the ball lies in the General Area cut to fairway height or less, as the player may lift and place the ball within 6 inches of its original spot, no nearer the hole. In this way, the player can select a location where aeration holes do not interfere with the lie of the ball.
When preferred lies are not active, if the hollow coring/tining is limited to a confined area, then the Committee may choose to declare it GUR. However if an entire fairway has been treated that is not a practical option, as a player may find it impractical or impossible to obtain complete relief.
If it is believed that aeration holes may significantly interfere with the lie of the ball, the Committee has the option to give relief for a ball that lies in or touches an aeration hole. To give this relief, the Committee would need to adopt Model Local Rule E-4, which provides relief for balls both in the General Area and on the Putting Green, but only gives relief for the ball, not the player’s stance or area of intended swing.
I will now get on my hobbyhorse: it pays to read the Local Rules and Temporary Local Rules before play. They may prevent you from incurring penalties or provide you with helpful relief …… if only you had read them!!
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 golf ball ends up in a puddle?
