Ask the Ref: What happens if my golf ball ends up in a puddle?

By Sheila Waltham

In recent years, there have been many periods of heavy rainfall resulting in puddles of varying size on the course, sometimes too large to retrieve or find the ball. If my golf ball has disappeared into one of these puddles, what should I do?

Puddles on the course are what is known as Temporary Water, which is an Abnormal Course Condition (Rule 16.1). If your ball, your feet or your area of intended stance or swing have interference from the water, then you may take free relief, anywhere other than in a penalty area.

It is usually quite clear if your ball is sitting in temporary water, however the Rules clarify the meaning of “interference” in relation to your stance. Relief for your stance is only available if water is visible either before or after you take your stance, this means without putting undue pressure through your feet.

Your reference point for taking free relief from the puddle is the nearest point of complete relief, no nearer the hole and your relief area is one club length measured from this point no nearer the hole.

In taking relief from interference by the temporary water you must take full relief except:

1. If your ball is in a bunker, you may take free relief within the bunker ie the nearest point of complete relief and relief area must be in the bunker. However, if there is no nearest point of complete relief in the bunker, the player may use the point of maximum available relief in the bunker as their reference point.
   Or you may take penalty relief outside the bunker by dropping a ball back on line with where the ball lies and the pin.
2. Relief for a ball on the putting green: the nearest point of relief must be either on the putting green or the general area. If there is no such nearest point of complete relief, the player may use the point of maximum available relief as the reference point, which must be either on the putting green or in the general area.

• The diagram assumes a right-handed player.
• When there is interference from an abnormal course condition in a bunker, free relief may be taken in the bunker under Rule 16.1b or back-on-the-line relief may be taken outside the bunker for one penalty stroke.
• Relief outside the bunker is taken by dropping a ball on a spot that keeps the spot of the original ball between the hole and that spot.
• The relief area is one club-length in any direction from the spot where the ball first touches the ground when dropped.

• The diagram assumes the player is left-handed.
• When a ball is on the putting green and there is interference by an abnormal course condition, free relief may be taken by placing a ball on the nearest point of complete relief.
• The nearest point of complete relief must be either on the putting green or in the general area.

The penalty for failing to take full relief is the General Penalty (2 strokes in stroke play and loss of hole in match play).

If you know your ball is in the temporary water, but cannot find it, you can still take free relief using the estimated point where the ball last crossed the edge of the condition as the spot of the ball to determine your nearest point of complete relief. Find out more about Rule 16.1e.

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? >