If your ball sits on a cart path, in a puddle, in ground under repair or in an animal hole, you get a free drop. You also get one when any of those gets in the way of your stance or swing. Find the nearest point of complete relief, drop within one club-length of it, no nearer the hole. The one place you do not get it is a penalty area.
The ChartFour conditions, one free-relief rule
Rule 16.1 calls these four "abnormal course conditions." The Rules give each its own definition, but the relief works the same way for all of them.
| Condition | What counts | Free relief where | How to take it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immovable obstruction (a cart path, for example) | Any artificial object that cannot be moved without unreasonable effort or without damaging it or the course. The definition of obstruction lists "artificially surfaced roads and paths," sprinkler heads, drains, buildings, benches and signposts. | General area, bunker and putting green. Not a penalty area. | Find the nearest point of complete relief, then drop within one club-length of it, not nearer the hole, with complete relief from the condition. |
| Temporary water (a puddle) | A temporary accumulation of water on the surface of the ground, such as puddles from rain or irrigation or an overflow from a body of water, that can be seen before or after you take a stance, without pressing down excessively with your feet. Not in a penalty area. | General area, bunker and putting green. Not a penalty area. | Same: nearest point of complete relief, one club-length, not nearer the hole, complete relief. |
| Ground under repair | Any part of the course the Committee defines as ground under repair, by marking it or otherwise. Even if unmarked, it includes holes made by the maintenance staff (such as where a stake or tree stump was removed, but not aeration holes) and grass cuttings, leaves and other material piled for later removal. | General area, bunker and putting green. Not a penalty area. | Same: nearest point of complete relief, one club-length, not nearer the hole, complete relief. |
| Animal hole | Any hole dug in the ground by an animal, plus the loose material it dug out and any worn-down track leading into the hole. Not holes dug by worms or insects. | General area, bunker and putting green. Not a penalty area. | Same: nearest point of complete relief, one club-length, not nearer the hole, complete relief. |
Source: R&A / USGA, Rules of Golf, Rule 16.1 and the Definitions of Abnormal Course Condition, Obstruction, Immovable Obstruction, Temporary Water, Ground Under Repair and Animal Hole (randa.org).
"Cart path" and "puddle" are everyday names. The Rules call them an immovable obstruction and temporary water, and those are the terms to look up if you want the exact wording.
By lieHow relief works depending on where your ball is
The condition decides whether you get relief. Where your ball lies decides how the drop works.
| Ball lies in | Reference point | Relief area | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| General area (Rule 16.1b) | Nearest point of complete relief in the general area | One club-length from that point. Must be in the general area, not nearer the hole than the reference point, with complete relief from the condition. | Free |
| Bunker, play from the bunker (Rule 16.1c(1)) | Nearest point of complete relief, in the bunker. If there is none, the point of maximum available relief in the bunker. | Same as the general area, but inside the bunker. | Free |
| Bunker, play from outside (Rule 16.1c(2)) | Back-on-the-line: keep the spot of the original ball between the hole and the drop, with no limit on how far back. | One club-length from where the dropped ball first touches the ground. Not nearer the hole than the original spot, and not in the same bunker. | One penalty stroke |
| Putting green (Rule 16.1d) | Nearest point of complete relief, on the putting green or in the general area. If there is none, the point of maximum available relief. | No relief area. You place the ball on that spot instead of dropping it. | Free |
| Penalty area | No relief under Rule 16.1 | Your only relief is under Rule 17. | See Rule 17 |
Source: R&A / USGA, Rules of Golf, Rules 16.1b, 16.1c and 16.1d, and the Rule 16 clarification on penalty areas (randa.org).
Step by stepFinding the nearest point of complete relief
This spot is the whole trick, and it is not simply the closest piece of grass.
- Picture the shot you would play. Decide the club, stance, swing and line of play you would use from your original spot if the condition were not there.
- Find the nearest spot with no interference. It is the point nearest your ball's original spot, not nearer the hole, in the required area of the course, where that shot has no interference from the condition.
- That is your reference point. The definition recommends taking a real stance with the club you chose to help you estimate it, though you do not have to swing.
- Measure one club-length from it. Keep it in the general area, no nearer the hole than the reference point, and far enough that you have complete relief.
- Drop. Drop the original ball or another ball in that area (Rule 14.3).
On the putting green you skip steps 4 and 5. You place the ball at the nearest point of complete relief.
When it appliesWhat counts as interference
Under Rule 16.1a(1), you have interference when any one of these is true:
- Your ball touches, or is in or on, the condition.
- The condition physically gets in the way of your area of intended stance or area of intended swing.
- Only when your ball is on the putting green, the condition on or off the green is on your line of play.
A condition that is close enough to distract you, but does not meet any of those, is not interference. Mud, wetness or soft ground on its own does not make water temporary water: the definition says the water must remain visible either before or after you take your stance.
EmbeddedEmbedded ball: Rule 16.3
A ball plugged into the ground gets free relief, with a different reference point. You drop within one club-length of the spot in the general area right behind where the ball is embedded, no nearer the hole, in the general area.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| When is a ball embedded? | When it is in its own pitch-mark made by your previous stroke and part of the ball is below the level of the ground. It does not need to touch soil. |
| Where is free relief allowed? | Only in the general area. On the putting green you may mark, lift, clean, repair the damage and replace the ball on its original spot (Rule 13.1c(2)). |
| Reference point | The spot in the general area right behind where the ball is embedded. |
| Relief area | One club-length from the reference point, in the general area, not nearer the hole than the reference point. |
| When is there no relief? | If the ball is embedded in sand in a part of the general area not cut to fairway height or less, or if playing it as it lies is clearly unreasonable because of something you cannot take free relief from. |
| What does not count as embedded? | A ball pushed into the ground by someone stepping on it, driven straight into the ground without becoming airborne, or dropped in taking relief under a Rule. |
Source: R&A / USGA, Rules of Golf, Rules 16.3a and 16.3b and the Definition of Embedded (randa.org).
If you are not sure whether the ball is in its own pitch-mark or another ball's, you may treat it as embedded when it is reasonable to conclude from the available information that it is in its own.
Using itHow to use this on the course
Ask three questions, in order. Is it one of the four conditions? Does it interfere with my ball, stance, swing or (on the green) line of play? Is my ball outside a penalty area? If all three are yes, you get free relief and can follow the steps above.
You may end up with a better lie, and that is allowed. The Rules' own example is taking relief from a sprinkler head in the rough and finding that the relief area is in the fairway. Nothing in Rule 16.1 requires identical conditions after relief.
If your club wants something different for soft ground, see Winter Rules and Preferred Lies. For other drops, such as stakes and unplayable lies, use the Golf Relief Cheat Sheet. Unfamiliar terms are in the golf glossary.
Watch forCommon mistakes
Taking a drop from a penalty area. Rule 16.1 gives no relief for an abnormal course condition when your ball is in a penalty area. Your only relief is under Rule 17.
Treating wet ground as a puddle. Wet, muddy or soft ground is not enough. Dew and frost are not temporary water either. Snow and natural ice other than frost are either loose impediments or, when on the ground, temporary water, at your option.
Choosing a silly stance to get relief. There is no relief when interference exists only because you choose a club, stance, swing or direction of play that is clearly unreasonable (Rule 16.1a(3)). There is also no relief when you cannot make a stroke because of something you are not allowed free relief from, such as a bush.
Dropping nearer the hole. The relief area must not be nearer the hole than the reference point. Playing from a wrong place in breach of Rule 16.1 carries the general penalty under Rule 14.7a.
Forgetting the second condition. If a second condition interferes after you take relief from the first, you may take relief again. You can also take it from either condition first when two interfere at once.
Assuming a lost ball means no relief. If you have not found your ball but it is known or virtually certain it came to rest in or on one of these conditions, you may use the estimated point where it last crossed the edge of the condition as the ball's spot (Rule 16.1e). If that is not known or virtually certain, it is a lost ball.
Assuming every object gets relief. Boundary objects and integral objects get no free relief under Rule 16.1. Movable obstructions are handled under Rule 15.2a. Committees can also adopt Local Rules, such as one denying relief when a condition only interferes with your stance, so check with your club or committee.
FAQQuick answers
Can I move my ball off a cart path?
Yes, if the cart path has an artificial surface. The definition of obstruction lists "artificially surfaced roads and paths," and one that cannot be moved without unreasonable effort or damage is an immovable obstruction. You get free relief if the path touches your ball or interferes with your stance or swing. Check with your club or committee for any Local Rule that changes it.
Do I get a free drop from standing water?
Yes, outside a penalty area, if the water is a temporary accumulation on the surface that you can see before or after you take your stance. Puddles from rain or irrigation are the Rules' own example. Merely wet or muddy ground does not count.
How far can I drop?
One club-length from the nearest point of complete relief, not nearer the hole than that point, in the same area of the course, with complete relief from the condition. In a bunker, free relief stays in the bunker.
What is the nearest point of complete relief?
The estimated spot nearest your original spot, not nearer the hole, in the required area of the course, where the condition no longer interferes with the stroke you would have made from your original spot.
What is the embedded ball rule?
Rule 16.3 gives free relief in the general area when your ball is in its own pitch-mark and part of it is below the level of the ground. Drop within one club-length of the spot right behind it, no nearer the hole. There is no relief if it is embedded in sand in a part of the general area not cut to fairway height or less.
Do I get relief if my ball is in a bunker?
Yes. Free relief inside the bunker is allowed, using the same method, or you can take back-on-the-line relief outside the bunker for one penalty stroke (Rule 16.1c).