left/righty

[acetoolguy]

During a rain delays our pro likes to test us with rules questions. This was today's scenario, he says it happened to him. His ball came to rest against a tree trunk, his only shot was lefty. When he took that lefty stance, his feet were on a cart path so he took a drop from the path then proceeded to the shot with a normal right handed stance. he then left to answer a call, telling us to figure it out. $#

[Ignorant]

Your pro is quite right. If the lefty shot was the only reasonable thing to do and also a credible shot then he gets a relief from the cart path. After that he has a free choice from which side e wants to play.

However, getting his relief he must take the relief left-handed and should he choose to play right-handed he may have to stand on the cart path and in such a case he cannot get another relief from that.

There is a Decision saying all this but I am too lazy to dig it up right now. You'll find it under R24-2.

[Fourputt]

Yep.  Perfectly allowable as long as it was reasonable to play the original stroke in an abnormal way.  You can't take an abnormal stance or swing path just in a attempt to create a relief situation which wouldn't otherwise exist.

[twilliams16]

That has happened to me before. I'd like to see a 100% clear answer

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by twilliams16

That has happened to me before. I'd like to see a 100% clear answer

Here is a typical scenario where this would apply.

You are a right handed golfer.  Your tee shot comes to rest 6 inches right of the trunk of a tree, and one foot left of a paved cart path.  You attempt to take your normal stance, but the tree interferes.  The only reasonable way you can address the ball is to do so left handed, or to set up to play the ball away from the direction of the hole.  Either of those stances would result in you having to stand on the cart path to make the swing.  Since the cart path is an immovable obstruction, you are entitled to relief if it interferes with your lie, stance, or the area of your intended swing.  You elect to take the relief from the obstruction.  You determine the nearest point of relief (the closest point on the course where there is no longer any interference from the path) from where the ball lies, and find that to be in middle of the tree trunk.  This fact is irrelevant.  You approximate that point, then measure the allowed one clublength, not closer to the hole, which does not recreate the interference situation.  This defines your dropping zone, part of which is now to the left of  the tree.  It turns out that you have now not only managed to get relief from the cart path for your left handed stance, but you have also managed to make it possible to make a normal right handed swing without the tree being in the way.  By following the rules you have turned an impossible situation into a perfectly normal one.

Keep in mind however, that it is possible that this procedure could just as well have put your dropping area in a hedge or bush, or other unplayable spot.  You only get a minimal choice of that one clublength from the nearest point of relief , and the NPR is only one point on the golf course.  There is no second option once that point is located.  You my choose to take the relief as prescribed in the rules, or you may play the ball as it lies, or you may declare the ball unplayable and proceed under Rule 28.