Another Boundary Fence Question

[zeg]

Originally Posted by rustyredcab

IF the play was right handed back toward the tee, would NPR need to be figured as if playing back toward the tee?

I understand once dropped, one can change one's mind about what kind of shot will now be played. My question is, if NPR is based on a shot back toward the tee, it will be close to the path. In this case it might not matter because you are likely to get a second drop. But if the obstruction was such that it did matter, would you need that first drop to be for a back to the tee shot?

Don't overcomplicate it, if you take it step by step, everything is easy!

From your original lie, you first decide what shot you will make. You're pretty free to choose your line here, as long as it's reasonable---so no aiming out of bounds or into a stand of trees or using some awkward stance just for purposes of obtaining relief. You can also do something unusual, like playing cross-handed in this case, if there's some circumstance that makes it a reasonable choice. Just figure out what shot you want to make and how you'd take your stance/swing to make that happen.

If that direction / stance / swing is interfered with, then you get relief for that particular shot. If it's left-handed back toward the tee due to some bizarre arrangement of factors, then you find the NPR for a left-handed stroke back toward the tee. Whatever the case, you take full relief for the stroke you would play if not for the obstruction.

Now you have a ball in play in a new place. Everything starts over. Nothing you did up to now affects your options (well, except for the case that your relief from two obstructions has put you in a loop of taking relief from one, then the other, etc, but that is quite rare).

Most rules work this way. It's rare that you have to deal with a combination of rules simultaneously. Take them one at a time, deal with the first situation, then address the result separately.

[rustyredcab]

Originally Posted by zeg

... If it's left-handed back toward the tee due to some bizarre arrangement of factors, then you find the NPR for a left-handed stroke back toward the tee...

That`'s exactly how I understand it. The NPR must match the shot that cause the need for relief.

New addition: If the relief was from something other than the cart path, can the NPR create a drop that is on the cart path or must it also avoid the path?

Frequent Example from my old home course: a free relief flower bed that is bordered by a cart path -- one club out of the flowers will put you on the path. Is this going to be a two drop scenario or is NPR extended to include additional obstructions?

[sacm3bill]

Originally Posted by rustyredcab

New addition: If the relief was from something other than the cart path, can the NPR create a drop that is on the cart path or must it also avoid the path?

Frequent Example from my old home course: a free relief flower bed that is bordered by a cart path -- one club out of the flowers will put you on the path. Is this going to be a two drop scenario or is NPR extended to include additional obstructions?

You always take relief from one obstruction at a time. It's ok to drop on the cart path to get relief from something else.

[Rulesman]

Originally Posted by rustyredcab

Frequent Example from my old home course: a free relief flower bed that is bordered by a cart path -- one club out of the flowers will put you on the path. Is this going to be a two drop scenario or is NPR extended to include additional obstructions?

This is not an unusual situation. In fact the committee can introduce the local rule below to speed things up and allow relief in one step.

33-8/25

Local Rule for Ground Under Repair Adjacent to Artificially-Surfaced Cart Path

Q. When ground under repair is adjacent to an artificially-surfaced cart path (an obstruction), sometimes a player, after obtaining relief from one condition, is interfered with by the other condition. Thus, another drop under another Rule results. This is cumbersome and could lead to complications. Would it be proper to eliminate the problem by means of a Local Rule under which ground under repair adjacent to an artificially-surfaced cart path would have the same status as the cart path?

A. Yes. If white lines are used to define ground under repair, a Local Rule is suggested as follows:

"White-lined areas tying into artificially-surfaced roads or paths are declared to have the same status as the roads or paths, i.e., they are obstructions, not ground under repair. Relief, without penalty, is provided under Rule 24-2b(i) ."

Your version could simply say 'the flower bed located at ....is declared to have the same status as the adjacent cart path .....' or some such.