Rolling the Ball under preferred lies

[rogolf]

In the local amateur circuit, some of the courses we played this year had a "preferred lie" rule due to unusual ground under repair situations, or noxious plant growth.

At one course, the fairways had spot patches of some unusual weed, and we got a free drop out of such areas. This was done using prescribed USGA procedures - mark spot with a tee, measure two club lengths "no closer to hole", and then take a drop.

Some of the players said this was  preferred lie, but now I'm not so sure it was. Was it really just GUR procedures?

 

Only the course Committee knows what local Rule they were following?  It's not the one recommended by the ruling bodies and it's not the Rule (25-1) for ground under repair.

[HonestyPolicy]

In the local amateur circuit, some of the courses we played this year had a "preferred lie" rule due to unusual ground under repair situations, or noxious plant growth.

At one course, the fairways had spot patches of some unusual weed, and we got a free drop out of such areas. This was done using prescribed USGA procedures - mark spot with a tee, measure two club lengths "no closer to hole", and then take a drop.

Some of the players said this was  preferred lie, but now I'm not so sure it was. Was it really just GUR procedures?

 

Sounds to me like you were playing under Rule 25-1, abnormal ground conditions, not preferred lies. Preferred lies tends to be throughout the course versus abnormal ground tends to be only in certain spots on the course. See the link below for abnormal ground conditions.

http://www.usga.org/rules/rules-and-decisions.html#!rule-25

 

[iacas]

One club length is a specific distance, that is, up to 48"

It can actually be longer. Putters are not stuck obeying the 48" rule.

[Fourputt]

It can actually be longer. Putters are not stuck obeying the 48" rule.

True, but they are still pretty rare, at least in my playing circles.  I've only ever seen a couple of belly putters and only one broomstick.  I expect that after December 31 this year, they will become even more rare than they are now.

[iacas]

True, but they are still pretty rare, at least in my playing circles.  I've only ever seen a couple of belly putters and only one broomstick.  I expect that after December 31 this year, they will become even more rare than they are now.

No disagreement here, but that's beside the point, isn't it?

A golfer can move your ball more than 48" while still strictly obeying the "one club length" rule.

[dave s]

My league rules on a really well-kept public course regarding moving the ball, or 'preferred lie' as referred to in this post:

1.  Ball in fairway can be moved within 1 club HEAD length

2. Ball in rough - play it down

3. Everywhere else, (except casual water or area marked repair) play it where it lies

This season we started on April 2nd.  Nothing growing up in NE Ohio that time of year.  We played Winter Rules everywhere on the course for the first month.  May and June was just a sloppy, soggy mess everywhere.  We played lift, clean and replace anywhere on the course except for hazards and/or OB.  Weekly 'ground rules' were determined at time of tee off and passed along from group to group on the first tee.

As always, this game is already difficult enough without weather and course conditions making it MORE difficult!

dave

 

[bubble]

a lot of players in my area dont mark the ball and just roll it with a club.

it gets a bit loud when you tell them how many penalties they should add to the score at the end of the round.