With the winter upon us in the northern hemisphere, this week we examine some appropriate seasonal Rules. Adverse conditions such as heavy snow, frost, prolonged wet conditions and general lack of growth during the winter months can render a course less than satisfactory. In such circumstances, to help promote fair play and protect the course during the winter months, a committee can introduce Local Rules to counter these conditions.
Q. Can I automatically prefer the lie of my ball during winter?
Only when a committee has introduced a Local Rule for preferred lies is a player entitled to prefer the lie of their ball. Simply saying “preferred lies in operation” or “winter rules apply” is inadequate; the Committee has to spell out what the Local Rule is. Under the wording of The R&A’s recommended Local Rule, a player is entitled to prefer the lie of the ball when the ball lies on a closely-mown area through the green, such as the fairway. A closely-mown area is any area of the course that is cut to fairway height or less and includes paths cut through the rough and the fringe/apron around the green. If the ball does not lie on a closely-mown area, the player cannot take a preferred lie.
Q. So how do I prefer the lie?
If the player chooses to prefer the lie of the ball, the position of the ball must be first marked. Most players will use a tee to mark the position of the ball but a coin or other similarly sized object is suitable. Once the ball has been marked, the player can then lift the ball and clean it if desired. The ball must then be placed on a spot no nearer the hole within the area specified by the Committee, e.g. within six inches.
It is worth noting that the specified area in which to place the ball can vary from club to club. Some committees will stipulate within six inches, others a score card-length or perhaps even one club-length. There is no hard and fast Rule, therefore it is best to check in advance the distance the placement has to occur, to avoid any unnecessary penalties.
This is something PGA Tour golfer Ryuji Imada would have been advised to do, to avoid the 26-stroke penalty he incurred at a recent tournament in China. Imada assumed he could prefer the lie of the ball within a club-length of its original position, as is standard on the PGA Tour. But the Local Rules for this tournament stated that the placement had to occur within the length of one score-card. When this was brought to Imada’s attention he informed tournament officials before signing his card. He was assessed a two-stroke penalty for each of the thirteen times he had preferred the lie outside of the prescribed distance and finally signed for a first round total of 24-over-par, 97!
