Golf Rules Golf Rule 25 Abnormal Ground Conditions Embedded Ball And Wrong Putting Green (Video) - by Pete Styles
Golf Rules Golf Rule 25 Abnormal Ground Conditions Embedded Ball And Wrong Putting Green (Video) - by Pete Styles

So there's a rule here that refers to a couple of different areas where you're actually allowed free drops from quite awkward situations. So this first situation I've picked out here is where there's a plugged golf ball. Now if I've hit my golf ball and its gone miles through the air and it's landed in very wet conditions, there is a chance that it may plug itself in the ground particularly in the middle of winter. You walk down the middle of the fairway. You find this ball, you think well how unfortunate is that. I'm going to really struggle to hit this ball. I'm certainly going to make a mess of the golf course.

Now if this happens in an area that we class as through the green, it is a free drop scenario. I'm allowed to pick my ball up and drop it down within one club length of where that ball lies. No nearer the hole, no penalty. Another situation that might be something we’ve all experienced from time to time. Unfortunately you've landed your golf ball on the green which is lovely, but it was the wrong green. It wasn't the green you intended. The green you want to hit is another seventy yards that way. Now you're just about to line up with your lob wedge here and you are just about to take a nice chunky divot and someone comes running over and stops you and says, you're on the wrong green. You must take a drop and this isn’t an optional thing. It's a must. You can mark the position of the ball and then you must walk to the side of the green and put the ball down there, and again it's full relief. Your feet aren’t allowed to be on the green. You take full relief off, mark the position where you want to drop the ball, and then dropping the ball down in that situation there. As long as that ball hasn't rolled nearer to the hole, that's fine. Now you might feel a bit guilty taking a big chunky divot from the fringe, from the edges of the green. But that's okay, that's allowed. But definitely don't go on to the green and start taking big chunky divots from here. So we’ve got imbedded balls and we've got balls on wrong putting greens. You are allowed a free drop from those situations. So hopefully that doesn't cost you any penalties either. 2015-07-23

So there's a rule here that refers to a couple of different areas where you're actually allowed free drops from quite awkward situations. So this first situation I've picked out here is where there's a plugged golf ball. Now if I've hit my golf ball and its gone miles through the air and it's landed in very wet conditions, there is a chance that it may plug itself in the ground particularly in the middle of winter. You walk down the middle of the fairway. You find this ball, you think well how unfortunate is that. I'm going to really struggle to hit this ball. I'm certainly going to make a mess of the golf course.

Now if this happens in an area that we class as through the green, it is a free drop scenario. I'm allowed to pick my ball up and drop it down within one club length of where that ball lies. No nearer the hole, no penalty. Another situation that might be something we’ve all experienced from time to time. Unfortunately you've landed your golf ball on the green which is lovely, but it was the wrong green. It wasn't the green you intended. The green you want to hit is another seventy yards that way. Now you're just about to line up with your lob wedge here and you are just about to take a nice chunky divot and someone comes running over and stops you and says, you're on the wrong green.

You must take a drop and this isn’t an optional thing. It's a must. You can mark the position of the ball and then you must walk to the side of the green and put the ball down there, and again it's full relief. Your feet aren’t allowed to be on the green. You take full relief off, mark the position where you want to drop the ball, and then dropping the ball down in that situation there. As long as that ball hasn't rolled nearer to the hole, that's fine. Now you might feel a bit guilty taking a big chunky divot from the fringe, from the edges of the green. But that's okay, that's allowed. But definitely don't go on to the green and start taking big chunky divots from here.

So we’ve got imbedded balls and we've got balls on wrong putting greens. You are allowed a free drop from those situations. So hopefully that doesn't cost you any penalties either.