With the course now in good condition there is no need to play preferred lies any longer.
Therefore we will ‘play the ball as it lies’ from Saturday 5th November.
If you finish in an abnormal ground condition (ie in temporary water, on a bare patch on a fairway, in GUR, or in an animal scrapping), then you may take free relief not nearer the hole following the procedures outlined in rule 16.
Note:
There is no relief when it is clearly unreasonable to play your ball :
When playing your ball as it lies is clearly unreasonable because of something other than an abnormal course condition (such as, when you are standing on an immovable obstruction but you are unable to make a stroke because of where your ball lies in a bush), or
When interference exists only because you choose a club, type of stance or swing or direction of play that is clearly unreasonable under the circumstances.
A ball lying on a bare patch in the rough should be played as it lies with no free relief unless it is on a tyre track caused by a vehicle.
