The Rules
If this Local Rule is in effect , you are allowed to take free relief from immovable obstructions on your line of play when the obstruction is within two club-lengths of the putting green and also within two club-lengths of your ball . You may take relief by finding the nearest point of complete relief and measuring a one club-length relief area from that point , no nearer the hole and within the general area . Your ball must be dropped in and come to rest in that relief area .
This Local Rule is typically used on courses where the fringes or aprons of the putting greens are cut such that putting from off the green is likely . One well-known example of where this Local Rule might be used is on a course like Pinehurst No . 2 .
MODEL LOCAL RULE E-3 This Model Local Rule goes by a lot of different names : “ preferred lies ,” “ winter Rules ,” or “ lift , clean , and place ” are all common monikers for this frequently used Rule .
When in effect , this Local Rule allows a player to take relief by lifting the ball and placing it on the ground in a specified relief area . Usually this is either within one club-length , 6 inches , or a scorecard-length of the original spot of the ball , but it is up to the Committee to specify the relief area . While the ball is lifted , the player may clean it before placing it on the ground , or the player may choose to use a different ball instead of the original ball . A player is only allowed to take relief in this way once , so after the player has placed their ball on the ground within the relief area , the relief procedure is complete and the player must not take relief under this Local Rule again for that stroke .
This Local Rule is to be used when prolonged conditions , such as heavy rains , spring thaws , and extreme heat cause widespread damage to the course or prevent the use of maintenance equipment . Implementing this Local Rule may make the course more fair for players , as well as protect it from further damage . While this Local Rule is not used at USGA championships , it is a great option for competitions when the weather hasn ’ t been friendly to the course .
MODEL LOCAL RULE G-4 This Local Rule leads to a common misconception among golfers : that you may only use one type of golf ball throughout a round . When this Local Rule is in effect , that is true and players must use only a single type of golf ball . This means the same brand and model ball that is on the List of Conforming Golf Balls . It is important to note that golf balls of different colors that are otherwise identical are considered different balls . This Local Rule is used on the PGA Tour , and as a result , many players believe that this is the default position of the Rules .
When this Local Rule is not in effect , players may use any golf ball on the List of Conforming Golf Balls , meaning that they may switch golf balls between holes or anytime the Rules allow the player to substitute a ball .
This Local Rule is recommended for use only in competitions limited to highly skilled players ( that is professional competitions and elite amateur competitions ), but it is always a good idea to check if this Local Rule is in effect prior to playing in a competition .
CHRIS LANG
Model Local Rule E-3 , This Local Rule is to be used when prolonged conditions , such as heavy rains , spring thaws , and extreme heat cause widespread damage to the course or prevent the use of maintenance equipment .
Often , when there is excessive moisture and mud on the course , the committee may decide to allow players to play preferred lies , otherwise known as lift , clean and place , making the course more fair for players and protecting the course from further damage .
CONCLUSION Model Local Rules are a wonderful tool for Committees to be able to make the game fair for players on their course or in their competitions , and knowing which Local Rules are in effect can help you as a player .
For more information on the myriad Model Local Rules that can be put into effect , take a look in the Committee Procedures Section of the Official Guide to the Rules of Golf .
Dunovant works in the USGA Rules Department .
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