Virginia Golfer September / October 2015 | Page 15

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Rule 24

24-2. IMMOVABLE OBSTRUCTION

a. Interference
Interference by an immovable obstruction
occurs when a ball lies in or on the
obstruction, or when the obstruction
interferes with the player's stance or the
area of his intended swing. If the player's
ball lies on the putting green, interference
also occurs if an immovable obstruction
on the putting green intervenes on his
line of putt. Otherwise, intervention
on the line of play is not, of itself,
interference under this Rule.
b. Relief
Except when the ball is in a water
hazard or a lateral water hazard, a player
may take relief from interference by an
immovable obstruction as follows:
(i) Through the Green: If the ball lies
through the green, the player must lift the
ball and drop it, without penalty, within
one club-length of and not nearer the
hole than the nearest point of relief. The
nearest point of relief must not be in a
hazard or on a putting green. When the
ball is dropped within one club-length
of the nearest point of relief, the ball
must first strike a part of the course at
a spot that avoids interference by the
immovable obstruction and is not in a
hazard and not on a putting green.
(ii) In a Bunker: If the ball is in a bunker, the
player must lift the ball and drop it either:
(a) Without penalty, in accordance
with Clause (i) above, except that
the nearest point of relief must be
in the bunker and the ball must be
dropped in the bunker; or
(b) Under penalty of one stroke,
outside the bunker keeping the
point where the ball lay directly
between the hole and the spot on
which the ball is dropped, with no
limit to how far behind the bunker
the ball may be dropped.

As you can see, the Rule specifies that
there is no free relief from an immovable
obstruction if your ball is at rest in