USGA Rules
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Lateral hazard - 3 Options (each option below comes with a one stroke penalty):
Go back and play your next stroke from where your previous stroke was played.
Drop a ball behind the hazard, keeping the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped with no limit to how far behind that reference point the ball may be dropped.
drop a ball outside the hazard within two club-lengths and not nearer the hole than the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard; or a point on the opposite margin of the hazard equidistant from the hole.
Lost Ball and Out of Bounds:
Provisional ball
Provisional ball (Note: If you hit a provisional ball, that becomes your ball in play and you can no longer use the 2-stroke fairway drop option.)
If you think that your ball might be out bounds or that you might not find it, you can play a provisional ball to save time. You must announce that you are playing a provisional ball before doing so. If you are then unable to find your original ball, or you find it out of bounds, your provisional ball is your ball in play under stroke and distance, and you don’t have to take the time to walk all the way back to the spot of your previous stroke.
If your ball is lost (you have 3 minures to find it) or if it's out of bounds you have two options:
Return to the spot of your previous stroke and play another ball from there for one penalty stroke (see Rule 18.2b).
For two penalty strokes, you can estimate the spot where your ball is lost or went out of bounds and then find the nearest fairway edge that is not nearer the hole than the estimated spot. You can drop a ball in the fairway within two club-lengths of that fairway edge point, or anywhere between there and the estimated spot where your ball is lost or went out of bounds.
Unplayable Ball
If you are in a situation where you don’t want to or don’t think you can play your ball, you always have the option of taking relief under the unplayable ball Rule. You are the only person who can decide that your ball is unplayable, and this can be done anywhere on the golf course except when your ball lies in a penalty area. If your ball is in a penalty area, your only relief option is to take relief under the penalty area Rule.
When you decide that your ball is unplayable, you have three relief options, all for one penalty stroke.
Go back to the spot of your previous stroke and play again (stroke and distance relief). \
Go back as far as you’d like and drop on the line from the hole through the spot where the ball lies (back-on-the-line relief).
Drop anywhere within two club-lengths of where your ball lies, no closer to the hole (lateral relief). Note: This states "where your ball lies". So if you are in a large bush, You get 2 club lengths from where the ball lies, NOT from the outside of the bush.
If your ball lies in a bunker, you must remain inside the bunker under options two and three. You also have a fourth option for an extra penalty stroke (two penalty strokes total) which allows you to go back on the line and drop your ball outside the bunker.
Unplayable Ball in Bunker
If you don’t want to or decide you can’t play your ball as it lies when your ball is in a bunker, you may decide it is unplayable.
If you do this, you have four total options, and two will always require that you take relief inside the bunker.
You may play a ball from the spot of your previous stroke (if this spot was out of the bunker, this option gets you out of the bunker; but if your last stroke was from in the bunker, you must stay in the bunker) One penalty stroke (see Rule 19.2a). (2)
You may take back-on-the-line relief in the bunker. One penalty stroke (see Rule 19.2b).
You may drop in the bunker within two club-lengths of where your ball lies but not nearer to the hole. One penalty stroke (see Rule 19.2c). (
Your fourth relief option comes with two penalty strokes – you may get out of the bunker using the back-on-the-line relief option (see Rule 19.3b).
Relief from immovable objects (From USGA rule 16):
If it interferes with at least one of the below, then determine the nearest point of relief and drop within one club-length, no closer to the hole.
An immovable obstruction is artificial and not designed to interfere with your play, e.g., cart paths, sprinkler heads, control boxes, etc
Determine if the immovable obstruction interferes with at least one of the following: 1) Stance 2) Lie or 3) Swing.
If it interferes with at least one of the above, then determine the nearest point of relief and drop within one club-length, no closer to the hole.
If the obstruction is in your line but does not affect your stance, lie or swing, then the golfer is not eligible for relief. (so if the obstruction only interferes with the flight of your ball, you do not get relief).
Interference from Boundary Objects:
You do not get free relief from objects that define or mark the course boundary. You may not move objects marking course boundaries or take free relief from them like you would from other artificial objects, like a cart path, a building, or a stake marking a penalty area. Your options are to play your ball as it lies, proceed under penalty of stroke and distance by playing again from the spot of your last stroke (see Rule 18.1), or decide your ball is unplayable (see Rule 19.1).