Free Relief

Rule 16 (Rules of Golf) – Free Relief – The Great Free Stroke Give-Away And Nearest Point of Complete Relief Explained

There are many places that your ball might land on the golf course that provide free relief – or no added penalty strokes – and allow you to move your ball away from (or out of) an obstruction or move the obstruction away from your ball. 

Nearest Point of Complete Relief (NPCR) is used to determine the position of allowable movement before any relief is taken. 

While the concept of Nearest Point of Complete Relief is simple, it is often misunderstood or misused.  When your ball comes to rest under the following conditions, NPCR must be identified before moving your ball and taking free relief.

  • Abnormal Course Conditions – including animal holes, ground under repair, immovable obstructions, cart paths or temporary water. (where the condition physically interferes with your ball, your stance or your swing.)
  • Dangerous Animals (such as venomous snakes, stinging bees, alligators, fire ants or bears.)
  • Embedded ball (meeting conditions outlined below.)

 

How to Determine the Nearest Point of Complete Relief

  1. Determine the Reference Point – the spot nearest to where your ball came to rest that provides complete relief from any interference from the obstruction – including your ball, your stance and your swing. The Reference Point must remain in the general area of the course and cannot be in a Penalty Area or Out of Bounds. Use the club that you would choose for your next shot to determine the Reference Point.

     

  2. Determine the Relief Area – In many instances, a Relief Area is also provided and is determined from the Reference Point. When available, the Relief Area is defined as 1 club length from the reference point in all directions – providing that the resulting area continues to be outside of the original obstruction or another obstruction, no closer to the hole and is in the general area of the course. Depending on the shape of the abnormal condition, this generally produces an available drop area that is in a semi-circle or quarter-circle shape. Use the longest club in your bag to determine the Relief Area.

    NOTE: there are some instances – explained below – where the Reference Point IS the Nearest Point of Complete Relief and is the only available site of free relief.  No other Relief Area allowance is available. 

 

Abnormal Course Condition such as Temporary Water or Ground Under Repair

Mark the Reference Point at the Nearest Point of Complete Relief that is behind where your ball came to rest and away from the obstruction. Measure your Relief Area using 1 club-length. Drop your ball in the Relief Area.

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Cart Path – also an Abnormal Course Condition

This graphic assumes you are a right-handed golfer and shows the Nearest Point of Complete Relief when your ball comes to rest on the cart path (B1). It also illustrates the Nearest Point of Complete Relief when you ball comes to rest just off the cart path BUT when your feet would be on the cart path (B2). 

In both cases, the Reference Point and subsequent Relief Areas are based on where your ball, your swing and your stance are free from the obstruction.

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It’s important to note, the NPCR is NOT necessarily determined by the edge of the path closest to your ball – and it is often different for right-handed and left-handed players. If you are in doubt of your NPCR – and before moving your ball – measure Reference Points on both sides of the cart path. The NPCR is the Reference Point nearest to where your ball came to rest. 

Remember, there is only 1 Nearest Point of Complete Relief! You cannot choose the Reference Point that provides the most advantageous lie – or even a playable lie.  

Please take a look at this great video. It details 4 mistakes when taking free relief from a cart path and also clearly shows how to take relief for both right-handed golfers and left-handed golfers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWwfjuXcusQ

Relief from Embedded Ball

Here are examples of an embedded ball and how to take relief if your ball is embedded in the general area of the course.

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What if your ball is embedded in or under the lip or wall of the bunker – and no part of the ball touches the sand? Then it is not considered to be in the bunker and is considered to be in the General Area. You are entitled to free relief! As there is no general area directly behind your embedded ball as detailed in the above graphic – the bunker would be behind your ball – find the spot closest to your ball, no closer to the hole and that is in the general area. This is the Reference Point. Your Relief Area is 1 Club length on either side of this Reference Point, providing the defined relief area is in the general area of the course. 

Here are two videos outlining different scenarios of free relief when the embedded ball is not touching the sand. 

Scenario 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_gOvJJ_Zp4 

Scenario 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReEjKSyQbaU

Relief on the Putting Green 

Free relief is available when your ball comes to rest on the putting green and is obstructed by abnormal course conditions or dangerous animals. 

Determine the NPCR and play the ball from there. No other additional relief area allowance is available. 

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Free relief is also available should your ball come to rest on the putting green and on or under a moveable obstruction – like a towel or glove, for instance. Remove the obstruction and replace your ball on the original spot. The original spot becomes the Reference Point and is the Nearest Point of Complete Relief. No other relief area allowance is available. 

Relief from Bunker

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You have two relief options when your ball comes to rest in or on an Abnormal Course Condition – like temporary water in the bunker or should your ball (or you!) be obstructed by a dangerous animal. 

Option 1: Provides free relief employing NPCR with the ball staying in the bunker. 

Option 2: Provides Back-on-the-Line option with 1-stroke penalty but allows you to move your ball out of the bunker. 

 

It’s important to note that relief from Abnormal Course Conditions may result in better or worse conditions. Players may elect to play the ball as it lies (except from Ground Under Repair or No Play Zones.)

 

Free Relief from Moveable Obstructions 

Moveable Obstructions are defined as artificial objects that are not integral parts of the course and that can be moved with reasonable effort, without damaging the object or the course, such as rakes, distance and penalty markers, your or other players’ equipment. NPCR is not applied in these free relief scenarios.

Your ball comes to rest IN or ON a Moveable obstruction

When your ball comes to rest in or on a moveable obstruction – like a towel – anywhere in the general area (but not on the putting green, see above) lift your ball and remove the obstruction. Once the object is removed, the Reference Point is the spot where your ball originally came to rest – or as close as possible to that spot. Next define your Relief Area (1 club length on either side of the Reference Point.) Drop your ball in the Relief Area. 

Your ball comes to rest near or against a moveable obstruction

If your ball comes to rest near or against a moveable obstruction, you may move the object with no penalty. If, in doing so, your ball moves, replace it on the original spot – also no penalty. Let’s look at an example when your ball comes to rest against a rake.

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Your ball comes to rest near a distance or penalty marker

Providing the marker is removable and interferes with your ball, your swing or your stance, it may be removed allowing you to play your ball from where it lies. No line-of-sight relief is provided. If the marker cannot be easily removed, it is defined as an immoveable obstruction – proceed using NPCR as noted above. 

 

Free Relief from Loose Impediments 

Defined as natural objects that are not fixed or growing, like stones, sticks, leaves, cut or loose grass, plant debris, etc.

 

You may remove loose impediments near your ball anywhere on the course. Nearest Point Of Complete Relief does not come into play in this additional Free Relief scenario. There is no penalty to move loose impediments, UNLESS in doing so, your ball moves. If your ball moves, replace it to the original position and add a 1-stroke penalty.

 

There is no Free Relief from the following:

  • Tee markers in the teeing area
  • Boundary markers or boundary objects (white OB stakes, fences or fence posts)
  • Impediments that are not loose (natural objects that are growing, attached, partially buried, etc.)

2-stroke penalty (stroke play) or loss of hole (match play) if the above items are moved, removed, bent or adjusted.