Over the next month or so I will be adding in some of the new rules for next year to help us all get ahead of the game for next season
In 2019, players will continue to drop a ball when taking relief, (either free relief or under penalty) but the dropping procedure will be changed in several ways:
- How a ball may be dropped is simplified; the only requirement will be that the ball be let go from knee height so that it falls through the air and does not touch any part of the player’s body or equipment before it hits the ground.
- The focus of the dropping procedure will be on a specific “relief area” (either one or two club-lengths from a reference point depending on the Rule under which relief is being taken (and may have certain other limitations)).
- The ball will need only to be dropped in and come to rest in the relief area
- No re-drop requirement if the dropped ball accidentally hits a person or object after hitting the ground but before coming to rest in the relief area.
- If the dropped ball comes to rest outside the relief area, it will be dropped a second time; if it comes to rest outside the relief area after being dropped a second time it will be placed where it first touched the ground.
- If the placed ball will not come to rest on that spot after two attempts, the player will then place the ball on the nearest spot (not nearer the hole) where it will come to rest.
Want to read more about rules -- CLICK HERE
