It's time, Pro's (and others) should get relief from divots...

[Pops99]

1 hour ago, SlothofDespond said:

The folks against relief from divots strike me like the most miserable people to deal with on basically anything ever.

 

Oh no, golf will be fractionally easier when people aren't screwed because they happened to hit the ball where someone else did yesterday. Oh no, someone will have to craft some words to define divot and fairway like with basically ever other thing in golf and sports. The world will end.

 

Between this and the nonsense about nerfing the ball it's high time for golf to have a second rulemaking body for people who aren't hardwired ancients.

No one is stopping you from moving it out of a divot in your rounds with your buddies, my dude. Fill your boots. You can be the president of the new governing body. 

 

Some of us prefer to follow the rules of golf and play it as it lies. You do you. 

Edited July 23 by Pops99

[Danielson]

On 7/22/2025 at 9:24 AM, DCDeac said:

Yeah, the one free relief per round idea seems like the only realistic option.  You can't make it a judgment call, and playing it down is fundamental to the game of golf. I'd also add you can't clean it and you can only move it a tee length or a putter head or something tiny.  A lot of courses give relief for sprinklers in the way of a putt from the fringe now, I feel like that's a similar accommodation - it's just easier to identify a sprinkler head as a manmade object versus a divot.  

 

Another reason I'd be ok with it despite being fairly traditional when it comes to golf is that divots are one of those issues that tend to impact amateurs more than pros.  As has been pointed out, most pros land in a sand-filled divot on an immaculately conditioned course, and 9 times out of 10 they hit a decent shot.  If you play average golf courses with the typical idiot public, you get the occasional horrible 2 inch ditch with zero sand, or you get overplayed narrow fairways that are covered in divots.  There's a hyper exclusive country club near me that has a local rule on a couple holes that you get relief from divots just because the fairways funnel balls to a general area and it's an uphill approach, meaning that if you roll into a divot that hasn't been filled you're basically losing a full shot.  For USGA events they play it down and it sucks, feels like you have a 25% chance of getting screwed and guys definitely aim for the rough because it's such a risk.   An official, even optional rule of one slight move per round without cleaning seems fair enough, plus it's not really possible to take advantage of it.  

 

The underlying theme is that the rules of golf consistently allow relief for man-made objects and impediments.  They also now allow for the repair of any and all blemishes on greens made be other players.  The only reason divots aren't covered is the difficulty in assessing them paired with the infrequency of the issue occurring.  The "one divot relief per round" rule is a pretty elegant fix, and imho would even encourage more players to play by the rules in general instead of using lcp all the time with friends. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why not? It's a game of honor. Everyone knows what a divot looks like. If you think you're in a clear divot, take relief. If your playing partners disagree, you get penalized. 

[Pepperturbo]

Sorry, boys and girls, I still haven't heard a good enough argument, so I'm not in favor of relief.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

1 hour ago, Danielson said:

 

 

Why not? It's a game of honor. Everyone knows what a divot looks like. If you think you're in a clear divot, take relief. If your playing partners disagree, you get penalized. 

That's sound good. What possibly go wrong with that 😂

[Pnwpingi210]

3 hours ago, SlothofDespond said:

The folks against relief from divots strike me like the most miserable people to deal with on basically anything ever.

 

Oh no, golf will be fractionally easier when people aren't screwed because they happened to hit the ball where someone else did yesterday. Oh no, someone will have to craft some words to define divot and fairway like with basically ever other thing in golf and sports. The world will end.

 

Between this and the nonsense about nerfing the ball it's high time for golf to have a second rulemaking body for people who aren't hardwired ancients.

I’ll tell you what.  I’ll give you free relief from a divot if you agree to go and throw your ball in the rough, woods, or hazards of everytime you get a favorable bounce avoiding those things.

 

its called playing it as it lies.  Sometimes you get good fortune and sometimes you get bad fortune.  Its not a game of explicit guarantees 

[NorthTexasGlfr]

5 hours ago, SlothofDespond said:

 

I didn't say the divot people feel miserable. I said they're miserable to deal with. In my experience they're gleeful about this stuff happening.

 

I'm not exactly following what you are trying to say here.

 

Exactly what is it that these people are gleeful about?

[Danielson]

2 hours ago, BlackDiamondPar5 said:

That's sound good. What possibly go wrong with that 😂

 

Is that not pretty much how it works now with dozens of other rules? 

[Pnwpingi210]

10 minutes ago, Danielson said:

 

Is that not pretty much how it works now with dozens of other rules? 

Based on this thread a divots going to be anything from a sinkhole to maybe the footprints of where a butterfly landed 9 months ago.  
 

people can barely argeee on a turf seam, much less a divot

[SlothofDespond]

3 hours ago, NorthTexasGlfr said:

 

I'm not exactly following what you are trying to say here.

 

Exactly what is it that these people are gleeful about?

 

They looove when people hit a fairway and get screwed by a divot.

 

Double glee when they get to deliver the "play it as it lies" monologue they've been saying a million times since before the internet existed.

[Pnwpingi210]

17 minutes ago, SlothofDespond said:

 

They looove when people hit a fairway and get screwed by a divot.

 

Double glee when they get to deliver the "play it as it lies" monologue they've been saying a million times since before the internet existed.

I’ll tell you what.  I’ll (gleefully) give you free relief from a divot if you agree to (gleefully) go and throw your ball in the rough, woods, or hazards everytime you get a favorable bounce avoiding those things.

 

its called playing it as it lies.  Sometimes you get good fortune and sometimes you get bad fortune.  Its not a game of explicit guarantees 

 

Seem fair and we will both get some glee!

 

(edit what an accurate username)

Edited July 24 by Pnwpingi210

[isaacbm]

So if I skip it off a pond, it hits a rock bounces across a bridge back into the fairway, but goes into a divot. Should I get free relief because after all if you’ve “hit a perfect shot into the fairway”, you shouldn’t be penalized?

[ThinkingPlus]

1 hour ago, SlothofDespond said:

 

They looove when people hit a fairway and get screwed by a divot.

 

Double glee when they get to deliver the "play it as it lies" monologue they've been saying a million times since before the internet existed.

There is nothing more awesome in golf than executing a great shot under adversity. Playing from a divot is an opportunity to excel. Your playing partners will be amazed and envious when you pull off the shot. You will also gain greater respect by not whining and sucking it up to hit the shot whether successful or not. It's character building. There is no downside.

[sui generis]

I've been hitting out of divot holes from time-to-time for more than 60 years. And, I've been a referee for 15 years. You'll never hear me whining about divot holes. Man (or perhaps, lady) up!

[NorthTexasGlfr]

2 hours ago, SlothofDespond said:

 

They looove when people hit a fairway and get screwed by a divot.

 

Double glee when they get to deliver the "play it as it lies" monologue they've been saying a million times since before the internet existed.

 

I've been playing golf for the better part of 60 years and I've never seen what you are describing. Never. 

[bobfoster]

3 hours ago, SlothofDespond said:

 

They looove when people hit a fairway and get screwed by a divot.

 

Double glee when they get to deliver the "play it as it lies" monologue they've been saying a million times since before the internet existed.

They "love" it? Really? Maybe a few things to get straight here.

 

1. Just because someone does not agree with whatever random change you want to make to the RoG doesn't mean they are somehow stuck in the past. Golf is voluntary. The USGA is voluntary. You wanna take relief from a divot? Take it! Heck, take mulligans, designate anything under 5 feet as a gimmee putt, and make foot wedges okay (after all, it is pretty unfair and totally not your fault that people planted those damn trees all over the place). Play by any rules you want to.

 

2. The so-called "play it as it lies monologue" is not some private mantra old guys delight in torturing you with. "Play it as it lies" is one of the most foundational principles of golf. Actually, the most foundational one. Here's how the RoG starts - Rule 1, and 1.1:

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Purpose of Rule: Rule 1 introduces these central principles of the game for the player:

• Play the course as you find it and play the ball as it lies.
• Play by the Rules and in the spirit of the game.
• You are responsible for applying your own penalties if you breach a Rule, so that you cannot gain any potential advantage over your opponent in match play or other players in stroke play.

1.1 The Game of Golf
Golf is played in a round of 18 (or fewer) holes on a course by striking a ball with a club.

Each hole starts with a stroke from the teeing area and ends when the ball is holed on the putting green (or when the Rules otherwise say the hole is completed).

For each stroke, the player:

• Plays the course as they find it, and
• Plays the ball as it lies.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Play it as it lies is not some "monologue" to be disparaged, it is literally the first rule of golf. And yes, tens of millions of rounds were played according to that rule (even, gasp!, "before the internet"). It is true that the ruling bodies have (very rarely) made exceptions to that principle, but it is still the guiding principle. It sets an extremely high bar that any rules changes would need to get over. Both the USGA and R&A have periodically looked at divots, and consistently decide it simply does not rise to the level required to make an exception to that first principle. 

 

To provide context? I often play on public courses, some that are not known for great etiquette. Like, for instance, raking traps. Easy to wind up in a deep, unraked heel mark in a sand trap. Another thing that probably seems "unfair" to you. And the ruling bodies have actually looked at the issue, and a possible rule change, and - similar to divots - decided that it did not justify an exception to the fundamental rule. Very few things do. (Weirdly, it turns out that a handful of moody amateurs in an online discussion thread deciding "it's time to change this rule" isn't a compelling enough argument - to golf's ruling bodies - to override the most basic rule of the game. Go figure.)

 

3. I've been playing for well over 50 years now, and if I've learned anything, it is that the game of golf, by its very nature, has a great deal of complete randomness baked into it. I've had absolutely countless incidents of bad luck on great shots, and equally countless incidents of good luck with terrible shots. Over time they kind of zero each other out. But if you can't deal with randomness, golf is not the game for you. 

 

4. Finally, since some in this thread have gone beyond just making arguments, and actually get demeaning, perhaps it is appropriate to respond in kind. Absolutely no one I play golf with "looooves" to see someone hit into a divot, nor feels any "glee". That may be one of the silliest things I've read here in months. The dominant feeling is pretty much just an "oh well" kind of indifference. Or, put another way, what you are apparently obsessing on is simply considered utterly trivial by a lot of golfers. If I find my ball in a divot? Shrug my shoulders and just play it in the same way as I would if it bounced badly and wound up behind a tree or rock. In fact, being in a divot is almost "the best bad luck" you can have. It is just not that big of a deal. It happens rarely, and even when it does it really isn't that damaging at all. 

 

What I will admit a bit of glee about? Watching entitled whiners going on endlessly about how "unfair" the rule (or rather, the lack of a rule) is. Makes me giggle. The RoG are unlikely to change something so completely trivial. Golf is fair insofar as the same rules apply to everyone - but anyone that considers bad breaks to be unfair needs to either quit golf, or ... frankly ... just grow the hell up.

 

/Mic drop.

Edited July 24 by bobfoster

[NorthTexasGlfr]

4 minutes ago, bobfoster said:

They "love" it? Really? Maybe a few things to get straight here.

 

1. Just because someone does not agree with whatever random change you want to make to the RoG doesn't mean they are somehow stuck in the past. Golf is voluntary. The USGA is voluntary. You wanna take relief from a divot? Take it! Heck, take mulligans, designate anything under 5 feet as a gimmee putt, and make foot wedges okay (after all, it is pretty unfair and totally not your fault that people planted those damn trees all over the place). Play by any rules you want to.

 

2. The so-called "play it as it lies monologue" is not some private mantra old guys delight in torturing you with. "Play it as it lies" is one of the most foundational principles of golf. Actually, the most foundational one. Here's how the RoG starts - Rule 1, and 1.1:

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Purpose of Rule: Rule 1 introduces these central principles of the game for the player:

• Play the course as you find it and play the ball as it lies.
• Play by the Rules and in the spirit of the game.
• You are responsible for applying your own penalties if you breach a Rule, so that you cannot gain any potential advantage over your opponent in match play or other players in stroke play.

1.1 The Game of Golf
Golf is played in a round of 18 (or fewer) holes on a course by striking a ball with a club.

Each hole starts with a stroke from the teeing area and ends when the ball is holed on the putting green (or when the Rules otherwise say the hole is completed).

For each stroke, the player:

• Plays the course as they find it, and
• Plays the ball as it lies.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Play it as it lies is not some "monologue" to be disparaged, it is literally the first rule of golf. And yes, tens of millions of rounds were played according to that rule (even, gasp!, "before the internet"). It is true that the ruling bodies have (very rarely) made exceptions to that principle, but it is still the guiding principle. It sets an extremely high bar that any rules changes would need to get over. Both the USGA and R&A have periodically looked at divots, and consistently decide it simply does not rise to the level required to make an exception to that first principle. 

 

To provide context? I often play on public courses, some that are not known for great etiquette. Like, for instance, raking traps. Easy to wind up in a deep, unraked heel mark in a sand trap. Another thing that probably seems "unfair" to you. And the ruling bodies have actually looked at the issue, and a possible rule change, and - similar to divots - decided that it did not justify an exception to the fundamental rule. Very few things do. 

 

3. I've been playing for well over 50 years now, and if I've learned anything, it is that the game of golf, by its very nature, has a great deal of complete randomness baked into it. I've had absolutely countless incidents of bad luck on great shots, and equally countless incidents of good luck with terrible shots. Over time they kind of zero each other out. But if you can't deal with randomness, golf is not the game for you. 

 

4. Finally, since some in this thread have gone beyond just making arguments, and actually get demeaning, perhaps it is appropriate to respond in kind. Absolutely no one I play golf with "looooves" to see someone hit into a divot, nor feels any "glee". That may be one of the silliest things I've read here in months. The dominant feeling is pretty much just an "oh well" kind of indifference. Or, put another way, what you are apparently obsessing on is simply considered utterly trivial by a lot of golfers. If I find my ball in a divot? Shrug my shoulders and just play it in the same way as I would if it bounced badly and wound up behind a tree or rock. In fact, being in a divot is almost "the best bad luck" you can have. It is just not that big of a deal. It happens rarely, and even when it does it really isn't that damaging at all. 

 

What I will admit a bit of glee about? Watching entitled whiners going on endlessly about how "unfair" the rule (or rather, the lack of a rule) is. Makes me giggle. The RoG are unlikely to change something so completely trivial. Golf is fair insofar as the same rules apply to everyone - but anyone that considers bad breaks to be unfair needs to either quit golf, or ... frankly ... just grow the hell up.

 

/Mic drop.

 

One of the best posts I've read in this thread. Thank you. 

[NosajNeelik]

On 7/22/2025 at 2:30 PM, DCDeac said:

 

Let's say we're playing a match and you're up 1 on me headed to #18.  We both hit perfect drives right down the middle, but you get me by 5 yards.  So I putt my ball right behind yours.  I have you mark it so I can play my next shot, then I take out a crazy big 64* wedge with 0 degrees of bounce and rip a cavern out of the ground and advance my ball 30 yards.   I snag the divot and toss it into a lake.  

 

Should you be able to hit your next shot on a nice lie in the fairway or should you have to replace your ball exactly where your mark is in the middle of the divot where you have no chance of hitting anything other than the top quarter of the ball?  Is that similar to having a shot above your feet in the fairway?

You can putt a ball on the fairway 15 feet so it ends up right behind another ball? Wow you must be a good putter 

[Pnwpingi210]

14 minutes ago, bobfoster said:

They "love" it? Really? Maybe a few things to get straight here.

 

1. Just because someone does not agree with whatever random change you want to make to the RoG doesn't mean they are somehow stuck in the past. Golf is voluntary. The USGA is voluntary. You wanna take relief from a divot? Take it! Heck, take mulligans, designate anything under 5 feet as a gimmee putt, and make foot wedges okay (after all, it is pretty unfair and totally not your fault that people planted those damn trees all over the place). Play by any rules you want to.

 

2. The so-called "play it as it lies monologue" is not some private mantra old guys delight in torturing you with. "Play it as it lies" is one of the most foundational principles of golf. Actually, the most foundational one. Here's how the RoG starts - Rule 1, and 1.1:

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Purpose of Rule: Rule 1 introduces these central principles of the game for the player:

• Play the course as you find it and play the ball as it lies.
• Play by the Rules and in the spirit of the game.
• You are responsible for applying your own penalties if you breach a Rule, so that you cannot gain any potential advantage over your opponent in match play or other players in stroke play.

1.1 The Game of Golf
Golf is played in a round of 18 (or fewer) holes on a course by striking a ball with a club.

Each hole starts with a stroke from the teeing area and ends when the ball is holed on the putting green (or when the Rules otherwise say the hole is completed).

For each stroke, the player:

• Plays the course as they find it, and
• Plays the ball as it lies.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Play it as it lies is not some "monologue" to be disparaged, it is literally the first rule of golf. And yes, tens of millions of rounds were played according to that rule (even, gasp!, "before the internet"). It is true that the ruling bodies have (very rarely) made exceptions to that principle, but it is still the guiding principle. It sets an extremely high bar that any rules changes would need to get over. Both the USGA and R&A have periodically looked at divots, and consistently decide it simply does not rise to the level required to make an exception to that first principle. 

 

To provide context? I often play on public courses, some that are not known for great etiquette. Like, for instance, raking traps. Easy to wind up in a deep, unraked heel mark in a sand trap. Another thing that probably seems "unfair" to you. And the ruling bodies have actually looked at the issue, and a possible rule change, and - similar to divots - decided that it did not justify an exception to the fundamental rule. Very few things do. 

 

3. I've been playing for well over 50 years now, and if I've learned anything, it is that the game of golf, by its very nature, has a great deal of complete randomness baked into it. I've had absolutely countless incidents of bad luck on great shots, and equally countless incidents of good luck with terrible shots. Over time they kind of zero each other out. But if you can't deal with randomness, golf is not the game for you. 

 

4. Finally, since some in this thread have gone beyond just making arguments, and actually get demeaning, perhaps it is appropriate to respond in kind. Absolutely no one I play golf with "looooves" to see someone hit into a divot, nor feels any "glee". That may be one of the silliest things I've read here in months. The dominant feeling is pretty much just an "oh well" kind of indifference. Or, put another way, what you are apparently obsessing on is simply considered utterly trivial by a lot of golfers. If I find my ball in a divot? Shrug my shoulders and just play it in the same way as I would if it bounced badly and wound up behind a tree or rock. In fact, being in a divot is almost "the best bad luck" you can have. It is just not that big of a deal. It happens rarely, and even when it does it really isn't that damaging at all. 

 

What I will admit a bit of glee about? Watching entitled whiners going on endlessly about how "unfair" the rule (or rather, the lack of a rule) is. Makes me giggle. The RoG are unlikely to change something so completely trivial. Golf is fair insofar as the same rules apply to everyone - but anyone that considers bad breaks to be unfair needs to either quit golf, or ... frankly ... just grow the hell up.

 

/Mic drop.

[sui generis]

9 hours ago, Danielson said:

 

 

Why not? It's a game of honor. Everyone knows what a divot looks like. If you think you're in a clear divot, take relief. If your playing partners disagree, you get penalized. 

 

The R&A and USGA don't share your La-Z-Boy opinion.

[NosajNeelik]

1 hour ago, ThinkingPlus said:

There is nothing more awesome in golf than executing a great shot under adversity. Playing from a divot is an opportunity to excel. Your playing partners will be amazed and envious when you pull off the shot. You will also gain greater respect by not whining and sucking it up to hit the shot whether successful or not. It's character building. There is no downside.

Don’t feed the high handicappers 

[SnowbirdTom]

5 hours ago, bobfoster said:

They "love" it? Really? Maybe a few things to get straight here.

 

1. Just because someone does not agree with whatever random change you want to make to the RoG doesn't mean they are somehow stuck in the past. Golf is voluntary. The USGA is voluntary. You wanna take relief from a divot? Take it! Heck, take mulligans, designate anything under 5 feet as a gimmee putt, and make foot wedges okay (after all, it is pretty unfair and totally not your fault that people planted those damn trees all over the place). Play by any rules you want to.

 

2. The so-called "play it as it lies monologue" is not some private mantra old guys delight in torturing you with. "Play it as it lies" is one of the most foundational principles of golf. Actually, the most foundational one. Here's how the RoG starts - Rule 1, and 1.1:

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Purpose of Rule: Rule 1 introduces these central principles of the game for the player:

• Play the course as you find it and play the ball as it lies.
• Play by the Rules and in the spirit of the game.
• You are responsible for applying your own penalties if you breach a Rule, so that you cannot gain any potential advantage over your opponent in match play or other players in stroke play.

1.1 The Game of Golf
Golf is played in a round of 18 (or fewer) holes on a course by striking a ball with a club.

Each hole starts with a stroke from the teeing area and ends when the ball is holed on the putting green (or when the Rules otherwise say the hole is completed).

For each stroke, the player:

• Plays the course as they find it, and
• Plays the ball as it lies.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Play it as it lies is not some "monologue" to be disparaged, it is literally the first rule of golf. And yes, tens of millions of rounds were played according to that rule (even, gasp!, "before the internet"). It is true that the ruling bodies have (very rarely) made exceptions to that principle, but it is still the guiding principle. It sets an extremely high bar that any rules changes would need to get over. Both the USGA and R&A have periodically looked at divots, and consistently decide it simply does not rise to the level required to make an exception to that first principle. 

 

To provide context? I often play on public courses, some that are not known for great etiquette. Like, for instance, raking traps. Easy to wind up in a deep, unraked heel mark in a sand trap. Another thing that probably seems "unfair" to you. And the ruling bodies have actually looked at the issue, and a possible rule change, and - similar to divots - decided that it did not justify an exception to the fundamental rule. Very few things do. (Weirdly, it turns out that a handful of moody amateurs in an online discussion thread deciding "it's time to change this rule" isn't a compelling enough argument - to golf's ruling bodies - to override the most basic rule of the game. Go figure.)

 

3. I've been playing for well over 50 years now, and if I've learned anything, it is that the game of golf, by its very nature, has a great deal of complete randomness baked into it. I've had absolutely countless incidents of bad luck on great shots, and equally countless incidents of good luck with terrible shots. Over time they kind of zero each other out. But if you can't deal with randomness, golf is not the game for you. 

 

4. Finally, since some in this thread have gone beyond just making arguments, and actually get demeaning, perhaps it is appropriate to respond in kind. Absolutely no one I play golf with "looooves" to see someone hit into a divot, nor feels any "glee". That may be one of the silliest things I've read here in months. The dominant feeling is pretty much just an "oh well" kind of indifference. Or, put another way, what you are apparently obsessing on is simply considered utterly trivial by a lot of golfers. If I find my ball in a divot? Shrug my shoulders and just play it in the same way as I would if it bounced badly and wound up behind a tree or rock. In fact, being in a divot is almost "the best bad luck" you can have. It is just not that big of a deal. It happens rarely, and even when it does it really isn't that damaging at all. 

 

What I will admit a bit of glee about? Watching entitled whiners going on endlessly about how "unfair" the rule (or rather, the lack of a rule) is. Makes me giggle. The RoG are unlikely to change something so completely trivial. Golf is fair insofar as the same rules apply to everyone - but anyone that considers bad breaks to be unfair needs to either quit golf, or ... frankly ... just grow the hell up.

 

/Mic drop.

 

For all the divot relief folks, this is a must read.  A simple, eloquent and totally truthful response to your laughable demand for relief.  Here's something that happened to me worth a laugh too. I manned up and took an unplayable lie, didn't cry about it on the internet and played on. The whole group had a good laugh over it, myself included.  Life's unfair, suck it up and move on.

 

[ShortGolfer]

One of my best shots was out of a divot!

 

9th hole of Buena Vista in West Hartford.

Slice the ball into the forward tee box of the first hole.  It rolls down a hill to get there. Lands in deep divot.

The smart play would have been stroke and distance, but there is an narrow path through the trees, up the hill, to an elevated green.

I pull AW and hit the ball back up the hill and somehow stops ten feet from the pin.  

I two putt for my short Par 4!  

 

It is a long narrow green with a bunker inside it.  It is set up so that the longer you drive the ball, the easier your approach shot.

Of the 9 holes, it is the only one with a wide easy fairway,

Edited July 24 by ShortGolfer

[Nickb333]

4 hours ago, SnowbirdTom said:

 

For all the divot relief folks, this is a must read.  A simple, eloquent and totally truthful response to your laughable demand for relief.  Here's something that happened to me worth a laugh too. I manned up and took an unplayable lie, didn't cry about it on the internet and played on. The whole group had a good laugh over it, myself included.  Life's unfair, suck it up and move on.

 

That’s an unusual fairway.

[Danielson]

4 hours ago, SnowbirdTom said:

 

For all the divot relief folks, this is a must read.  A simple, eloquent and totally truthful response to your laughable demand for relief.  Here's something that happened to me worth a laugh too. I manned up and took an unplayable lie, didn't cry about it on the internet and played on. The whole group had a good laugh over it, myself included.  Life's unfair, suck it up and move on.

 

 

I'd argue that you hitting it into a tree and not having a good lie is completely fair. 

[SnowbirdTom]

9 minutes ago, Danielson said:

 

I'd argue that you hitting it into a tree and not having a good lie is completely fair. 

 

And if you read the post, I laughed about it. It was totally fair. So is hitting in a divot.  If you don't like the lie, take an unplayable and drop it out of the divot. THAT was the point which sailed over your head.

[Danielson]

10 minutes ago, SnowbirdTom said:

 

And if you read the post, I laughed about it. It was totally fair. So is hitting in a divot.  If you don't like the lie, take an unplayable and drop it out of the divot. THAT was the point which sailed over your head.

 

The point that people who want relief are making is that hitting it in the fairway and landing in a divot is unlucky, you hit it in the fairway and in theory deserve a decent lie. Hitting it in the trees and being stuck in a lie with roots all over is not unlucky, you hit it in the trees and deserve nothing.

[ShortGolfer]

When you decide that your ball is unplayable, you have three relief options, all for one penalty stroke. Your first option is to go back to the spot of your previous stroke and play again (stroke and distance relief). Your second option is to 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). Your third option is to drop anywhere within two club-lengths of where your ball lies, no closer to the hole (lateral relief).

 

 

I took advantage of this option yesterday.  The ball ended up in a dry ditch.  The lie wasn't bad, but the path to the green was blocked by shrubs.

I realized if I moved the ball far enough back, I'd be on a great lie and the shrubs would be below the ball!

 

Edited July 24 by ShortGolfer

[munichop]

12 hours ago, Pnwpingi210 said:

Interesting that so many of the rules were revised a few years back and this one remained.  I could see the pga tour having a rule change for this similar to lift clean and place for some events or holes where so many balls gather in one spot.  

[Pnwpingi210]

1 minute ago, munichop said:

Interesting that so many of the rules were revised a few years back and this one remained.  I could see the pga tour having a rule change for this similar to lift clean and place for some events or holes where so many balls gather in one spot.  

Maybe.  My take is it’s clear viewed as part of the game, as they don’t view hitting fairways as a guarantee of a perfect lie 

[munichop]

3 minutes ago, Pnwpingi210 said:

Maybe.  My take is it’s clear viewed as part of the game, as they don’t view hitting fairways as a guarantee of a perfect lie 

Agree

yet they now allow tapping down the green in certain circumstances when before it was the rub of the green. So they have made changes. This one remains for now.