Let’s look at relief from sprinkler head rules today – because this is a question I get asked a lot. So for all of you who’ve sent it in, and for anyone who just isn’t sure, stand back as I reveal all.
“If a player has a sprinkler head between their ball and the line to the hole, do they get free relief? The ball isn’t on the green.”
Relief from sprinkler head: What if it is in the line of play?
The answer is: drum roll please…
No, not normally. But don’t despair, for there is often another way.
Sprinkler heads are immovable obstructions, which are defined as an abnormal course condition in the Rules. You’re allowed free relief, under Rule 16.1a, if your ball touches or is on an abnormal course condition, if it physically interferes with the area of intended stance and swing, or “only when the ball is on the putting green, an abnormal course condition on or off the putting green intervenes in the line of play”.
The Rule carries on to say “if the abnormal course condition is close enough to distract the player but does not meet any of these requirements, there is no interference under this Rule”.
So in this situation, with the ball off the green, a sprinkler head on a player’s line of play isn’t interference and free relief would not usually be allowed.
There was a fascinating sprinkler head conundrum at the 2025 Players Championship that wasn’t shown on television that involved contender JJ Spaun.
Kyle Porter posted on X that NBC reporter and legendary caddie Bones McKay explained Spaun had a bad lie on the 9th hole at TPC Sawgrass, but took relief as there was an interfering sprinkler head.
