Rules of Golf explained: There’s an old hole plug on my line – can I take relief?

It would have been a cracking shot. A day ago. Now it’s lingering right on your line and you’re worried it’s going to deflect a cup-bound effort off target.

What am I talking about this week? Let’s allow Mick Roberts – thanks for your email – to set the scene.

“An old hole was in the line of one of my playing partner’s line of putt,” Mick writes. “Our competition secretary did not know the answer.

“Can you move your ball sideways to avoid putting over the old hole without penalty under ‘the grounds man’s workings’ rule?”

Rules of Golf explained: Dealing with an old hole plug

What can you do about an old hole plug then? Rule 13.1c (2) allows you to repair damage on the putting green without penalty.

That means “any damage caused by a person or outside influence” – and old hole plugs and turf plugs are specifically mentioned.

You can take reasonable actions to restore the putting surface “as nearly as possible to its original condition”, by using your hand, foot, another part of the body, a ball-mark repair tool, tee, club, or “similar item of normal equipment”.

And you can do this irrespective of whether your ball is on the green or not.

Don’t spend ages doing it, though, as you’re not allowed to unreasonably delay play. And if you exceed what is reasonable, such as by using a prohibited item, you’re going to get the general penalty (two shots in stroke play, or loss of hole in match play).

Now what if the plug has sunk below the surface of the hole? You clearly can’t repair it then, so do you have to put up with it?

A clarification to Rule 13.1c (2) in the 2023 Rules of Golf says that you can ask the committee to repair the damage. If they’re unable to do that, and your ball is on the green, committees can then consider “providing relief to the player under Rule 16.1 by defining the damaged area as ground under repair”.

What if the hole hasn’t been repaired? What if it’s on a double green, or it just hasn’t been filled in yet? The definition of ground under repair confirms that any hole made by either the committee, or maintenance staff, in setting up the course or maintaining the course is GUR and you can take free relief.

Have a question for our Rules of Golf expert?

Despite the simplification of the Rules of Golf at the beginning of 2019, there are still some that leave us scratching our heads. And as I’ve passed the R&A’s Level 3 rules exam with distinction, I’ll try to help by featuring the best in this column.

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You can read all of Steve’s Rules of Golf explained columns here.

Have you been stymied by an old hole plug? What’s the most interesting situation you have been in on a green? Let me know with a tweet.