It doesn’t seem to matter if it’s snow, frost, if the rain has been falling like we all need to live in arks rather than houses, or if the ground’s dried up in a drought, our climate these days seems perfect for ground under repair to rear its head.
Yes, conditions on the course can sometimes be less than ideal. That’s the weather for you. But whether it’s inclement conditions, a course renovation, or a dry spell that cracks up the ground, you all want to know the same thing as I get variations of this question all the time on email.
“Is it compulsory to take relief from ground under repair?”
Well, is it? Let’s see if I can give you a definitive answer once and for all.
GUR golf rules: Is ground under repair compulsory?
Lots of you out there misunderstand this rule and, to be honest, I don’t blame you one bit. What I’m about to tell you is going to feel pretty contradictory.
If a committee has labelled an area of the golf course as GUR then you can take free relief, but you also have the option to play the ball as it lies.
Doesn’t sound right, does it? Your greenkeepers have labelled this area for a purpose. It’s what it says on the tin. It is ground that is under repair.
They don’t want you swinging around in a bunker that’s being renovated. They don’t want you hacking up their newly laid turf.
That’s why they shouldn’t use the ground under repair rule if they’re determined not to want golfers trampling all over with their size 9s.
And it’s because it isn’t compulsory to take relief from ground under repair.
What they need to do is designate the area they want to protect as a No Play Zone. It’s then a very different matter.
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Now playing the ball as it lies is going to mean adding a couple of penalty strokes onto your score. If your ball is in a No Play Zone then you must find the nearest point of complete relief where interference from that area doesn’t exist. From there, you’ve got a one-club relief area in which to drop.
A committee could also bring in a drop zone and make it mandatory where there is an area of ground under repair they don’t want you to play from but don’t necessarily want to define as a no play zone.
A word of warning, though, for any clubs now determined rid themselves of any ground under repair. Remember, it’s nearest and not nicest point of complete relief.
If you’re going to establish NPZs all over your course, just check out first where golfers are going to have to drop. At one club where that happened, a mate of mine had to come out of a bunker that was being repaired. His nearest point was under a tree. He was displeased.
If you’re finding similar issues, it’s probably best to keep the area as GUR. And don’t expect a deluge of players to read this and start playing their ball as it lies. The vast majority can’t wait to take relief whenever they see the sign.
Got a question for our expert?
Despite the changes to the Rules of Golf in 2019 and 2023, there are still some that leave us scratching our heads. I’ll try to help by featuring the best of your queries in this column.
Is ground under repair compulsory? Do you agree with this in the Rules of Golf? Let me know your thoughts on GUR by leaving a comment on X.
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