Is it ever going to rain again? What is this now, our fifth heatwave? I’ve honestly lost count. Listen I love basking in the sun as much as anyone – and the short hitter in me revels in a course that’s fast, firm, and bouncy. It means everyone’s a long hitter.
But the lack of H2O can bring out some conditions that leave us praying for help from the rules. When a course gets particularly hot and dry, fairways and green surrounds can suffer because of cracks in the ground.
They can open up like fissures in the heat and if your ball comes to rest in such a crack, good luck getting it out.
You might think this is the absolute definition of an abnormal course condition. So if you’re seeing the cracks emerging at your course, are they ground under repair?
Should your committee get to work, what do they need to do, and are there any limitations on the relief that could be provided? Stand by, as I reveal all…
Relief from cracks in ground
Ground under repair can be any part of the course the committee defines as such, whether by “marking it or otherwise”. So club organisers have always got that up their sleeve.
But if you’re badgering your hard-working club volunteers to do something about these mini San Andreas faults popping up around the course in the scorching weather, you can also point them in the direction of Model Local Rule F-8, which deals with ‘Relief from Cracks in Ground’ directly.
Why might it be a better way? It’s because it limits when you will get relief. While your ball might have come a cropper and be seriously affected, a “player’s stance may not be hindered by the condition”.
So this Local Rule recommends only giving relief for the lie of the ball, and the area of intended swing. It also has a restriction to cracks in the ground in “parts of the general area cut to fairway height or less”.
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It says they are ground under repair and allows you to take free relief as you normally would under Rule 16.1b.
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.
Relief from crackings in the ground: What do you think about this local rule? Let me know by leaving a comment below or by getting in touch on X.
