Do you get relief from an animal hole?
By The Fairway Labs TeamReviewed
Free relief
Penalty: None
Do you get relief from an animal hole?
PenaltyNone· under Rule 16.1
What to do
- 1Confirm the hole was made by a burrowing animal, bird, or reptile, not an insect.
- 2Find the nearest point of complete relief, no nearer the hole, clear of the hole and its edges.
- 3Drop within one club-length of that point, no nearer the hole, from knee height.
- 4Play on with no penalty.
Based on the modern Rules of Golf (Rule 16.1), as published by the USGA and The R&A and effective from the 2019 revision. Local rules can modify some situations — check the scorecard or with the committee when in doubt.
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