On hole #16, my ball came to rest in a puddle of water located just to the right of the fairway, near the trees and a few yards behind the pond:
Puddles are classed as “Temporary Water” under the USGA Definition: Any temporary accumulation of water on the surface of the ground that can be seen before or after the player takes a stance.
I was entitled (but not required) to take relief under USGA Rule 16.1b Abnormal Course Conditions: If a player’s ball is in the general area and there is interference by an abnormal course condition on the course, the player may take free relief by dropping the original ball or another ball within one club-length of the nearest point of complete relief in the general area. The ball was not playable as it lay, so I really had no choice but to take relief.
In determining the nearest point of complete relief, I had two options:
Towards the fairway side of the puddle, which would give me a clear shot to the green; or
Towards the tree-lined side of the puddle, which would force me to play under a large tree limb.
Unfortunately for me, the tree-lined point was a shorter distance away from my ball’s position, so I had to play from under the tree limb.
The Rules of Golf are very clear on this point, according to USGA Interpretation Nearest Point of Complete Relief/4: In determining the nearest point of complete relief, the player is not guaranteed a good or playable lie. For example, if a player is unable to make a stroke from what appears to be the required relief area as measured from the nearest point of complete relief because either the direction of play is blocked by a tree, or the player is unable to take the backswing for the intended stroke due to a bush, this does not change the fact that the identified point is the nearest point of complete relief. So in this circumstance, taking relief helped me a little… but only a very little!
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