Unplayable Lie – Rule 19

Unplayable Lie – Rule 19 is a short golf blog post that looks at this great rule that every golfer should know. Every golfer knows that the basic idea of golf is to play the ball as it lies. But what if you can’t? Well, you are in luck, there is a Rule that covers just that. Rule 19 Rule 19 in the official Rules of Golf allows you to claim a golf ball ‘Unplayable’ (Except in a Penalty Area) The beauty of this rule is that only the player can decide when a ball is unplayable. Nobody can disagree with this decision, it is the player’s decision and that is final. Is there a Penalty? Yes, most situations incur a 1 shot penalty. However, the following situation incurs a 2 shot penalty. Claiming an Unplayable Lie inside a bunker and dropping the ball back on the line outside of the bunker. What are my Relief Options? There are 3 Relief Options that you can choose from to get your ball back in play. Stroke and Distance Relief – +1 Penalty Stroke You can drop the ball in a relief area (within a 1-club length radius) based on where you last played from. Back-On-The-Line Relief – +1 Penalty Stroke Keeping the lie of the original ball and the hole in a line, you may go back on this line as far as you wish to drop your ball. Lateral Relief – +1 Penalty Stroke For this option you may drop a ball within 2 club lengths of the lie of the original ball, but not nearer to the hole. What are my Relief Options from a Bunker? There are 4 Relief Options that you can choose from when you have an Unplayable Ball in a Bunker. 2 of which must remain in the Bunker and 2 can be outside. Stroke and Distance Relief – Outside the Bunker – +1 Penalty Stroke You can drop the ball in a relief area (within a 1-club length radius) based on where you last played from. Back-On-The-Line Relief – Inside the Bunker – +1 Penalty Stroke Keeping the lie of the original ball and the hole in a line, you may go back on this line as far as you wish to drop your ball. Remember that this option must be dropped within the Bunker. Lateral Relief – Inside the Bunker – +1 Penalty Stroke For this option you may drop a ball within 2 club lengths of the lie of the original ball, but not nearer to the hole. Remember that this option must be dropped within the Bunker. Back-On-The-Line Relief – Outside the Bunker – +2 Penalty Stroke Keeping the lie of the original ball and the hole in a line, you may go back on this line as far as you wish to drop your ball. Remember that this option must be dropped outside of the Bunker. All of these options can get you out of a real mess. It may sound a little boring but by knowing the Rules you can improve your scoring. What are your thoughts on the Unplayable Lie – Rule 19? Is there anything that I have missed? Please leave a comment by filling out a Contact Form. To read more of my golf blog posts, click here.