Preferred Lies
On a closely mown area a ball may be marked, lifted, cleaned and replaced within 6” or 150mm of its original position but not nearer the hole, without penalty, provided it is not in a penalty area and not on a putting green.

Infringement of the above rule will incur a two stroke penalty in Stroke Play or loss of hole in Match Play, e.g. Not marking the position of the ball before lifting. Moving the ball by rolling, using the club head, or, any other method other than by lifting and placing. The ball may only be replaced once but if it moves after placing, then it must be played as it lies, without penalty. Note: ‘Closely-mown area’ means any area of the course cut to fairway height or less.*

Relief for Embedded Ball (Rule 16.3)*
In the General Area, a ball that is embedded/plugged in its own pitchmark in the ground may be marked, lifted, cleaned and dropped as near as possible to where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball, when dropped, must first strike a part of the course through the green. Note: ‘General Area’ is the area of the course that covers all of the course except for the other four defined areas: (1) the teeing area the player must play from in starting the hole he or she is playing, (2) all penalty areas, (3) all bunkers, and (4) the putting green of the hole the player is playing) Infringement of the above rule will incur a two stroke penalty in Stroke Play or loss of hole in Match Play.

Aeration Holes (Rule 16.1)
On the putting green, a ball that comes to rest in or on an aeration hole may be placed at the nearest spot not nearer the hole that avoids the situation.

Trolleys
In order to protect the course, all players should aim to carry during the winter months. For those players where this is not possible and a trolley is a necessity,* trolleys must be fitted with fairway protectors (hedgehog wheels) or specifically designed winter wheels*
In extreme wet or frost conditions there will be no exemptions

Bunkers
If a ball comes to rest in any bunker full of water where it is not possible to take relief, the player may take a free drop outside the bunker keeping the point where the ball lay directly between the hole and the spot where the ball is to be dropped, treating the situation as Ground Under Repair


Updated 9 October 2020