June 26, 2019
Rule of the Month: Rule 19.3
Relief Options for Unplayable Ball in Bunker
A player decides that his or her ball in a bunker is unplayable. The Player has four options: (1) For one penalty stroke, the player may take stroke-and-distance relief. (2) For one penalty stroke, the player may take back-on-the-line relief in the bunker. (3) For one penalty stroke, the player may take lateral relief in the bunker. (4) For a total of two penalty strokes, the player may take back-on-the-line relief outside the bunker based on a reference line going straight back from the hole through the spot of the original ball.
Under the 2019 Rules of Golf, players now have the ability to take unplayable ball relief and move their ball out of a bunker, but this addition is just one of four unplayable relief options that a player has out of a bunker.
19.3a Normal Relief Option (One Penalty Stroke)
When a player’s ball is in a bunker:
- The player may take unplayable ball relief for one penalty stroke under any of the options in Rule 19.2, except that:
- The ball must be dropped in and come to rest in a relief area in the bunker if the player takes either back-on-the-line relief (see Rule 19.2b) or lateral relief (see Rule 19.2c).
19.3b Extra Relief Option (Two Penalty Strokes)
As an extra relief option when a player’s ball is in a bunker, for a total of two penalty strokes, the player may take back-on-the-line relief outside the bunker under Rule 19.2b
For additional Rules resources, visit our Rules Education page.
-NCGA Staff
