Landing your best drive of the day only to find it resting in a sandy divot is one of golf’s classic frustrations. Your first instinct might be to ask, "Can I move my ball from this?" This article gives you the definitive answer from the official Rules of Golf and then provides a step-by-step coaching guide on how to handle this tough shot like a seasoned pro.
Let's get the official business out of the way first. Understanding the rules is a huge part of feeling confident on the course, so knowing exactly what you can and can't do here is important.
No. Under the normal Rules of Golf, you do not get free relief from a divot hole. A divot, whether filled with sand or not, is considered a normal part of the course. The game's core principle is to "play the ball as it lies," and a divot on the fairway falls directly under this principle. It’s undeniably tough luck, but it’s part of the challenge.
Many golfers find this surprising, especially when a good shot is seemingly penalized. They wonder why a man-made imperfection like a divot isn't treated the same as, for instance, ground under repair. The reasoning is that divots are an expected and inevitable consequence of play on a turf-based playing surface. They are not considered “abnormal course conditions.”
To really understand why a divot isn't included, it's helpful to know what is considered an "Abnormal Course Condition" under Rule 16.1. These are the situations where a golfer does typically get free relief:
A divot hole simply doesn't fit into any of these categories. It's just bare ground or sand where turf used to be. While it feels unfair, you have to play on.
This is where things can get a little cloudy, because many of us have played in groups where moving your ball from a divot was allowed. This is almost certainly because of a "Local Rule" being in effect, commonly known as "preferred lies" or "winter rules."
A Local Rule is a temporary modification to the standard rules, put in place by the course's golf committee to handle specific, temporary conditions. Winter rules are often implemented when the course is wet and soft, and recovery is slow, so the fairways are in rough shape due to a combination of more wear and tear and lack of optimal growth.
How It Works: When "preferred lies" are in effect, a player whose ball is on a "closely mown area" (i.e., the fairway) may lift, clean, and place the ball within a specified distance - usually 6 inches or one scorecard length - no closer to the hole. This Local Rule allows you to improve your lie by placing the ball on a better piece of turf, including moving it out of a divot.
The Most Important Thing to Know: This is not an automatic rule. It must be officially put into play by the committee. You can't just decide with your foursome that winter rules are active because the course is a bit wet. Check the clubhouse notice board, the pro shop, or the back of your paper scorecard for any Local Rules in effect for that day. They are usually on full display for anyone starting their round. If the Local Rule isn't posted anywhere, you should assume it's not active in that area, and you must play the ball as it lies.
Okay, the bad news is you’re stuck playing it. The good news is that with a few simple adjustments and the right mindset, this dreaded shot becomes much more manageable. Instead of seeing it as a catastrophe of the worst proportions, think of it as a chance to show your skill and make an incredible par.
First, breathe. The absolute worst thing you can do is get angry, slam your club, and complain about your luck. Mentally, you’ve already lost the battle by bringing negative energy into the swing. Acknowledge the bad break, accept it for what it is, then immediately channel your focus onto executing the shot. See it as an opportunity. Turning a bad lie into a decent result feels incredibly rewarding and builds mental confidence for what may happen later during other rounds or matches with friends in the upcoming weekends. These little wins build real and tangible mental fortitude.
The main objective with this shot is to make a clean, descending strike on the ball itself. Many amateur golfers mistakenly try to "scoop" or "lift" the ball out of the hole, which almost always results in a topped or heavy shot. We need to hit down on it.
Not all divots are created equal. Is the ball sitting cleanly on sand at the bottom? Or is it pressed up against the back edge of the turf wall? If it’s sitting cleanly, you can play a shot that’s closer to your normal swing. If it’s stuck against the back lip of turf, you'll need to play more of a descending strike - but the appropriate adjustments, covered below, apply in both common cases.
As a rule of thumb, it is wise to take one extra club. For example, if you would normally hit an 8-iron from this distance, pull out your 7-iron. Why? Because the descending blow required to get the ball out cleanly tends to de-loft the clubface at impact, reducing spin and producing a lower, shorter shot. The extra club helps compensate for this natural loss of distance and gets the ball close to its intended destination.
This is where the magic happens. Your setup dictates the success of everything we're about to do:
Now, it's a matter of trusting and committing to yourself. Forget any idea of lifting the ball into the air. Your main swing thought should be "hit downward" or "strike the back of the ball."
Making crisp contact on the ball should be considered a good shot. Expect a ball flight that will come out lower than normal and will spin less than usual. Because of lacking spin, it will release and roll out more upon impact on the green. Aiming for a spot on the front edge of the green is a good starting plan. If it comes out cleaner than expected, you can still end up near the back of the green. Getting the ball anywhere on the green is a victory not to be taken lightly, and it also saves your score from a blowup hole, so it's a win-win. Be patient.
While the rules say you must play your golf ball from a divot on the open fairway, it doesn't mean you cannot recover successfully from a shot from these spots. By understanding the rules about preferred lies and adjusting your technique, as we discussed today, you'll turn these unfortunate breaks into a chance to display confidence and skill.
Of course, it takes time and a great amount of repetition to gain confidence in situations from the rough, but what about those other not-so-difficult but also not-so-standard shots out there on the golf course? With Caddie AI, you can get expert strategic help with tough lies, unsure club choices, or complex shots. My AI coach can analyze a photo of your ball and give an instant expert opinion for the best shot plan to take from the spot, providing you the clarification and confidence to get out of a tough lie, even when the course throws you something completely unexpected.
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