You’re playing a great round of golf, spot on with your ball striking, and then it happens. Your perfectly struck iron shot lands right in a messy patch of torn-up turf surrounded by a white line. This area, known as Ground Under Repair, can bring a confident round to a screeching halt if you aren't sure what to do next. This article will walk you through exactly what GUR is, how to identify it, and the step-by-step process for getting your ball back in play without penalty.
In golf, Ground Under Repair is considered an "Abnormal Course Condition" under Rule 16.1. Think of it as a designated zone where the normal state of the course has been temporarily disrupted, typically for maintenance or because of damage. The primary purpose of GUR is twofold:
The rules provide you with "free relief" from GUR, which means you can move your ball to a playable spot without adding a penalty stroke to your score. It’s one of the few times in golf you get a free do-over, so knowing how to use it correctly is a big advantage.
While the most obvious is an area marked with white paint, GUR can include various situations. Keep an eye out for:
The key is that the condition must be something temporary or abnormal - not just a bad patch of grass. A thin, bare lie is just part of the game, a tractor tread from the mowing crew is not.
Identifying GUR is usually straightforward, but there are a few ways the course will tell you an area is out of play.
The most common and definitive way a course marks GUR is by painting a white line completely around the affected area. When your ball is inside this line, it's officially in Ground Under Repair.
Sometimes, courses may use stakes (often blue or white) to define the boundaries of GUR. If stakes are used, the line between the outermost points of the stakes at ground level defines the margin.
Pro Tip: Always check the local rules posted on the scorecard or in the pro shop. Some courses may have unique ways of marking GUR or might declare certain un-marked areas (like all flowerbeds) as GUR.
What if you land in an area that is clearly damaged but isn't marked with paint or stakes? The Rules of Golf do cover this. If an area meets the definition of Ground Under Repair (like a newly dug trench for irrigation), it may be treated as such even if the grounds crew hasn't gotten around to marking it yet.
This is where common sense and good sportsmanship come in. If the area is obviously not intended to be in play, it’s reasonable to take relief. When playing casually, discuss it with your partners. In a tournament, if you are unsure, you should consult a rules official before proceeding. The guiding principle is fairness - if your great shot ended up in an unplayable spot due to maintenance, the rules intend for you to get relief.
Okay, your ball is in GUR. Fantastic news: you get free relief. But there's a specific procedure to follow. Getting this right is important for playing by the rules and maintaining a good pace of play. Let's break it down.
First, be absolutely certain you get relief. You are 'interfered with' by GUR and entitled to take a drop if:
This is a an point many golfers miss. Even if your ball is sitting perfectly on grass just outside the white line, if you have to put one foot inside the GUR to take your normal shot, you still get free relief. Your ball doesn't have to be in the zone for you to be affected by it.
This is the most critical and often misunderstood part of the process. The "Nearest Point of Complete Relief" (NPCR) is the reference point from which you'll measure your drop.
How do you find it? Grab the club you would have used for the shot if the GUR wasn’t there. From where your ball lies, envision a spot that is:
To identify this spot practically, you can test it out. Place a tee or ball marker down where you think the NPCR is. Take a practice stance there as if you were going to hit the shot. If you can stand and swing without touching the white line, you've found your spot. Remember, it's the *nearest* spot, not the *nicest* one. It might be in the rough or on a tricky sidehill lie, but as long as it’s free from the GUR, that's your point.
Once you’ve established your Nearest Point of Complete Relief, you get to drop your ball within a one club-length relief area.
The dropping procedure was simplified in 2019. Here’s what you do:
If the ball lands in the relief area and then rolls out, you must re-drop it. If it rolls out a second time, you will then place the ball where it first struck the ground on your second drop.
Certain situations can feel more confusing. Here’s a quick Q&A for some of the trickier spots.
Sometimes a ball might plug deep into muddy GUR or get lost in a pile of sod. If you are virtually certain your ball is lost in the GUR, you don’t have to take a penalty! You can still take free relief. Your reference point becomes the spot where your ball last crossed the edge of the GUR.
This is the big exception. If your ball is inside a red or yellow penalty area, you do not get free relief from abnormal course conditions like GUR. You have two options: play the ball as it lies from within the penalty area (and the GUR) or take penalty relief from the penalty area itself under Rule 17.
The relief you get is only from the Ground Under Repair itself. If your nearest point of complete relief puts you behind a tree that wasn't previously in your way, that's just bad luck. You do not get relief from the tree. The rule is designed to return you to a fair position relative to the GUR, not a perfect one.
Ground Under Repair is designed to help, not hurt you. Understanding the concept of the “Nearest Point of Complete Relief” and the simple one club-length drop procedure will turn a potentially frustrating moment into a straightforward, penalty-free process. It removes guesswork, allows you to play by the rules confidently, and keeps your round moving.
On the course, tricky rules situations like ground under repair can be confusing, especially under pressure. That's where I've designed Caddie AI to be your pocket expert. Instead of trying to recall Rule 16.1 step-by-step, you can simply ask for clarification on the spot and get a clear, simple answer in seconds, ensuring you proceed correctly and confidently without slowing down your group.
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