My approach on #14 came up a few feet short of the green, with a couple of sprinkler heads directly between my ball and the hole. It was close enough to the green that putting was my best option (given my lousy short game), and the group I was with was confident that I was entitled to relief. I was very confident that the sprinklers constituted an abnormal course condition, but I was equally confident that I was not entitled to relief. You only get relief from an abnormal course condition if it interferes with your stance or swing. You do not get relief for interference on your line of play (unless you're on the putting green).
The USGA has a model local rule that would allow for relief in this scenario (more below). A lot of people think this is an actual rule because the PGA Tour often plays with that local rule in effect. But unless it's on the scorecard, it is not in effect.
Details on the model local rule from the USGA website:
F-5 Immovable Obstructions Close to Putting Greens
Purpose. When a ball lies anywhere other than on the putting green, an immovable obstruction on the player’s line of play is not, of itself, interference under Rule 16.1. Free relief is normally not allowed.
But if the aprons or fringes of putting greens are cut short enough that putting from off the green is likely to be a common choice of stroke, immovable obstructions that are close to the putting green may interfere with such strokes.
In that case, the Committee can choose to give an extra relief option under Rule 16.1 when a player’s ball lies in the general area or on the putting green and an immovable obstruction close to the putting green is on the player’s line of play.
The Committee may limit such relief to certain situations, such as only for particular holes or obstructions, or only when the ball and the obstruction are in part of the general area cut to fairway height or less.
And that brings me to another thing that Torrey does every year around this time of year (see photo below). This is great for pace of play, but they can't arbitrarily change the rules of golf like this. The penalty for a lost ball is stroke and distance. There are other recommended local rules that cover this. My club plays with such a local rule. Rather than stroke and distance, you can take two strokes and drop in the fairway. This is a sanctioned local rule for non high-level competition. And it keeps the pace of play going just fine.
I'm actually waiting for confirmation on this whole rant from our handicap chair, but I'm pretty sure I'm right. Stay tuned.
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