26th July 2025
Stuart McPhee’s Rules Tip – Temporary Water Part 2
Temporary Water – part 2 (in a bunker & on a green)
In the last FCD Newsletter, we covered temporary water in the general area. In this, we will cover interference from temporary water in a bunker and on the putting green.
Remember, you can get free relief from temporary water anywhere on the course, except for a penalty area, for three things – if you have interference to the:
- lie of the ball
- area of intended swing
- area of intended stance
Additionally, you can get relief from temporary water on your line of play – but only when your ball is on the putting green.
Bunkers
Very commonly, in winter months, we will encounter temporary water in bunkers. Unless the Committee has deemed the entire bunker as ground under repair before the competition has started, we need to deal with this situation if our ball comes to rest in some water in the bunker or we will be standing in the water for our next stroke.
To take free relief from temporary water in the bunker, the nearest point of complete relief and the relief area must be in the bunker. If there is no such nearest point of complete relief in the bunker, you may still take free relief by using the point of maximum available relief in the bunker as the reference point. This means that after you have taken relief, you will most likely still have some interference from the temporary water – for example your feet might still be in water, but the ball not.
- Note the concept of “maximum relief available” is unique to bunkers and greens – it cannot be used in the general area.
There is also an option to drop outside the bunker, back on the line, however this will incur one penalty stroke.
Putting Green
If your ball is on the putting green, and you have interference from temporary water, which also includes on your line of play, you can find the nearest point of complete relief (which may be off the putting green) and just place your ball there. There is no drop.
Like the bunker, if there is no such nearest point of complete relief, you may still take this free relief by using the point of maximum available relief as the reference point, which must be either on the putting green or in the general area.
Something to think about:
- If your ball is on the edge of the green and has “line of play” interference you can play from off the green to avoid hitting through water.
- But if you ball is off the green (maybe in the fringe by only a few centimeters) you cannot place it on a part of the green that avoids the water and is no nearer the hole. In this situation you will need to hit over, through or around any water on your line of play.
