Throughout winter we will all have seen temporary accumulations of water on the surface of the ground on our golf courses. ‘Temporary water’ is classed as an abnormal course condition from which free relief is allowed if there is interference with the lie of your ball or area of intended swing or stance. David Wilson, rules manager at The R&A, explains how to proceed if that temporary water is in a bunker.
The photo here is of the 15th hole in last year’s Commercial Bank Qatar Masters at Doha, in which the ball of South Africa’s Jayden Schaper has found temporary water within the bunker to the right of the green. Schaper was entitled to free relief and did this by finding his nearest point of complete relief, where there was no interference from the temporary water for the lie of the ball or area of intended swing or stance. This had to be within the bunker.
The relief area in which to
