Rules of Golf: Getting relief from a sprinkler head

The rules of golf relating to getting relief from a sprinkler head is complicated and there are several factors you need to know.

Your ball is just off the green and you would like to putt but a sprinkler head lies between your ball and the green. Are you entitled to relief as your ball will clearly hit the sprinkler head?

Well it depends if the golf club has implemented the local rule.

As Golf Australia’s rules guru Simon Majdulski says in the video the local rule depends on how far away the sprinkler head is from the green and how far away your ball is from the sprinkler head.

If the sprinkler head if less than two club lengths away from the green AND your golf ball is less than two club lengths away from the sprinkler head AND the sprinkler head is on the lihne of play, then you are entitled to free relief.

If the answer to any of these criteria is a ‘no’, then you do not get any relief.

And remember this only applies if the golf course has the local rule for sprinkler head relief implemented. It is not automatically applied across all golf course.

Lastly though, if your golf ball or your stance lies on the sprinkler head you are entitled to free rlief under Rule 24-2: Immovable Obstruction.

Yet another reason to know the local rules before you tee off.