You’ve hit a drive slightly offline and located your ball in a rather unpleasant lie, tangled up in the rough. A hack out to the fairway looks to be the only option and even that might be a challenge. This looks like trouble. But as you make your stance to attempt the shot, your foot clicks down on something plastic. On closer inspection you identify that you’re standing on a sprinkler head. Could this help you out of a tricky situation?
Well good news. The answer is, yes. In this instance The Rules are going to come to your advantage – they occasionally do! Remember Robert MacIntyre at the Scottish Open in 2024. On the 16th hole of the final round, this exact thing happened to him. He had sprayed it right from the tee on the par-5 into some seriously thick grass. He was looking at a tough shot but as he put his foot down to make a stance, his metal spike clicked on a sprinkler head.
After consulting a Rules official, he was given a free drop that allowed him to play from a spot from where he could reach the green. He made an eagle and went on to win the tournament!
The Rule that came to Bob’s assistance and one that’s well worth remembering is Rule 16.1.
It states that players may take relief when their stance or swing is interfered with by abnormal course conditions. Among these abnormal course conditions is an immovable obstruction, which a sprinkler head fits the definition of.
If you go to make your stance, anywhere on the course except in a penalty area and your foot is on a sprinkler head, you will be entitled to a free drop.
OK, great. What do you do next?
If your ball is in the general area (which the rough is) then you proceed under Rule 16.1b.
First you establish a reference point – this is the nearest point of complete relief in the general area (no nearer the hole). That means the nearest point where you could make a stance and not be standing on the sprinkler head.
Then you measure a relief area from that reference point – one club length in the general area, no nearer the hole.
You then drop the ball from knee height within that relief area and, so long as the ball stays in the relief area, it’s now in play. If you are able to drop in the relief area in a lie that is more favourable than you previously had (like Bob MacIntyre did at the Renaissance Club), that’s a great bonus!
So, the simple answer to the question – do you get a free drop if you’re standing on a sprinkler head in the rough is – Yes!
