The fundamental principles that form the foundation for the Rules of Golf are “Play the course as you find it” and “Play the ball as it lies.” There are times, however, when adverse conditions such as prolonged rain or drought are widespread on the course and may prevent regular maintenance activities. At these times, the Committee can choose to adopt Model Local Rule E-3 for preferred lies to allow fair play. Players often refer to this as playing “Lift, Clean and Place.”
A good example of this is a situation where the golf course has many large areas of temporary water. Taking relief requires taking full relief and eliminating all interference. To accomplish this, a player could have a situation where taking relief from a large area of temporary water requires going a considerable distance away from the hole, or could result in dropping a ball in the rough when the player’s tee shot hit the fairway. In cases like this, allowing the player to lift the ball, clean it if desired, and place it within a specified distance may allow the player to play from closer to where their previous stroke came to rest.
As a tournament director, head professional, or course manager you may be the person with the responsibility to decide if this Local Rule is used for a tournament round. Players will likely lobby for using the Local Rule – who wouldn’t like a perfect lie with a clean ball every time they hit a fairway? But remember that using this Local Rule does involve setting aside one of the fundamental principles of how the game is played.
Notably, the USGA and the R&A do not use this Local Rule in their championships. At the major-championship level, the PGA of America has only implemented it when necessary to complete the tournament. For member events, the Local Rule is intended solely for situations where course conditions are insufficient to support proper play.
Playing the ball as it lies remains a cornerstone of the Rules of Golf. Preferred lies should only be adopted when unusual conditions make fair play unreasonable, typically after prolonged rain, or when other factors result in inconsistent course conditions.
In most cases, the Local Rule should apply only to areas of the General Area cut to fairway height or less. It should not apply in the rough, penalty areas or sandy areas of the General Area. Extending preferred lies beyond fairway-height areas is discouraged, as it may unintentionally provide free relief from locations where a ball would otherwise be unplayable, such as among trees or bushes.
The Committee should ensure the course staff and referees know exactly where the Local Rule applies. Ambiguous language should be avoided. Instead, specify “in the general area cut to fairway height or less” or other criteria determined by the Committee.
When the Local Rule is in effect, a player whose ball lies in an eligible area (General Area and fairway height or less) may lift the ball without penalty, clean it, and place a ball (substitution is allowed) within a defined distance of where it originally lay, no nearer the hole, and still within the general area. The ball must be placed by hand; dropping is not permitted.
Determining the distance within which the ball may be placed is a Committee decision. The PGA of America and most professional tours have historically used one club length, primarily to give players sufficient latitude to find a playable spot and to avoid potential poor outcomes when taking temporary water relief.
Beginning in 2026, the PGA of America, PGA TOUR and other major tours have adopted a scorecard length as the default placement distance. Ultimately, the choice of distance remains at the discretion of the tournament Committee. Using a scorecard length significantly limits any potential advantages while still allowing relief close to the original location.
If the ball refuses to stay on the spot where it is initially placed, the player must try to place the ball on that spot a second time. If the ball does not stay at rest the second time, the player must find the nearest spot where it will remain at rest in the General Area, not nearer the hole, and place the ball at that spot. This spot may be outside the defined relief area.
This article covered general considerations for Model Local Rule E-3 for preferred lies. In an upcoming issue we’ll go into more detail and consider unusual situations that can occur in Part 2 of the story.
Master Professional Mike Raby, PGA, is the Director of Golf for BREC Golf in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Vice Chair of the PGA of America Rules Committee.
