relief – Ultra Golfing

Can you take free relief from a man-made object in the rough?

admin — Tue, 19 May 2026 14:26:02 +0000

The Rules of Golf are tricky! Thankfully, we’ve got the guru. Our Rules Guy knows the book front to back. Got a question? He’s got all the answers.

My buddy pulled his approach shot pin-high but left of the elevated green. His ball was inside of the bordering cart path in the rough about 20 yards out. He has a clear stance, but his backswing to hit a clean pitch would hit a carved granite slab with the next hole’s number and distance info. I was about to suggest he take relief from this man-made object interfering with his swing when he somehow played a great shot that ended up within inches. When I asked why he hadn’t taken relief, he said it wasn’t possible because that only applied coming up to the green, not once around it — something about “through the green”? Since it wasn’t my ball and he pulled off the shot anyway, I didn’t follow up … but this doesn’t sound right to me. —Tom Enderle, via email

Without wanting to sound at all smug — heaven forbid! — we note that this revolves around a rather amusing misunderstanding of a pre-2019 Rules term. “Through the green” is what today we call the “general area” … and in fact had nothing to do with whether you had reached the green surrounding area or not.

Your buddy was allowed to take free relief before 2019 and was still allowed to do so now with his ball laying in the general area (and not through the green). Please refer to Rule 16.1 for all the specifics.

For more free-relief guidance from our guru, read on …

Rules Guy: Can you take free swing relief from a ball washer?

By:

Rules Guy

A course I play planted several young trees recently but didn’t stake around them. Can I move my ball so as not to potentially damage a tree if it’s in my path to the hole? —Peter Bemis, La Crosse, Wis.

Model Local Rule E-10 treats young trees as no-play zones to protect them from damage, but it is the responsibility of the Committee to enact said rule and decide which trees are protected.

If the Committee hasn’t done so, nothing in the rules allows you to go rogue. That said, if you are unwilling to risk potential tree damage, you could always declare the ball unplayable and take penalty relief — and maybe win an award from the Sierra Club!

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Got a question about the Rules? Ask the Rules Guy! Send your queries, confusions and comments to rulesguy@golf.com. We promise he won’t throw the book at you.

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My ball embedded in a bunker lip. Can I take free relief? Rules Guy

admin — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:24:24 +0000

The Rules of Golf are tricky! Thankfully, we’ve got the guru. Our Rules Guy knows the book front to back. Got a question? He’s got all the answers.

My second shot on a par-5 embedded into the front lip of a bunker. At least half of the ball was embedded into the grass lip, but part of it was definitely touching the sand. Is this ball considered embedded, or in the bunker and played as it lies? – Nick Monti, via email

Both. The ball is in its own pitch-mark made by the previous stroke and below the surface of the ground, so it is indeed embedded. But it’s also touching sand, so it lies in the bunker — here, we point you to Rule 12.1 — and relief for an embedded ball is not allowed when the ball is in a bunker (or even when in the general area but embedded in sand in an area not cut to fairway height or less).

Ergo, per Rule 16.3 and definition of embedded, you need to play it as it lies or take an unplayable.

For more bunker-related guidance from our guru, read on …

Rules Guy: Taking my stance made my ball move in a bunker. What now?

By:

Rules Guy

The deer around my home course often run through the bunkers. Charming… but can I smooth the tracks if my ball comes to rest in a hoofprint? – Shay Ballard, Prescott, Ariz.

While deer tracks may, er, tick us off, you can’t smooth them, because smoothing isn’t allowed if it improves the conditions affecting the stroke — aka CATS.

Even if Model Local Rule F-13, which treats damage by animal hoofs (or paws) as ground under repair, is in effect, you still wouldn’t be allowed to smooth but would get a free drop instead. We will discuss deer droppings another time.

Want to find the right gear for your bag in 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

Got a question about the Rules? Ask the Rules Guy! Send your queries, confusions and comments to rulesguy@golf.com. We promise he won’t throw the book at you.

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Mike Trout’s New Jersey golf course approved for property tax relief

admin — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 05:24:18 +0000

Tiger Woods is partnering with Mike Trout in the development and providing the design team for Trout National – The Reserve

VINELAND, N.J. — Temporary property tax relief agreements for a new data center and a golf course are approved and awaiting a mayoral signature.

Vineland City Council officials voted 5-0 at their meeting Jan. 27 to adopt an ordinance that authorizes separate payment-in-lieu-of-tax (PILOT) agreements with DataOne Vineland LLC and with TN Reserve LLC. Council members did not offer comments with their votes.

DataOne finished construction of and opened a data center last year. City planners approved the property for that use in 2024.

TN Reserve is an exclusive membership golf course owned by baseball star Mike Trout and local businessman and developer John Ruga. Its official opening is to be this spring.

The adoption vote followed a public hearing that was anti-climactic compared to some recent council meetings where residents talked about the data center. DataOne representatives helda town hall earlier this month at Landis Theater to address criticisms.

Vineland resident Zac Landicini — a member of the Sustain SJ organization, whose members oppose the data center — questioned the company’s need for what he characterized as special treatment.

“If DataOne is already paying millions in taxes, and their CEO is so confident in their operational concept, and proud of taking nothing from the taxpayers, why do they need a PILOT agreement?” Landicini said.

Landicini also called for revising local zoning regulations to account for the emergence of data centers.

Council President Paul Spinelli said that a meeting was held that morning with Mayor Anthony Fanucci to discuss the city master plan and zoning map.

“It will be discussed in that,” Spinelli said. “And I’m sure there is a public piece for that, as well, when it happens. So, you will be notified.”

On Wednesday, Spinelli said city officials are looking at an early start on their next scheduled update to their planning documents.

“It’s really not due til 2028,” he said.

Currently, he added, Vineland relies on state guidance to define data centers and the appropriate zoning for them.

Payments-in-lieu-of-tax, or PILOTS, are allowed under New Jersey law as a method to encourage development. A five-year period is typical.

Recipients don’t pay property taxes for the first full year after their project has been completed and put into operation. But regular property taxes continue to be paid on the “unimproved” value of the land itself.

In year two, the municipality would collect 20 percent of whatever the regular tax payment would be. Each year the amount is to increase by 20 percent until 100 percent is reached.

The DataOne application for a PILOT states that the property, without development, has a tax valuation of $5,618,100. Its states that the new construction, or “improvements,” has a tax valuation of $14,018,000, bringing the total tax valuation to $19,636,200.

The TN Reserve application states that the property, without development, has a tax valuation of $1,142,600. It states that the improvements have a tax valuation of $5,731,200, bringing the total tax valuation amount to $8,883,000.

Tiger Woods is partnering with Trout in the development and providing the design team. The golf superstar has made a few visits to the under-construction course recently to check on its progress.

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