Explaining Plugged Lie In The Rules Of Golf

Golf Monthly

In this video Neil Tappin and Jeremy Ellwood explain your options when you are faced with a plugged lie, or an embedded ball.

Transcript

00:00 (upbeat music)

00:02 - Okay, so 16th hole here at West Hill.

00:07 Incredibly wet recently, very muddy underfoot.

00:10 I've pulled my drive slightly,

00:11 and my ball, Jez, I think, is plugged.

00:15 - Well, plugged, the rules call it embedded,

00:16 we call it plugged.

00:18 That is definitely embedded.

00:20 And there's a helpful diagram on page 100

00:23 of the player's edition of the rule book

00:24 to allow you to determine when it's embedded.

00:27 It actually says when part of your ball

00:28 is below the level of the ground,

00:30 so the soil has to be impacted in some way.

00:32 Can't just be sitting down in the grass,

00:35 but at this time of year that we're shooting this,

00:38 there is a lot of soil that the ball would embed in.

00:40 - And we both agree that this is--

00:41 - This is definitely embedded.

00:43 - So in that scenario then, what are my options?

00:46 What can I do?

00:47 - Well, the relief now is available

00:49 anywhere in what is called the general area,

00:51 so it doesn't just have to be on the fairway.

00:53 - So before, in this scenario,

00:55 it would just be bad luck, wouldn't it?

00:56 - It would be, and the rough--

00:57 - If you were playing it friendly,

00:57 I'd have to take a penalty drop,

00:58 but if you weren't playing it friendly,

00:59 I'd have to take a penalty.

01:00 - In the rough, it was tough luck, I'm afraid,

01:01 but now it's not the case,

01:03 which is probably a good thing in fairness,

01:05 'cause you're gonna gouge a massive chunk out

01:07 trying to take a penalty drop.

01:09 - And I'm only probably a metre and a half off the fairway.

01:12 - A metre and a half off the fairway.

01:13 So now you get relief,

01:14 and the first thing to decide,

01:17 well, the first thing to point out

01:18 is that the reference point for taking relief

01:21 is to be the spot directly behind where the ball is lying.

01:24 - Right.

01:25 - So about there.

01:25 - About there.

01:26 - So that's a one club length arc,

01:28 not nearer the hole from there,

01:30 using your longest club that you're carrying that day,

01:34 other than the putter.

01:35 So typically the driver.

01:37 So you can, I mean, you get an arc that shape,

01:40 so you've just got to remember that when you're dropping,

01:42 have you dropped it within the arc?

01:44 - Within the arc.

01:45 So obviously, the best thing to do is mark it out, isn't it?

01:47 - Well, you can do, but you're gonna be dropping

01:49 in a variety, you might choose to drop in a variety.

01:51 - Yes.

01:52 - So mark it out in the area where you're thinking

01:53 you're gonna drop it.

01:54 - Righto.

01:54 - I think the driest, best spot is probably

01:58 over here somewhere.

01:59 - Yeah.

02:00 - So I'd put a second tee in there.

02:02 Get rid of a couple of loose impediments.

02:04 - Yeah.

02:05 - Make sure they're not in the way.

02:05 - I mean, you don't have to put these tees in,

02:06 but it's obviously a very good idea to do so.

02:07 - It's a good idea to do it.

02:08 It just makes it, it just covers you, doesn't it?

02:10 - And you'd also want to remove those twigs probably

02:12 at this point, just to minimize the risk of--

02:15 - Probably drop it around about there.

02:18 - Yeah, look, maybe slightly below knee height,

02:19 but I'm gonna let it go on this occasion.

02:21 (laughing)

02:23 - Oh, skinny.

02:24 - That's gonna work.

02:25 You're always gonna hit it a bit clean

02:28 on soft ground, aren't you?

02:29 - I wasn't wanting to take a massive divot there.

02:31 Hopefully that gives you an idea about what to do

02:34 if your ball is embedded,

02:35 especially if it's embedded off the fairway,

02:37 an area like this where there's lots of loose impediments,

02:40 very wet underfoot, as it is at the moment.

02:42 That should give you everything you need to know.

02:45 (swooshing)

02:47 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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