Explaining Plugged Lie In The Rules Of Golf

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

Transcript

00:00OK, so 16th hole here at West Hill. Incredibly wet recently. Very muddy underfoot. I've pulled

00:10my drive slightly and my ball, Jez, I think, is plugged.

00:14Yes. Well, plugged. The rules call it embedded. We call it plugged. That is definitely embedded.

00:20And there's a helpful diagram on page 100 of the player's edition of the rulebook to

00:25allow you to determine when it's embedded. It actually says when part of your ball is

00:29below the level of the ground, so the soil has to be impacted in some way. It can't

00:33just be sitting down in the grass, but at this time of year that we're shooting this, there

00:38is a lot of soil that the ball would embed in. And we both agree that this is a play light.

00:43This is definitely embedded. So in that scenario then, what are my options? What

00:46can I do? Well, the relief now is available anywhere in what is called the general area.

00:52So it doesn't just have to be on the fairway. So before, in this scenario, it would just be

00:55bad luck, wouldn't it? It would be in the rough.

00:57In the rough it was tough luck, I am afraid. But now it is not the case. Which is probably

01:04a good thing in fairness because you are going to gouge a massive chunk out or take a penalty

01:09drop.

01:10And I am only a metre and a half off the fairway.

01:13So now you get relief. And the first thing to point out is the reference point for taking

01:21relief is the spot directly behind where the ball is lying. So about there. And then you

01:26get a one club length arc not nearer the hole from there using your longest club that you

01:33are carrying that day other than the putter. So typically the driver. So you get an arc

01:39that shape. So you have just got to remember that when you are dropping. Have you dropped

01:43it within the arc?

01:44Within the arc. So obviously, Jez, the best thing to do is mark it out, isn't it?

01:47Well, you can do it but you are going to be dropping in a variety, you might choose to

01:50drop in a variety. So mark it out in the area where you think you are going to drop it.

01:53Exactly. So in this scenario, I think the driest, best spot is probably over here somewhere.

01:59So I would probably put a second tee in there. Get rid of a couple of loose impediments just

02:04to make sure they are not in the way. You do not have to put these tees in but it is

02:06obviously a very good idea to do so. It is a good idea to do it. It just covers you, doesn't

02:10it? And you would also want to remove those twigs probably at this point just to minimise

02:15the risk of... And then I would probably drop it around about there.

02:18Yeah, look, maybe slightly below any height but I am going to let it go on this occasion.

02:22Oh, skinny. That is going to work. You are always going to hit it a bit clean on soft ground,

02:29aren't you? I was not wanting to take a massive divot there.

02:31Hopefully that gives you an idea about what to do if your ball is embedded, especially if

02:36it is embedded off the fairway in an area like this where there are lots of loose impediments,

02:40very wet underfoot, as it is at the moment. That should give you everything you need to know.