Question: Are drops allowed when sprinkler heads are on your line of play around the green? I see the pros doing it, but didn’t know if it was a USGA rule change or just a PGA Tour change.
Answer: The relief you see here is a local rule allowing relief for line of play specifically for sprinkler heads near putting greens. We use the same local rule in Central Links events, but the local rule must be in place for this relief to be available. Normally a player is not entitled to free relief if an obstruction is simply on their line of play.
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Todd Stice is our in-house Rules of Golf Expert. You can learn more about Todd here.