By John Vander Borght

If a player at this week's US Open hits his shot into a concession stand, grandstand or TV tower, he is entitled to relief under the Temporary Immovable Obstruction (TIO) Local Rule which can be found in Appendix I of the Rules of Golf.

Because these structures are not found on a golf course during normal play, the Rules of Golf give more extensive relief than from permanent artificial objects (Rule 24 - Obstructions) on the course. Under normal circumstances, a player does not receive relief for line of sight towards the hole from an obstruction such as a sprinkler box or permanent bathroom on the course. The TIO Rule does give relief if the TIO intervenes directly between the ball and the hole and is on his line of play. When the ball is in a TIO, the player would normally find the point equidistant from the hole that gives relief plus one club-length to the side of the TIO and then drop within one club-length from that point. This can sometimes mean moving a considerable distance from where the ball came to rest.

The Rules Committee for the U.S. Open has established over 30 Dropping Zones for relief for a player who has hit his shot into one of the TV towers, grandstands and leader boards erected near greens at Congressional Country Club. If a player wants relief for a ball which is in a grandstand by the green, he must use the appropriate Dropping Zone. These Dropping Zones are in front of the grandstand and are intended to give the player a similar lie, stance and direction of play as he would have had if the grandstand were not there.

If the Dropping Zones were not installed, the player and referee would determine the nearest point, equidistant from the hole that would give him relief. This could potentially take the player from behind the green around to the front of the green and from heavy rough to an area of shorter rough or even the fairway. With the use of the Dropping Zone, the direction of play and the lie will be similar to what he would have had originally, although the shot may be slightly shorter.

In dropping in one of these Dropping Zones, the ball must first strike the course in the Dropping Zone, but it could roll out of it. As long as it doesn't roll into a position covered by Rule 20-2c that requires a re-drop, it would be properly back in play. You can read more about Dropping Zones in Appendix I.

John Vander Borght is a manager of Rules communications for the USGA. E-mail him at jvanderborght@usga.org.