Rules question · Rule 16.3a · Hard
Dropped ball plugged in the ground: do I get relief?
You take free relief from a cart path and drop in the soft rough next to it. The ball comes to rest in the relief area, but half of it is below the level of the ground. What is the ruling?
Answer
You play it as it lies, as you have completed taking relief
If a ball dropped in the right way comes to rest in the relief area, you have completed taking relief and play it as it lies. It is not embedded, because that only applies to a ball in its own pitch-mark made by your stroke, not after a drop. If you do not want to play it like that, you may declare it unplayable with one penalty stroke.