Ground Under Repair
Ground under repair is a defined area of the course that must not be played from and from which you get relief without penalty.
Ground under repair is an abnormal course condition in the rulebook. The course manager marks off such areas because they are being maintained or need to be protected: freshly laid turf, repaired drainage, dug-up animal holes or cordoned-off zones after storm damage. The area is marked by white lines, signs or posts — depending on the facility also in colours such as blue, which are then defined by local rule. If your ball lies in the marked area or the area interferes with your stance or swing, you may lift the ball and drop without penalty. The details are governed by the relief rule for abnormal course conditions.
In practice it works like a normal free drop. An example: your ball lies on a freshly turfed strip at the edge of the fairway, fenced off with a white line. You find the nearest point where the area no longer interferes with you and drop from there within one club length, not nearer the hole. It costs no stroke and takes less than a minute. Important: you do not have to want to leave the area completely — the nearest point of complete relief is what counts, even if the lie afterwards is not perfect.
A typical mistake is playing from the cordoned-off area because it is "only grass, after all". Firstly that is against the rules if the local rule prohibits entering, and secondly you damage the maintenance of the course. Equally popular in reverse: dropping from areas that are not marked at all. Without marking or local rule there is no relief — an uneven, bare patch on the fairway alone does not entitle you to a drop. Exactly what applies is stated on the scorecard or on the club's notice board.
FAQ
What do I do if my ball lies in a marked area of ground under repair?
You find the nearest point where the area no longer interferes with you and drop from there within one club length, not nearer the hole. It costs no penalty stroke and works like a normal free drop. You may not choose the nicest lie — the nearest point of complete relief is what counts.
Do I also get relief if only my stance is in the cordoned-off area?
Yes, the rulebook covers exactly this case. If your ball lies outside the marked area but you would have to stand in it or your swing would touch it, you may also drop without penalty. What always counts is complete relief, not just the position of the ball.
May I also drop from a bare, uneven patch on the fairway?
Only if the patch is officially marked or covered by a local rule. A bad patch without marking does not entitle you to relief, even if it seems unfair. Conversely, playing from a cordoned-off area is against the rules if the facility has prohibited entering it.