The short answer
- GUR is usually marked with white lines or a GUR sign — but some things are GUR automatically.
- Free relief: nearest point of complete relief, one club-length, no nearer the hole.
- You may still play from GUR if you want — unless it is a No Play Zone.
- Tractor ruts and old hole plugs are not automatic GUR. Check the Local Rules.
What counts as ground under repair?
Ground under repair is any part of the course the committee defines as being under repair, and it also includes a small set of situations that are GUR automatically, even unmarked:
- Holes made by course staff while setting up or maintaining the course — such as when a tree stump is removed or a pipe is laid. (Aeration holes are not included.)
- Grass cuttings, leaves and any other material piled for later removal.
- Animal habitats that a stroke or stance might damage — a bird's nest, for example. Habitats made by worms, insects and similar animals don't count.
Most GUR, though, is simply whatever the committee marks — usually with white lines, stakes or a GUR sign. The defined area includes all the ground inside its edges, plus any grass, bushes, trees and natural objects growing in it.
Relief is free — here's how to take it
- Find the nearest point of complete relief. Nearest spot to the ball, no nearer the hole, where the GUR no longer interferes.
- Take one club-length from that reference point as your relief area.
- Drop from knee height. If the ball rolls out, re-drop; if it rolls out again, place it where the second drop first touched the ground.
"Complete relief" is the trap. If you take relief, you must take complete relief: after the drop, the GUR must not interfere with your lie, stance or swing. If your stance or your swing touches the GUR, you are not fully relieved and playing from there is a general penalty (two strokes in stroke play, loss of hole in match play).
You don't have to take relief
Unless the area is a No Play Zone, you are always allowed to play the ball as it lies from ground under repair. If you like your lie in GUR, you can play it.
Things that are NOT automatically GUR
| You might think it's GUR… | Reality |
|---|---|
| Tractor or vehicle ruts | Not GUR by default. A committee is justified in declaring deep ruts GUR but it is not automatic — check the Local Rules. |
| Old hole plugs, sunk below the green surface | Not automatically GUR. On the putting green you may repair the damage under Rule 13.1c instead. |
| Fallen trees or un-cut tree stumps | Not GUR unless the Committee defines them as GUR, or they have been cut up and piled for later removal. |
| A bare, thin or patchy lie | Just a bad lie. Play it or declare it unplayable. |
| A divot hole in the fairway | No free relief. The official Committee Procedures say a Local Rule allowing free relief from divot holes in the fairway is not aligned with the principle of playing the course as you find it. |
When you can't find the ball in GUR
Rule 16.1e covers the case where your ball has not been found, but it is known or virtually certain that it came to rest in or on ground under repair. Instead of stroke and distance, you take free relief: estimate the point where the ball last crossed the edge of the GUR, use that as the starting point for the nearest point of complete relief, and drop within one club-length, no nearer the hole.
"Virtually certain" is a high bar — about 95% confidence. If there is a real chance the ball rolled past the GUR into thick rough, you don't get this relief and the ball is simply lost.
Frequently asked questions
Do you get a free drop from ground under repair?
How do you know if an area is ground under repair?
Can you play the ball from ground under repair?
Are tractor ruts ground under repair?
What happens if you can't find your ball but you know it's in ground under repair?
Stop leaving free drops on the table
Save Strokes: Golf Rules Quick Reference is a PDF covering 20 rules situations, with a printable bag card and a phone card.