Model Local Rule E-3

Preferred lies and winter rules — lift, clean and place, done right

Preferred lies (winter rules) let you mark, lift, clean and place your ball — usually in the fairway — when the committee has put the local rule in effect. The relief area is typically one club-length, one scorecard length or six inches, no nearer the hole, depending on what the committee specifies.

The short answer

Only in effect when the committee adopts the local rule — not when you decide the fairways are muddy.
Almost always limited to the general area cut to fairway height or less (the fairway and aprons).
Relief area is usually one club-length; many tours and clubs now use the shorter one scorecard length.
You place the ball and can only place it once. Get it wrong and it's the general penalty.

What are preferred lies?

Preferred lies — still called "winter rules" by almost everyone — is a local rule that lets you mark, lift, clean and place your ball instead of playing it as it lies. It is designed for conditions where mud sticks to the ball or the fairways are too soft and damaged to play from honestly.

The official language is Model Local Rule E-3. It is usually limited to "the general area cut to fairway height or less," which means the fairway and the closely mown apron areas — not the rough.

When it can be introduced

Preferred lies can't be introduced once a stroke-play round has started, because players with more holes left would get an unfair advantage. In match play it may be introduced between the play of two holes, since both sides benefit equally.

How far can you move the ball?

Relief area	Where you'll see it	Notes
Six inches	Some clubs, casual winter rules	Smallest specified area
One scorecard length	PGA Tour and many clubs since 2026	Reduced from a club-length for fairer outcomes
One club-length	The classic and still the most common	The default example in Model Local Rule E-3

Whatever the committee picks, the ball must stay in the general area and must not be placed nearer the hole than the original spot.

How to place the ball correctly

Mark the spot before lifting. Failing to mark is a one-stroke penalty under the local rule.
Pick a spot inside the relief area, no nearer the hole, in the general area.
Place — don't drop. Set it down and let go with the intent that it is in play. At that moment the spot is chosen and locked in.
If it won't stay, replace it on that same chosen spot a second time. If it still won't stay, find the nearest spot where it will stay at rest, no nearer the hole.

Watch the classic error: players drop the ball under preferred lies, or place it once, watch it roll, then place it again somewhere else. You only get the one placement (plus the one re-placement if it will not stay). Rolling the ball with your club instead of placing it is also a penalty.

Preferred lies and your handicap

This is the part golfers get wrong most often. If the committee has adopted preferred lies, scores are still acceptable for handicap purposes and must be posted — unless the committee also determines that course conditions are so poor that scores should be suspended, and tells everyone.

What you can't do is decide for yourself. If there is no local rule but you quietly give yourself preferred lies anyway, your score is not being played by the Rules of Golf and posting it would be wrong.

The practical takeaway: preferred lies is a committee decision, not a group decision. Read the card, listen to the starter, and play what's actually in effect.

Frequently asked questions

What are preferred lies in golf?

Preferred lies — often called winter rules — is a local rule (Model Local Rule E-3) that lets you mark, lift, clean and place your ball instead of playing it as it lies. It is normally limited to the general area cut to fairway height or less and only applies when the committee has adopted it.

How far can you move the ball under preferred lies?

It depends on the committee's chosen relief area, which is specified in the local rule as six inches, one scorecard length or one club-length. The ball must be placed no nearer the hole and must be in the general area.

Does preferred lies apply in the rough?

Usually not. Model Local Rule E-3 is generally restricted to the general area cut to fairway height or less, which covers the fairway and closely mown aprons rather than the rough. Check what the committee specified.

Can I post a score for handicap when preferred lies are in effect?

Yes. Scores made while a preferred-lies local rule is in effect are acceptable and must be posted unless the committee has determined conditions are so poor that score posting should be suspended — in which case it will tell players and post a notice.

Can you take preferred lies if the club hasn't declared it?

No. Preferred lies only exists when the committee adopts it. If there is no local rule in effect and you move your ball anyway, you are not playing by the Rules of Golf and the score should not be posted.

Winter golf sorted

Play the right rules every season

Preferred lies, embedded balls, casual water, lift-clean-replace — conditions change weekly and so do the local rules. The Save Strokes card keeps the standard relief procedures at your fingertips so you never have to guess.

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