What Are My Options?

You easily hit a 200 yard drive, but it slices to the right and you end up stuck behind a tree or large bush. You see that there is some room for you to hit through, but it’s not going to be easy. So, what are you supposed to do if you are stuck behind a tree or bush?

Unfortunately, your options are limited. You have to play the shot just like you normally would. The best a golfer can probably do at this stage is hit the ball forwards onto the fairway to line up for the next shot or play the ball backwards onto the fairway or rough to improve green visibility.

However, there is one good option that you can take. It’s called the nearest point of relief. This is when you will drop the ball within one club length of the nearest point of relief, which is usually the rough or fairway, without any penalties.

Another option, although less used, is calling a mulligan. A mulligan is a do-over rule. Essentially, you can take a mulligan or re-shot if you and your friend/s agree that it’s impossible to get out from the behind the tree or if they just want to see you hit the shot badly again.

Don’t try to hit a “miracle” shot. Remember, your goal is to get the ball back in play, not hit the green.