A golfer questioned whether free relief applies from a man-made object when the ball lies in the rough near the green.
The query involved a carved granite slab interfering with a backswing from the rough. The Rules Guy explained that the pre-2019 term “through the green” now corresponds to the general area under current rules. Free relief remains available under Rule 16.1 regardless of proximity to the green. A follow-up query addressed young trees without stakes and the role of Model Local Rule E-10.
