Preferred Lies
Preferred lies is a temporary local rule in golf that lets a player lift, clean, and place their ball on closely mown parts of the course when conditions are poor. It applies only when the course committee has officially put the rule in effect, usually because rain, mud, drought, or off-season turf has made fairways unfair to play from.
What are preferred lies?
Preferred lies sits in the rule book as Model Local Rule E-3, written by the USGA and the R&A. The plural form trips people up. It refers to the rule itself rather than a single shot, so across a round, a player might use it once or many times, and each instance counts as one of the preferred lies the rule permits.
The rule has two jobs. The first is fair play. When fairways are soaked, muddy, or scarred by drought, a well-struck shot can end up in a lie that has nothing to do with how it was hit, and the rule corrects for that. The second is course protection. Lifting a ball off soft turf reduces the damage done by a swinging club and a heavy follow-through, which matters in winter when grass struggles to recover.
Two other names show up for the same rule. Golfers in the UK and Ireland tend to call it winter rules, since that is when courses lean on it most. Americans and pro tours often say lift, clean, and place, which describes the action the rule allows. All three names point to the same Model Local Rule.
When the rule comes into effect
A course committee decides, before the round begins, whether preferred lies are on. According to the USGA, the rule is intended for adverse conditions such as heavy snows, spring thaws, prolonged rains, or extreme heat. Once stroke play has started, the committee cannot introduce the rule mid-round, since that would give later groups more holes to benefit from it.
A player has no authority to invoke preferred lies on their own. The rule is announced on a noticeboard, on the scorecard, at the starter’s hut, or in a tournament rules sheet. If none of those say preferred lies are in effect, the standard rule applies, and the ball is played as it lies.
The penalty for ignoring this is severe. At the 2019 Open de France, German tour pro Marcel Siem took preferred lie relief on five holes in the first round, only to be told later the rule was not in force. He picked up ten penalty strokes for playing from a wrong place and withdrew from the tournament, as reported by Golf Monthly.
Where the rule applies on the course
Preferred lies apply to areas cut to fairway height or shorter, which the Rules of Golf call closely mown areas. In practice, that almost always means the fairway, though some committees extend it to fringes and aprons.
It does not apply elsewhere. The rough, bunkers, penalty areas, and putting greens are all excluded under the standard wording. A ball that finishes one inch into the first cut of rough has to be played as it lies, no matter how muddy the fairway nearby looks.
| Area | Preferred lies apply? |
|---|---|
| Fairway | Yes |
| Fringe or apron (if mown to fairway height) | Sometimes, depending on local wording |
| Rough | No |
| Bunker | No |
| Penalty area | No |
| Putting green | No (a different rule already lets you mark and clean) |
A committee can write the rule more narrowly, for example, restricting relief to the fairway of a specific hole that has been damaged by maintenance. The exact wording on the day always overrides general expectations.
How the rule works
A player marks the ball’s original spot, lifts it, cleans it, and places it within a defined relief area no closer to the hole. The ball has to be placed by hand, not dropped, and once it stays at rest, it is back in play.
The relief area distance is set by the committee. The USGA and R&A do not specify a fixed measurement in Model Local Rule E-3. Common choices are six inches, the length of a scorecard, or one club-length. Tour events often use one club-length. The scorecard or noticeboard for the day states which one applies.
A few details matter. The ball can only be placed once unless it rolls back to its original spot or moves into a position closer to the hole. The new spot must be in the general area, which excludes hazards and greens. And the surface the ball is placed on must be the same type cut to fairway height or less, so a ball cannot be lifted from a damaged fairway and placed in the rough or vice versa.
Preferred lies vs. the cleaning ball rule
The R&A and USGA publish two related local rules that often get confused. Model Local Rule E-3 is preferred lies. Model Local Rule E-2 is the cleaning ball rule. They sound similar but solve different problems.
| Preferred lies (MLR E-3) | Cleaning ball (MLR E-2) | |
|---|---|---|
| Used when | Ground conditions are poor overall | Ground is fine but mud sticks to the ball |
| Player can clean the ball | Yes | Yes |
| Player can change the lie | Yes, place within relief area | No, replace on original spot |
| Typical area covered | Fairway only | Fairway, or all of the general area |
The R&A explains the distinction in its 2025/2026 Winter Rules FAQs: when fairways are damaged, preferred lies fits. When the turf is healthy, but the ground is wet enough to leave mud on the ball, the cleaning ball rule is the lighter-touch option.
Preferred lies on the PGA Tour
Tour events use the rule sparingly. The PGA Tour applied preferred lies for the first two rounds of the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open after heavy rain, and again at the 2025 Houston Open in the opening round. Sportskeeda reported the Houston decision was driven by the weather forecast for the first round, including extreme heat.
Major championships almost never play preferred lies. CBS Sports reported that the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow preemptively announced no preferred lies despite a wet build-up, citing strong course conditions. Several players, including Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, voiced frustration about mud balls in the opening round. The rule stayed off. The 2016 PGA Championship final round at Baltusrol remains the rare modern major where preferred lies were in play.
Players misapplying the rule have cost real strokes. LPGA pro Lydia Ko, the 2024 Olympic gold medallist, took preferred lie relief on four holes during the 2023 Dana Open, where it was not permitted, drawing penalties for playing from a wrong place.
Common misconceptions
A few mistakes show up repeatedly.
The rough exclusion gets ignored. Players occasionally extend the rule to the first cut on the assumption that a bad lie is a bad lie. It is not. Unless the local rule explicitly includes the rough, relief stops at the fairway edge.
Sliding the ball with a club counts as a breach. The rule requires the ball to be lifted and placed by hand. Nudging it with the toe of a club, even within the allowed distance, is treated as playing from a wrong place.
Scores still post for handicap. Per the USGA, scores made while preferred lies are in effect must be posted for handicap purposes unless the Handicap Committee has suspended posting due to severe course conditions. Casual groups who play preferred lies between themselves are also expected to post their scores.
Related Golf Terms
- Pot bunker — A small, deep bunker common on links courses.
- Pre-shot routine — A consistent set of actions performed before each shot.
- Plugged lie — When the ball embeds into the ground or sand upon landing.
- Plus handicap — A golfer good enough that they add strokes rather than subtract them.
- Practice green — A green designated for putting practice before a round.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is preferred lies the same as lift, clean, and place?
Yes, both names refer to the same Model Local Rule E-3. Lift, clean, and place describes what the player does, while preferred lies and winter rules describe when and why the rule is on.
Can preferred lies be taken in the rough?
Almost never. The standard wording limits relief to closely mown areas. A committee can extend the rule throughout the general area in extreme conditions, but this is rare and has to be stated explicitly in the local rule.
How far can the ball be moved?
The committee sets the distance. The most common options are six inches, one scorecard length, or one club-length. Always check the day’s noticeboard or scorecard.
Do pros play preferred lies?
Occasionally. PGA Tour events use the rule when weather forces it, but majors almost always refuse to. The 2016 PGA Championship is the most recent major to have used it.
Can a player decide to play preferred lies on their own?
No. The rule has to be put into effect by the committee. Two friends in a casual round can agree to play winter rules between themselves, but scores from competitions only count under preferred lies if the committee has officially declared the rule on.
Sources
- USGA. “Preferred Lies.” Rules of Handicapping Committee Content. Accessed May 2026.
- R&A. “The R&A 2025/2026 Winter Rules FAQ’s.” Accessed May 2026.
- Golf Monthly. Jeremy Ellwood. “What Is Meant By Preferred Lies?” Published August 26, 2024.
- CBS Sports. “What is a ‘mud ball’? Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele frustrated after Round 1 at 2025 PGA Championship.” Published May 2025.
- Sportskeeda. “What are preferred lies? Exploring the rule in effect at the 2025 Houston Open.” Published 2025.
- Golf.com. “Mud on your ball? Here’s what the rules say about removing it.” Published May 17, 2025.
- Oregon Golf Association. “Rule of the Month: Lies, Damn Lies and Preferred Lies.” Published March 2025.
- Florida State Golf Association. “Rules of Golf – Preferred Lies.” Accessed May 2026.
