Temporary Water (Casual Water)
Also known as: casual water, temporary water, standing water on the course, ball in a puddle, puddle on the fairway, casual water relief, relief from casual water, relief from temporary water
Casual water, now called temporary water in the Rules of Golf, gives you a free drop. If a puddle outside a penalty area touches your ball or affects your stance or swing, you get relief. Drop within one club-length of the nearest point of complete relief, no nearer the hole. Ground that is only wet, soft or muddy doesn't count; the water must be visible before or after your stance.
Temporary water is any short-lived pool of water on the surface outside a penalty area. Examples are a puddle from rain or irrigation, or an overflow from a body of water. It is one of four abnormal course conditions in Rule 16.1, along with animal holes, ground under repair and immovable obstructions. The water must be visible before or after you take your stance, without pressing down hard with your feet. Ground that is merely wet, muddy or soft does not qualify. Neither does water that only appears for a moment as you step. Dew and frost are not temporary water. Snow and natural ice can be treated either as temporary water or as loose impediments, at your choice.
You have interference when the water touches your ball, or when it physically interferes with your stance or the area of your swing. In the general area, find the nearest point of complete relief. That is the closest spot, not nearer the hole, where the water no longer interferes. Your relief area is one club-length from that point. Measure it with the longest club in your bag other than the putter. It must be in the general area and not nearer the hole. Drop from knee height into it.
Other areas have their own options. In a bunker you have two choices. You can take free relief inside the bunker, using the point of maximum available relief if no spot gives complete relief. Or you can take one penalty stroke and drop outside the bunker, on a line straight back from the hole. On the putting green, place the ball at the nearest point of complete relief, which can be just off the green. Water on the green between your ball and the hole counts as interference there. There is no relief under Rule 16.1 when your ball is in a penalty area.
Tips by skill level
If you see water around your ball or when you take your stance, you get a free drop. If the ground is just squishy, you play it as it lies.
Before dropping, simulate the stroke you would have played to find the true nearest point of complete relief. It can be on the side of the puddle you don't prefer, and the Rules don't let you pick a better side.
Example
After heavy rain, a golfer's ball stops in the fairway with water visible around it. He finds the nearest spot, no nearer the hole, where the puddle no longer affects his ball, stance or swing. He measures one club-length with his driver and drops from knee height inside that area. There is no penalty.
Why it matters
Wet days are common. Many golfers play out of puddles they could have left for free, or take relief from soggy ground that doesn't qualify. Knowing the rule saves strokes and avoids penalties.
Common mistakes
- Taking relief because the ground is soft or muddy when no water is visible
- Dropping nearer the hole than the nearest point of complete relief
- Measuring the relief area with the putter instead of the longest other club
- Assuming there is free relief from water inside a penalty area
- Forgetting that a flooded bunker allows a penalty drop outside it
Frequently asked questions
Is casual water a free drop?
Yes. It is called temporary water in the current Rules. Rule 16.1 gives free relief when it touches your ball or interferes with your stance or swing. Drop within one club-length of the nearest point of complete relief, no nearer the hole.
What counts as casual water in golf?
A temporary puddle or pool on the surface, outside a penalty area, that you can see before or after taking your stance. Wet, soft or muddy ground does not count, and neither do dew or frost.
What if my ball is in casual water in a bunker?
You can take free relief inside the bunker. Or take one penalty stroke and drop outside the bunker, on a line back from the hole through where your ball was.
Can I get relief from water on my putting line?
Yes, on the putting green only. If temporary water lies between your ball and the hole, place the ball at the nearest point of complete relief. That point may be just off the green.
Sources
- The R&A: Rules of Golf, Definitions
- The R&A: Rules of Golf, Rule 16 (Relief from Abnormal Course Conditions, including Immovable Obstructions)
- The R&A: 2025-26 Winter Rules FAQs (preferred lies, cleaning the ball, embedded ball, temporary water)
- The R&A: Rules of Golf, Rule 14 (Marking, Lifting, Replacing and Dropping)
Related terms
- Free ReliefFree relief is moving the ball to a better spot without a penalty. It covers cases like an immovable obstruction, ground under repair, or an embedded ball.
- Drop ProcedureThe modern drop releases the ball from knee height, straight down, into the relief area. It is simpler than the old shoulder-height drop but often done wrong.
- Playing Golf in the RainTo play well in the rain, keep your grips, gloves and hands dry. Take an extra club so you can hit a lower, controlled shot. On wet fairways the ball barely rolls, so plan to carry it to the target. Make a slightly shorter, balanced swing so your feet don't slip, and putt a little firmer on slow, wet greens.
- Cart Path Relief (Immovable Obstructions)An artificially surfaced cart path is an immovable obstruction, so relief from it is free. You get it when your ball is on the path or the path affects your stance or swing. Drop within one club-length of the nearest point of complete relief, no nearer the hole. You can't choose the side of the path, and the drop must give complete relief.
- Embedded Ball (Plugged Lie Relief)An embedded, or plugged, ball sits in its own pitch mark with part of it below ground. In the general area, including the fairway and rough, you get free relief under Rule 16.3, except in sand not cut to fairway height. Drop within one club-length of the spot right behind where it was embedded, no nearer the hole. There is no free relief for a plugged ball in a bunker or penalty area.
- Penalty Area (Water Hazard)A penalty area, often a pond or stream, is marked by yellow or red stakes or lines. Relief costs one penalty stroke and is more forgiving than out of bounds.
- Local RuleA local rule is a course- or competition-specific change adopted by the committee running play. It commonly covers embedded balls, temporary conditions like winter rules, or unique course features the standard Rules of Golf do not address.
Related guides & benchmarks
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