I can't seem to find this anywhere in the rule book for some reason maybe someone can link it for me.

I know that when taking relief from casual water the ball can't be dropped on a putting surface or hazard, and obviously nearest point no closer, yadda yadda. My question is, can a player improve the playing surface, from rough to fairway, when taking relief? For whatever reason I was always under the impression that when taking relief from anything you can never improve your lie with respect to surface. If the nearest point, no closer, is fairway is this the correct point of relief in this situation? If anyone knows the section in the rule book can you please link it or paste it, as much as I trust everyone here I need the actual ruling so I can bookmark it. Thanks!

25-1 The relief is through the green and it's 1 club length nearest point. So you can go from rough to fairway or fairway to rough.

I read that but is there anywhere in the rule book that specifically states you can change surface? It just seems like the rule contradicts the play it as it lies section if this is the case.

Casual water is an "Abnormal ground condition".

If the abnormal ground condition is not on the green itself, or the tee box (i.e., pretty much anywhere on the golf course) ... the rule is that you cannot drop in on the green, or in a hazard, or any closer to the hole ... but you need to drop it within one club length of where it lies - or, if necessary, one club length from the edge of the abnormal ground condition (e.g., if it is in the middle of a puddle of casual water that is four club lengths in diameter ... you obviously don't measure one club length fom where it lies and drop it into the same puddle).

The standard, in other words, is the club length, and no nearer to the hole ... if it so happens that the casual water is in the rough, but some area within that club length is on the fairway, you're permitted to drop it in the fairway.

Only exception to this is sand traps ... if the casual water (and your ball) is in a bunker, you need to take relief in the bunker.

See Rule 25.

No there is not. The term "Through the green" covers this.
"Through the green" means all areas of the course except teeing grounds, greens and hazards.

I figured it was just inferred that changing surfaces was permitted but I just found it hard to believe, with as detailed as the rule book is, that it was not specifically adressed, especially in the decisions section. Thanks a lot!

Well ... the "play it as it lies" is a principle, but doesn't always hold in specific circumstances. For instance, if you hit it into a plain ordinary water hazard (not a lateral hazard), you have a one stroke penalty, but you can drop it (no closer to the hole) anywhere on the line between where you hit the ball, and where it crossed into the hazard ... with no restriction on how far back you go. You'll see the pros do this now and then after hitting into a hazard ... they'll not only make sure to go back far enough to drop on the fairway, they'll choose a distance that that gives them a comfortable full swing.

The Rules don't positively state you can change surface ... they generally only speak to what you can't do.

The Rules have a distinct view of what a golf course is - they basically recognize five surfaces: Tee box, green, sand, water, and "through the green" (i.e., everywhere else).

When you think about it, it would be very difficult to try to start writing rules about "rough" vs. "fairways" ... especially these days, when there's quite often two or three distinct cuts of rough.

Decision 24-2b/8 asks the question: "A player whose ball lies in the rough close to the fairway is entitled to relief from an immovable obstruction. In obtaining relief under Rule 24-2b(i), may the player drop the ball on the fairway?

Answer: "Yes. There is no distinction in the Rules between fairway and rough; both are covered by the term “through the green”.

Hope that helps.

There is one additional "surface" that the rules recognize, "closely mown areas":

A ball embedded in its own pitch-mark in the ground in any closely mown area through the green may be lifted, cleaned and dropped, without penalty, as near as possible to the spot where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the coursethrough the green. "Closely mown area" means any area of the course, including paths through the rough, cut to fairway height or less.

Ah cool thanks! I figured there was something in the decision section that would somewhat fit the bill.