Golf courses have the option to enact a local rule that allows free relief when a sprinkler head is within two club-lengths of the putting surface.
Putting Across Sprinkler Heads in Golf: Free Relief?
On the European Tour this used to be a pretty standard local rule, even in their tournaments, because so many foreign players use their putters instead of chipping when just off the green.
It's too bad that TV courses don't adopt this local rule, because I'm one of those that believe in the old saying that
"a bad putt, will usually turn out better than a bad chip."