The fundamental principle of the game of golf is to play the ball as it lies, except as otherwise provided in the rules. Players also need to be careful not to improve the area of their intended stance or swing or the line of play plus a reasonable extension of it or the area in which he is to drop or place a ball. This might be done by moving, bending or breaking anything growing or fixed, creating or eliminating irregularities of the surface or removing or pressing down sand, loose soil, replaced divots or other cut turf, or in removing dew frost or water. The player incurs no penalty if the action occurs in fairly taking his stance—what is reasonably necessary.
Bending or breaking a branch would not be allowed, but just hitting and knocking off a few leaves would most likely be okay. A player may decide to hit the ball from the other side if he wishes. If, for example, the new stance entitles him to relief, then he can take the relief and can then hit from whatever side he wishes. There’s no penalty if a player is making a stroke or the backward movement of his club if he completes the stroke.
On the tee, there is no penalty for creating or eliminating irregularities of the surface, so it is okay to kick up the turf instead of using a tee. On the putting green, there is no penalty if removing sand and loose soil or in repairing damage. Doing so on the fringe would, however, be a violation.
A player is entitled to place his feet firmly in taking a stance, but cannot build a stance. Using a towel to keep your pants from getting dirty when dropping to your knees to play a shot is a no-no as Craig Stadler once found out. Taking off the pants would be okay. So would putting on your rain pants. If a player used a golf cart in an effort to hit a ball from a tree, that would be building a stance. If he does not go ahead and do it, there is no penalty. However, if he alters the ground in any way, he is penalized no matter what he does next.
A player cannot move a stake defining out of bounds. Even if he replaces it before making a stroke, he is penalized. That’s one of those rules that I feel should be changed since the player has not gained any advantage if he puts the stake back.
A player may not get relief from his own pitch mark, but would be entitled to relief if it was caused by another player after his ball was at rest. If the ball was embedded in its own pitch mark in a closely mown area, a player is entitled to relief, but he should be careful not to go ahead and repair the pitch mark. Doing so might improve the area where he will drop the ball.
A player may ground his club lightly through the green, but may not press down in a manner that would improve his lie. The exception is that a player cannot touch the ground in a hazard or the water in a water hazard. Taking a practice swing in a hazard would result in a penalty. However, he or she would not be penalized two strokes for each practice swing as ladies at my former club once thought. The exception to this would be there is no penalty if the player happened to touch the ground or water as a result of or to prevent falling or in placing his club in that hazard. If the ball was on a bridge, defined as an obstruction, a player could also ground his club without penalty.
As Michelle Wie found out last year, a player cannot touch or remove a loose impediment lying in or touching a hazard. A partially embedded pine needle or leaves would be classified as loose impediments. If a player removed a loose impediment near his ball in a water hazard, but then elected to not go ahead and play that shot would he still be subject to a penalty? Yes. The same is true even if the ball in question was not his.
A grassed area or tree in the middle of a hazard is not part of the hazard and it would be okay to touch it. The same is true of casual water in a bunker. Mopping up casual water on the green would be a violation of improving the line of play. When is a player deemed to have taken his stance in a bunker? Some digging in with his feet would be expected and he does not even have to have a club in his hand, according to the one of the decisions from the USGA.
So just be careful and read up on Rule 13 if you have any questions.
— James McAfee |
