Clearing a relief area of debris.

[denkea]

I tried the search function but it drives me crazy trying to find the appropriate post.  So, sorry for this question if it has been answered before.

 

When taking relief for an unplayable lie and the two club lengths has been determined and there is considerable loose impediments in that area are you allowed to clean it up and remove most of the debris where your stance and address may be prior to your drop? 

 

Thanks in advance.

[sui generis]

R15.1a. Removal of Loose Impediment

Without penalty, a player may remove a loose impediment anywhere on or off the course, and may do so in any way (such as by using a hand or foot or a club or other equipment). But there are two exceptions:

 

Exception 1 – Removing Loose Impediment Where Ball Must Be Replaced: Before replacing a ball that was lifted or moved from anywhere except the putting green:

A player must not deliberately remove a loose impediment that, if moved when the ball was at rest, would have been likely to have caused the ball to move.

If the player does so, he or she gets one penalty stroke, but the removed loose impediment does not need to be replaced.

This exception applies both during a round and while play is stopped under Rule 5.7a. It does not apply to a loose impediment that is removed as a result of marking the spot of a ball, or lifting, moving or replacing a ball or causing a ball to move.

 

Exception 2 – Restrictions on Deliberately Removing Loose Impediments to Affect Ball in Motion (see Rule 11.3).

 

https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules/rules-2019/rules-of-golf/rules-and-interpretations.html#!ruletype=fr&section=rule&rulenum=15

[Fairway14]

26 minutes ago, denkea said:

 

 

When taking relief for an unplayable lie and the two club lengths has been determined and there is considerable loose impediments in that area are you allowed to clean it up and remove most of the debris where your stance and address may be prior to your drop? 

 

 

Yes.

[antip]

I agree with the other respondents. The practical constraint to keep in mind is to seek to avoid altering the surface of the ground in a way that improves the conditions affecting the stroke*. Around here (dry climate) we can get a lot of loose dirt and sand off the fairway and when that is combined with a lot of tree litter the player can't get too aggressive with a foot sweep without moving the dirt which alters the surface of the ground. So the motto is go for it with care, with care being a function of local conditions that can vary from wild gusto to tweezers only.

*Improvement from 'reasonable actions' is okay - Rule 8.1b.

[TerpFangolfer]

antip, maybe you saw this, but the exact scenario you describe was a question in the USGA "Short Course" (week 1, q8)

 

Before your second shot in stroke play, you take lateral relief from a red penalty area. The relief area where the ball must be dropped is a sandy area covered with pine straw. You use your hand to remove pine straw from the relief area, being careful not to move sand in the process. Despite being cautious, you also move sand in the process. You then drop your ball in the right way and it comes to rest in the relief area where the sand was moved. You make three more strokes to complete the hole. What is your score for the hole?

a. 4

b. 5

c. 6

d. 7

 

Answer is b (i.e. no penalty for "moving sand") but as antip pointed out above - if you used your foot and created a "swath" or otherwise cleared sand or loose soil excessively, you would be subject to penalty.

 

Another note for the OP, and again along the lines of what antip posted - there is a difference between moving LIs and improving conditions.

 

Easiest example I can think of - a loose grass divot piece lies in the area. Pick up the divot piece and toss it away = no penalty...but put the divot back in the divot hole in the RA = penalty.