One of the best golf tips I can give to any golfer is to know the rules of golf.
This is because the rules are not only there to penalise you - they are also there to help when unfair situations arise. If you know the rules of golf you can often use these to your advantage.
In this golf tip I am focusing on how the rules of golf can help you when your ball is lying on or near a 'loose impediment'. So let's start with a definition:
What is a 'loose impediment'?
By it's very definition a 'loose impediment' is something that is impeding you and is loose! This last word (loose) is the most important though. To be a loose impediment it must not be growing.
Here are some examples of impediments that are NOT loose:
1. Grass. If your ball is sitting on a tuft of grass or there is a tuft on your putting line you cannot touch it. This also applies on the fairway...
2. Branches that are still attached to living trees. The last part of this can of course cause confusion - I for one am not a tree expert!
3. Flowers. Again assuming they are growing which can be tricky at times
4. Rocks that are part of the golf course. I.e. They are not 'loose'
5. Sprinkler heads. Of course these are not loose, but I thought I'd mention them. There is a whole different set of rules about sprinkler heads which I urge you to check out!
In contrast here some examples of loose impediments:
1. Crisp packets
2. Fir cones
3. Sand
4. Stones
5. Leaves
6. Tree branches - again assuming they are not attached to a living tree
So let's assume your ball has come to rest against or even on top of a loose impediment. What do the rules of golf allow us to do in these situations. And perhaps more importantly what do the rules of golf NOT allow us to do?
We will start with the simplest of situations...
If there is a loose impediment that is not touching your golf ball simply remove the loose impediment.
Now a slightly more complex situation. If your ball is touching or resting against a loose impediment you need to be careful and here's why:
IF YOU REMOVE A LOOSE IMPEDIMENT AND YOUR BALL MOVES FROM ITS ORIGINAL SPOT THE RULES OF GOLF STATE THAT YOU INCUR A PENALTY.
It is not breaking the rules of golf if your ball moves but then returns to its original position. But this is very risky and you will incur a penalty if this happens.
So what can you do to avoid this risk? It's simple. Firstly mark your ball as you normally would on the putting green. Then remove the loose impediment, and finally replace your ball where you marked it.
Now an even more complex situation...
Your ball has come to rest on top of a plastic bag. This is tricky since you cannot mark your ball when it is sitting on a plastic bag!
You need to handle this situation as follows:
1. Pick up your ball.
2. Remove the bag.
3. Replace your ball as close as you can to its original position. Check the other players in your group are happy with where you replaced it.
There are a couple of final but important things to remember about loose impediments:
1. The rules regarding loose impediments apply ANYWHERE on the golf course, not just the putting green. Remember you can even mark your ball when it's on the fairway....
2. Sand is also a loose impediment but you need to be REALLY careful about how you remove it when you are on the putting green. The rules of golf state that you can never TEST or AFFECT the putting surface. To ensure you don't break this rule simply brush the sand away with the BACK OF YOUR HAND. Not the front (palm) and don't use your putter.
I could continue writing about many different examples, however I hope you now have a good understanding of the rules of golf regarding loose impediments and realise why knowing the rules of golf is such a great golf tip!
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