The Rules of Golf are tricky! Thankfully, we’ve got the guru. Our Rules Guy knows the book front to back. Got a question? He’s got all the answers.
I hit my ball into a no-mow area with various native grasses and weeds, swirling and growing in all directions. After a short search, I located a ball several inches down in the deep stuff and moved the grass over top of the ball to identify it. I was careful not to move the ball, but the grass I parted stayed where I moved it, leaving me a clean look at the ball — it probably improved my ability to swing the club through it all. My opponent said I shouldn’t move any more grass because I can’t improve my lie but left it at that. Should I have incurred a penalty? – Peter Reiter, via email
You sound like a reasonable guy, Peter, and that’s the crux of the matter. So long as the moving or bending of the grass was reasonable to try to find and identify the ball, there’s no penalty even if you did improve the conditions affecting the stroke — most impacted here, the lie and area of intended swing.
While Rule 8.1 protects those areas from moving, bending and breaking growing stuff out of the way, the Rule also provides an exception to allow you to search fairly by taking reasonable actions to find and ID your ball. See Rules 8.1b and 7.1a for details; offer not valid in Alaska or Hawaii (kidding!).
For more lie-related guidance from our guru, read on …
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Rules Guy: What do you do when it’s impossible to recreate your original lie?
Rules Guy
If the local rule in effect says you can place 6 inches on the fairway and my shot lands 1 inch in the fairway, can I place that ball within 5 inches on the first cut if I prefer? Technically, that wouldn’t be improving my lie as I’ve gone onto a supposedly worse surface. – Wayne Mudgway, via email
Presumably, you are referring to the Preferred Lies Local Rule—Model Local Rule E-3. If so, yes, you may place the ball anywhere in the general area within the specified distance.
If you were inclined to place the ball into the rough (“first cut”? Are you playing Augusta National?), that is indeed your prerogative. Rules Guy himself will admit to sometimes being spooked by tight turf, preferring the forgiveness of a launchpad lie.
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Got a question about the Rules? Ask the Rules Guy! Send your queries, confusions and comments to rulesguy@golf.com. We promise he won’t throw the book at you.