Category: Rules Knowledge

Rules: Acorn Under My Feet

Q. Can you remove an acorn or twig that is under your feet when taking a stance?

It is loose and in a hazard? Then no. Rule 13-4c states that no loose impediment can be moved or removed from a hazard.

It is loose elsewhere?  Then yes since it is a loose impediment.

But what if it's buried?  Some would still say yes because a buried acorn or twig can still be considered a loose impediment.  After all, it fell loose didn't it?  Ha Ha Ha!

But seriously if it's buried, can you remove it either by picking/digging it out or shuffling your feet?

Simple rule to remember…
You have the right to take a stance but not build a stance.

The answer is NO.  You are improving your lie if you dig out an object or shuffle your feet.  The only place you can dig out the acorn or similar object or even shuffle your feet is on the tee box. 

The official rule:

13-2. Improving Lie, Area of Intended Stance or Swing, or Line of Play
A player must not improve or allow to be improved:
 
• the position or lie of his ball,
• the area of his intended stance or swing,
• his line of play or a reasonable extension of that line beyond the hole, or
• the area in which he is to drop or place a ball,
 
by any of the following actions:
 
• pressing a club on the ground,
• moving, bending or breaking anything growing or fixed (including immovable obstructions and objects defining out of bounds),
• creating or eliminating irregularities of surface,
• removing or pressing down sand, loose soil, replaced divots or other cut turf placed in position, or
• removing dew, frost or water.
 
However, the player incurs no penalty if the action occurs:
 
• in grounding the club lightly when addressing the ball,
• in fairly taking his stance,
• in making a stroke or the backward movement of his club for a stroke and the stroke is made,
• in creating or eliminating irregularities of surface within the teeing ground (Rule 11-1) or in removing dew, frost or water from the teeing ground, or
• on the putting green in removing sand and loose soil or in repairing damage. (Rule 16-1).

Rules: Grounding a Club in a Hazard

Q. Can you ground a club in a hazard?

We all know you can take multiple clubs into a hazard and place the unneeded clubs in the hazard (for pace of play).  You can also make contact with any grass, bush, tree or other growing thing during address and the swing (think tall grass). 

But what about grounding the club you are actually using?

Case in point.  In the final round of the LPGA's Kia Classic (March 30, 2010), Michelle Wie hit her approach shot into a water hazard.  She elected to attempt the shot with one foot in the water and one foot on the bank.  She swung and the ball made it out of the water but was still in the hazard.  The video clearly shows Wie letting the club head rest on the bank inside the hazard after the first shot.  As a result, she was penalized two strokes bumping her from second to sixth and losing $91,000 in prize money.

Now this is not a debate on what and why she did what she did so lets get back to the original question.  Can you ground a club inside a hazard?

Still say no?  Read on….

All of us have probably read this rule a thousand times but probably missed it anyways…

Rule 13-4. Ball in Hazard; Prohibited Actions – Exceptions – 1) Provided nothing is done that constitutes testing the condition of the hazard or improves the lie of the ball, there is no penalty if the player (a) touches the ground or loose impediments in any hazard or water in a water hazard as a result of or to prevent falling, in removing an obstruction, in measuring or in marking the position of, retrieving, lifting, placing or replacing a ball under any Rule or (b) places his clubs in a hazard.

Wie protested the 2 shot penalty based on Exception 1(a) stating she was trying to keep her balance because her right foot was in the mud.  She lost her appeal.  So who is correct?  Wie or the officials? 

Watch the video and judge for yourself.

Here's a link to a good video at Golf Channel.