TheRules
BY KELSEY SOLAN
With the change of seasons from summer
to fall and winter, you may encounter some
extra objects, like leaves or branches, on the
golf course throughout your round. These
and other natural objects are classified by
the Rules as loose impediments. Luckily,
you can move loose impediments out of
your way without penalty. It’s also the time
of year where many courses go through
regular maintenance such as aeration, so you
may encounter some abnormal conditions
on the course.
LOOSE IMPEDIMENTS
First, let’s take a deeper look at what the
Rules classify as a loose impediment.
Loose impediments are unattached natural
objects like stones, loose grass, leaves,
branches, pine needles, clumps of com-
pacted soil (including aeration plugs), etc.
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Dead animals, worms, insects and
other similar animals that can be
If the removal of a loose
removed easily, and the mounds
or webs they build (such as worm
impediment causes your
casts and ant hills), are also loose
ball to move, you must replace
impediments. However, such nat-
the ball on its original spot
ural objects are not loose if they
are attached or growing, solidly
and you usually get a
embedded in the ground (that is,
one-stroke penalty.
cannot be picked out easily), or
sticking to the ball.
Special cases include loose soil,
You may remove loose impediments
sand, dew, frost and water, which are not
that lie anywhere on or off the course.
considered to be loose impediments. Snow
There previously were restrictions against
and natural ice (other than frost) are either
moving them in a hazard, but you may now
loose impediments (meaning they can be
move loose impediments that lie in any
moved) or, when on the ground, temporary
area of the course, including in a bunker
water (meaning free relief is available), at
or a penalty area.
your option. While sand and loose soil are
While you may remove loose imped-
not loose impediments by definition, you
iments anywhere, you should take care
may remove them on the putting green.
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Loose Impediments and
Abnormal Conditions