The Rules
or at rest and whether your ball is on the
putting green or elsewhere.
Unattached natural objects, like
pine cones and twigs can be
removed without penalty.
to not move your ball in doing so. If the
removal of a loose impediment causes
your ball to move, you must replace the
ball on its original spot and you usually
get a one-stroke penalty.
There are exceptions to the Rule
though. When your ball lies on the put-
ting green, there is no penalty if you
accidentally cause it to move when
removing a loose impediment. Also, you
can remove loose impediments by any
means. Go ahead and use your towel or
hat to remove any such items that may
be in your way.
Another common question related to
loose impediments is what happens if
your ball deflects off a loose impediment
while it’s in motion? If your ball in motion
hits a loose impediment, you must play
it as it lies with no penalty. This applies
whether the loose impediment is moving
vsga.org
ABNORMAL CONDITIONS
The fall and winter are often times when
courses undertake regular maintenance,
such as aeration or course improvement
projects. Let’s take a look at how these
practices might affect play on the golf
course. Any hole made by the Committee
or the maintenance staff in maintaining
the course (such as a hole made in removing
turf or a tree stump, or laying pipelines)
as well as grass cuttings, leaves and any
other material piled for later removal
are ground under repair by definition.
Therefore, you are automatically entitled
to free relief. A Committee may also wish
to define certain areas as ground under
repair because of course conditions. If the
Committee clarifies that an area is treated
as ground under repair, you may also take
free relief provided your ball does not lie
in a penalty area.
Aeration holes do not fall within the
meaning of a hole made by the maintenance
staff, and thus are not ground under
repair. Therefore, you may not repair
them on the putting green (or anywhere
on the golf course) or automatically take
free relief from them in the general area.
As such holes can interfere with the proper
playing of the game, a Committee may
choose to use a Local Rule to give relief
from these holes (Model Local Rule E-4).
If this Local Rule is in effect, you may
take free relief when your ball lies in or
touches an aeration hole.
When playing golf at this time of year, or
really at any time of year, there is always
a chance that you will encounter loose
impediments or abnormal conditions on
the golf course. Hopefully you now have a
better understanding of how to proceed in
these situations under the revised Rules
of Golf.
Kelsey Solan works in the USGA’s Rules
Department. She played golf at James
Madison University.
Rules
Workshops
The VSGA and Middle Atlantic PGA will
once again host a number of half-day
Rules of Golf workshops during the
winter and spring to get members up to
speed on the rules before the season
begins in earnest. All workshops will run
from 8:30 a.m. to noon with breakfast
served before the start of the session.
For more information, visit
VSGA.org/learn/educational-seminars/.
SATURDAY, FEB. 15:
Jefferson Lakeside CC, Richmond
TUESDAY, FEB. 18:
Princess Anne CC, Virginia Beach
SATURDAY, FEB. 22:
Chantilly National G&CC, Centreville
MONDAY, FEB. 24:
Wytheville GC, Wytheville
TUESDAY, MARCH 3:
Old Trail GC, Crozet
SATURDAY, MARCH 21:
Williamsburg GC, Williamsburg
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25:
Laurel Hill GC, Lorton
TUESDAY, APRIL 14:
Hidden Valley CC, Salem
TUESDAY, APRIL 21:
Winchester CC, Winchester
J A N UA RY / F E B R UA RY 2 0 2 0 | V I R G I N I A G O L F E R
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