Rule of the Week
June 28, 2016

Hey you removed that leaf.  You are penalized!  
Over the past several years many people have told us they believed you are penalized if you remove a leaf in the area of your ball and/or stroke.  Question remains, if on a practice stroke or prior to your stroke, if you remove one attached leaf or pine needle, attached pine cone, or grass near your ball are you penalized? 

Similar to other rules of golf it depends on the circumstances.  A Rules Official and the Committee will have to determine all the facts.  Again, they are here to protect the field and ensure the integrity of the championship.

 
In the left picture above if a player moved/removed one leaf from his area of stance, swing or direction of play, the player would be in breach of Rule 13-2 and would be penalized.  Please note, one leaf is the size of a golf cart.  The picture to the right the player has knocked down one leaf.  There are still a number of leaves left in the area and he has not significantly improved his area of intended swing, stance or direction of play.  The player would not be subject to penalty for a breach of the rules.  If he removed the entire branch, the end result may be different.  Please see Decision 13-2/0.5 below if you would like more information.

Reminder - if at all possible leave the leaf alone!
       


QUESTION: Rule 13-2 prohibits a player from improving certain areas. What does "improve" mean?

ANSWER: In the context of Rule 13-2, "improve" means to change for the better so that the player creates a potential advantage with respect to 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. Therefore, merely changing an area protected by Rule 13-2 will not be a breach of Rule 13-2 unless it creates such a potential advantage for the player in his play.
Examples of changes that are unlikely to create such a potential advantage are if a player:
  • accidentally knocks down several leaves from a tree in his area of intended swing with a practice swing, but there are still so many leaves or branches remaining that the area of intended swing has not been materially affected;
  • repairs a small pitch-mark, smoothes a footprint in a bunker or replaces a divot in a divot hole on his line of play five yards in front of his ball prior to making a 150-yard approach shot from through the green;
  • whose ball lies in the middle of a long, shallow-faced fairway bunker, smoothes footprints five yards in front of his ball and on his line of play prior to playing a long shot over the smoothed area; or
  • whose ball lies in thick rough 180 yards from the green, walks forward and pulls strands of grass on his line of play and tosses them in the air to determine the direction of the wind.
Examples of changes that are likely to create such a potential advantage are if a player:
  • accidentally knocks down a single leaf from a tree in his area of intended swing with a practice swing, but, as this was one of very few leaves that might either interfere with his swing or fall and thereby distract him, the area of intended swing has been materially affected;
  • repairs a pitch-mark through the green or replaces a divot in a divot hole five yards in front of his ball and on his line of play prior to making a stroke from off the putting green that might be affected by the pitch-mark or divot hole (e.g., a putt or a low-running shot);
  • whose ball lies in a greenside bunker, smoothes footprints five yards in front of his ball on his line of play prior to playing a short shot intended to be played over the smoothed area; or
  • pulls strands of grass from rough a few inches behind his ball to test the wind, but thereby reduces a potential distraction for the player, or resistance to his club, in the area of his intended swing.
The determination as to whether a player has created a potential advantage by his actions is made by reference to all the circumstances immediately prior to his stroke. (Revised)  
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Happy golfing and remember the Rules of Golf Matter
About Golf Saskatchewan
As the governing body of amateur golf in Saskatchewan, our mission is to grow participation in, and passion for golf while upholding the integrity of the game.

 

Golf Saskatchewan
510 Cynthia St
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7L 7K7
Golf Saskatchewan
(306) 975-0850

Authored by Brian Lee, Executive Director of Golf SK

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