Rule 15: Relief from Loose Impediments and Movable Obstructions (Including Ball or Ball-Marker Helping or Interfering with Play)
R. 15.1a: You may remove a loose impediment anywhere on or off the golf course, and may do so in any way (e.g., using your hand, foot, club, etc.). This means you may now remove loose impediments from bunkers and penalty areas.
R. 15.1a, Exception: Before replacing a ball that was lifted or moved from anywhere except the putting green, you must not deliberately remove a loose impediment that, if moved when the ball was at rest, would have been likely to cause the ball to move. If you do so, you get one penalty stroke, but you do not have to replace the loose impediment.
Int. 15.1a/3: When you drop a ball, you may remove loose impediments before the drop. This is because the ball is not being put back on a specific spot. You may also remove loose impediments if you have to place the ball after a second drop that rolls out of the relief area.
R. 15.1b: Except on the putting green or the teeing area, if you cause your ball to move when you remove a loose impediment you will get one penalty stroke and you must replace the ball. However, there is no penalty when the exceptions to R. 9.4b apply. For example, if you are taking relief from GUR and the ball is against a loose impediment, there is no penalty if the ball is moved due to the loose impediment being removed first.
R. 15.2a(2): When your ball lies in or on a movable obstruction, you may lift the ball, remove the obstruction, and drop any ball within one club-length of the reference point (which will be the estimated point directly under where the ball lay on the obstruction), no closer to the hole, and in the same area of the course as the reference point. See Diagrams #1 15.2a and #2 15.2a.
R. 15.2b: When you take relief for a ball that has not been found but is known or virtually certain to be in or on a movable obstruction, once you have put another ball in play you must not play the original ball even if you find it within the three-minute search time.
R. 15.3a and Int. 15.3a/1: In stroke play, if two or more players agree to leave a ball in place on the putting green to help any player, each player who agreed gets the general penalty if the stroke is made with the helping ball in place. If the players know they are not permitted to make such an agreement, they are disqualified for deliberately ignoring the Rule. (This narrows the scope of the 2018 Rule, which applied anywhere on the course.)
R. 15.3b: If you reasonably believe that another player’s ball on the course may interfere with your own play, you may require the other player to mark and lift the ball. The other player must comply with this request or, in stroke play only, may play first instead. If the other player fails to comply with your valid request, he gets the general penalty. You may not lift your ball under this Rule based only on your own belief that the ball might interfere with another player’s play. If you lift your ball when not required to do so (except on the putting green), you get a one-stroke penalty.
R. 15.3c: If a ball-marker might help or interfere with play, you may move the ball-marker if it is yours, or require the player to whom it belongs to move his ball-marker. If the other player fails to comply with your valid request, he gets the general penalty.
Note: The general penalty also applies under Rules 15.3b and 15.3c if you (1) make a stroke without waiting for a helping ball or ball-marker to be lifted or moved after becoming aware that another player intends to lift it or has required someone to lift it; or (2) refuse to lift or move your ball or ball-marker when required to do so and a stroke is then made by the other player whose play might have been helped or interfered with.
Rule 16: Relief from Abnormal Course Conditions (Including Immovable Obstructions), Dangerous Animal Condition, Embedded Ball
R. 16.1a(2): You are allowed free relief from interference from an Abnormal Course Condition (ACC) provided the ACC is on the course (not out of bounds) and the ball is anywhere on the course except in a penalty area. Animal holes, ground under repair, immovable obstructions, and temporary water are all ACCs. See Diagram 16.1a.
Note: Relief is not available from an ACC if interference is only on the line of play (except for a ball on the putting green), if something other than the ACC prevents a stroke being made, or if the interference only results from a manner of play that is clearly unreasonable.
R. 16.1b: Relief from an ACC if your ball is in the general area. The relief area is within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of complete relief in the general area. This is free relief. See Diagram 16.1b.
Reminder: The nearest point of complete relief is the nearest point to the original spot that is not nearer the hole, in the required area, and where you could play the shot you would have played in the absence of the ACC.
R. 16.1c: Relief from an ACC if your ball is in a bunker. You have two choices:
(1) For free relief, you must drop the ball inthe bunker. The relief area is within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of complete relief in the bunker. If complete relief is not available, the reference point in the bunker will be the nearest point of maximum available relief.
(2) For relief with one penalty stroke, you may drop a ball outside the bunker, back on the line. Your relief area will be within one club-length of the reference point you choose back on the line. The relief area must not be nearer the hole than the reference point, and may be in any area of the course. If your relief area spans two areas of the course, your ball must come to rest in the same area of the course that it hits when you drop it. The Rules recommend that you always mark your reference point by using an object such as a tee [Int. 17.1d(2)1]. See Diagram 16.1c.
R. 16.1d: Free relief from an ACC if your ball is on the putting green. Place a ball on the nearest point of complete relief, which may be on the putting green or in the general area. If complete relief is unavailable, you may place your ball on the point of maximum available relief on the green or in the general area. See Diagram 16.1d. This relief is available even if the ACC is off the putting green but is on your line of play when your ball is on the putting green.
R. 16.1e: You may take free relief if you cannot find your ball that is known or virtually certain to be lost in an ACC. Once you put another ball in play, your original ball is no longer in play and you may not play it, even if you find it within three minutes.
R. 16.1f: You must not play a ball that lies in a no play zone in an ACC, or outside a no play zone where the no play zone interferes with your stance or area of intended swing. You must take relief as described above in R.16.1b, c, or d, or you may take unplayable relief (which includes a penalty stroke).
Int. 16.1/4: If your ball lies on a bridge over a deep hollow, the nearest point of complete relief is on the ground directly under the bridge (Point X). If there is interference from some part of the bridge at Point X, you may take relief under R. 16.1b, using Point X as a reference to find the nearest point of complete relief.
R. 16.2b: When your ball is in a penalty area near a dangerous animal, you must drop a ball in the penalty area (a safe distance away) for free relief. If you take the ball out of the penalty area, the penalty is one stroke. Note: There is no free relief from dangerous plants such as poison ivy or cactus.
R. 16.3: You get free relief if your ball is embedded anywhere in the general area except: (1) if the ball is embedded in sand in part of the general area that is not cut to fairway height or less; and (2) if something other than the embedded ball makes the stroke clearly unreasonable (e.g., ball lies under a bush). Note: Your ball is not embedded if someone steps on it, if it is driven straight into the ground (never airborne), or you dropped it taking relief under a Rule. The reference point for taking free relief is the spot right behind where the ball is embedded. The relief area must be within one club-length of this spot, in the general area, and not nearer the hole than the reference point. See Diagrams 16.3a and 16.3b.
