Rules of Golf Review: Before taking a drop, can you 'clean up' the area of loose impediments to ensure a better lie?

You probably know the Rules of Golf allows you to remove loose impediments near your ball or even on your line of play (Rule 15.1). You can do it pretty much any way you want provided that doing so doesn't cause your ball to move. If you just so happen to carry a pocket leaf blower, go for it.

However, if the ball were to move as a result of your handiwork, it's a one-stroke penalty. The ball also must be replaced or you're now subject to playing from the wrong place. And that's another two shots in stroke play or loss of hole in match play (Rule 14.7a). Don't learn the hard way: Remember to move the ball back.

That's the basics of dealing with loose impediments. But you might wonder what you can or can't do with loose impediments as part of a relief procedure. For example, you're standing on a cart path next to a patch of pine straw where your ball lies. The cement path is considered an immovable obstruction and you're entitled to free relief to stand and swing without interference from it.

Now here's the part you might not be aware of.

If the proper drop area happens to be loaded with loose impediments (in this case, a ton of pine straw), can you sweep away those slippery buggers to get a better lie before you take your drop? The answer: You betcha!

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While Rule 15.1 stipulates that if you're going to replace a ball and there's a loose impediment on the spot where you are about to put the ball down, and it likely would have caused the ball to move if the ball were there, then you can't remove it. Dropping or placing, on the other hand, are treated differently.

Why?

As explained in the Rules of Golf: "The ball is not being put back in a specific spot and therefore removing loose impediments before dropping or placing" is OK. An example they give is when dropping a ball in a relief area. If the dropped ball keeps rolling out of the relief area and after two drops must be placed, that player can remove loose impediments "on or around" the spot where they intend to place the ball. The same would hold true if the dropped ball stayed in the drop area. Before letting it go (remember, from knee height), you have the opportunity to remove loose impediments.

That's a pretty big deal if you think about it. In an area littered with leaves, sticks, etc., doing a little tidying might help you get the club on the ball a little cleaner.

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