How to Take Free Relief from loose Impediments and Movable Obstructions...

[@Randsurfer]

As usual, great video. Only exception to repairing pitch mark off the green: Player A hits ball to position near but off green. After that, Player B hits a ball that impacts and leaves a pitch mark between Player A's ball and green on his line of play. Player A can repair only that pitch mark. Reasoning: Player A is entitles to playing conditions that existed when his ball first came to rest. Note: Player A does not get relief from his own impact pitch mark since that must have been made prior to his ball coming to rest.

[@anthonyalberts1585]

Awesome video. Have noticed that when a player uses a shorter club to mark out the club length, eg. wedge, the risk is that the player may decide to re-drop the ball if it rolls outside of the wedge relief area even though it is still within the driver club length.

[@apaulmcdonough2170]

That's why a Player is NOT Allowed to Measure the Relief Area with Anything except the LONGEST Club in your Bag for "Club Length" - excluding Putters. For determining a Reference Point for Relief, or Nearest Point of Complete Relief, any Club can be used for this, and then the appropriate 1 or 2 Club Length Relief Area must be measured.

[@benno1202]

Thank you again for such a great video, your clear explanations really help me out! I’m guessing if a clump of grass lay in front of your ball off the green (which should have been put back into a divot) would be a natural object. Cheers Benno

[@JayRobertsGolf]

Loose impediment all day 👍

[@anc1741]

Another excellent video Jay. Thanks for taking the trouble for us all to benefit.

[@JayRobertsGolf]

Thanks for the comment, Andy. It really helps

[@injuredtabletennisplayer1474]

These videos are so instructive. Your last video was 2 years ago. Hope you’re well

[@petermcgill1315]

Excellent video. Covers so many examples in one go.

[@joelafives]

Thanks, at some point, The USGA should change pitch marks and divots off the green to "ground under repair" because frankly that's what you do when you fill in a divot or a pitch mark after your shot.

[@DL-my5ot]

super clear, as always. thank you

[@JayRobertsGolf]

Thanks, D L!

[@richardsmith9262]

Hi what about worm casts on the fringe? Can you remove them as loose impediments ?

[@tobiassjoholm9325]

You are allowed to repair a pitch mark in the general area if it does not improve ur balls position or line of play.

[@AJMont8888]

What if the pitchmark off green but directly behind your ball? Can you fix it.

[@apaulmcdonough2170]

Off the Green, Not until after you have played the Ball onto the Green .

[@jasonyu1803]

Very organized and clear video. Your videos never disappoint me! Thanks! I don't know how to ask you questions for other situations, so I am writing here. What happens you putt and hole out when your opponent's ball is in the hole cup? Two stroke penalties or no penalty? Redo the stroke or holed out already? Does it matter to determine the penalty if you knew the ball was already in the hole or not?

[@jasonyu1803]

Assuming you putt your ball on the green, not outside of the green...

[@JayRobertsGolf]

Thanks for the comment! There is no problem if a ball is Holed and another ball was already in the Hole. It might not be the best from an etiquette standpoint but there is nothing in the Rules that says this is a penalty.

[@jasonyu1803]

@@JayRobertsGolf I thought I remembered that there was a penalty before the rule changed, but possibly it was my false memory. Thank you for your clear answer!

[@jasonyu1803]

When I believed there should be a penalty of 2 strokes, I thought the ball in the cup should be considered being at rest on the green. Now I got your answer saying no penalty, so maybe the opponent's ball(s) are treated as movable obstructions since they are holed out and not in play at that moment. It's just my own guess and self-interpretation, haha..

[@aguy3412]

Jay great info ty

[@mmillsy1971]

What about natural ice and snow vs dew, frost, water

[@anthonycoleman1909]

Great video.

[@apaulmcdonough2170]

One addition to the Pitchmark in the Fringe. If the Pitchmark was created AFTER my Ball had come to Rest, I am allowed to restore my Original Conditions. Same goes for Sand that is splashed over and around my Ball at Rest, I am entitled to my Original Lie.

[@saifonlawrence2044]

According to my rules when facing an obstruction i pick up the ball, take a stroke then move on to the next tee box.

[@amalfi460]

What if you didn’t see ground that was humped up off the green and stepped on it but your competitor saw it can he call a penalty on you

[@jackhinson4743]

2:13 what happens if you can't replace your ball in the same spot which appened to me recently. The rake had stopped it from entering the bunker but as soon as I lifted the rake and replaced the ball it would roll into the bunker due to the step hill.

[@chriswolff1917]

Great job Jay!

[@JayRobertsGolf]

Thanks buddy 👊

[@thomaslyngsdal8501]

are you allowed to correct the pitch mark off the green, after your shot?

[@x0jas0x]

I'd also like to know this as I had an instance before where my iron left a pitchmark off the green that was almost on my friends line who planned to putt onto the green. After rolling back, I chipped over his ball, onto the green, then repaired the pitchmark. I only remember it as we laughed about me sabotaging his putt. If I left it, it might have affected his line or shot choice, but repairing it was effectively improving his line no? I imagine those situations are extremely rare

[@JayRobertsGolf]

Hey Thomas, absolutely ⛳️

[@JayRobertsGolf]

Jason, great scenario. This introduces the concept of "restoring worsened conditions"... For the most part, you are entitled to the Conditions Affecting the Stroke (CATS) that you had when you ball came to rest. If any of those conditions are worsened AFTER the ball was at rest, you are allowed to restore the original conditions as nearly as possible to what you had when the ball came to rest. In your example, after your friends ball came to rest, you (another person) worsened his CATS by damaging his line of play. That damage is allowed to be fixed. And fixing it wouldn't be 'improving' his line of play, it would be 'restoring' it back to what he originally had.

[@x0jas0x]

@@JayRobertsGolf Thanks! Good to know that golf takes a common sense approach on that one I don't imagine this scenario happens often but your knowledge on the rules is amazing!

[@JayRobertsGolf]

@@x0jas0x I appreciate that my friend!

[@blackstaticband]

Great vid

[@joelee5344]

So, does that mean my playing partner could fix a pitch mark that is off the green (and which may be on my line of stroke); just like we are encouraged to fix pitch marks/divots (that don't impact our strokes) as we walk the course?

[@apaulmcdonough2170]

NO, not if it is possibly in your Line of Play, even by your Partner. Do it AFTER you have played onto the Green.

[@UnLikeU]

Golf is Brutal.

[@1phillipcurtis]

Hello, Jay. I have a question about removing loose impediments prior to dropping one's ball under penalty when taking relief from an unplayable lie. Do you have a website where I can pose my question and scenario for your comments based on something Sheffler did in his 3rd round at the 2022 masters?

[@JayRobertsGolf]

Hey Phillip, I don't have a website yet but would be happy to address any questions you have here if you'd like

[@1phillipcurtis]

@@JayRobertsGolf Thanks, Jay. In this Masters round 3, Sheffler pulled his drive into a bush in left rough. Back was found and deemed unplayable, decided to drop out under penalty (with official on hand). So drop zone determined and marked, Sheffler proceeded to poke the drop zone with something like a tee (presumably to test the surface?) Then remove loose impediments PRIOR to dropping his ball in this "prepared area", which rolled outside of the drop zone twice, then he legally places his ball, but onto the prepared area. Is this legal at any level of golf? Wouldn't this be akin to a breach of rule 13.3 "building a stance" or at least breach of rule 13-2. "A player cannot improve: his lie by changing the ball's position; the area of his stance or swing; his line of play; the area where he is taking a drop or placing his ball."?

[@JayRobertsGolf]

@@1phillipcurtis Hey Phillip, while it all may have seemed a little sketch, everything panned out exactly as required by the Rules. With Loose Impediments, you are allowed to remove them anywhere you want on or off the course. This includes the relief area where you are going to drop. So what Scottie did with the pine straw is perfectly fine. Scottie was only restricted from taking any actions listed in 8.1 to improve the relief area (like altering the surface of the ground by replacing a divot), which he didn't. A player is allowed to place their feet firmly in taking a stance, which includes brushing loose impediments out of the way. But if the player becomes "excessive" with these actions then the player could be in breach for building a stance. 8.1a/6 Finally, no issues with probing the ground to see if rocks, roots, or other obstructions may be present. This is not testing the surface of the ground, nor is it altering the surface of the ground. 8.1a/7 Hope you'll take a look at the rules references i provided, they are good ones to review. But double check your Rules info. I think you may be looking at the old rules because Rule 13 is about Putting Greens. Hope that is helpful?

[@Dslots_]

I have two questions that recently happened on the greens in the same tournament, individual stroke play. First, the ball rims the cup on and comes to rest right next to cup. The player picks up ball, with no marker on green, puts ball back where it had come to rest and putts it into cup. Is that a 1 or 2 stroke penalty? Second, on a later hole, instead of moving his marker one club to the left or right, player exchanged (at another player’s request) his large ball marker for his smaller ball marker while the ball was still in his pocket. He used nothing else to mark the spot on the green when both markers and ball were all lifted. Is there a penalty? If so, is there a proper way to exchange markers without replacing ball first or using something else to mark the marker so to speak? Much appreciated!

[@JayRobertsGolf]

Hey D Slots- In the first scenario, sounds like he lifted the ball without marking then replaced it on the original spot? That's a 1 stroke penalty (13.1). Ball must first be marked before lifting. In the second scenario, while his actions were genuine, I'd say the player incurred a 1 stroke penalty due to the ball being lifted without the spot being marked (albeit briefly). The Rules do forgive accidental movement of a ball or ball-marker on the putting green but I don't see this as "accidental" movement. If you are wanting to change the ball-marker while it's already marking the spot, I think the only safe way is to actually replace the ball then swap out the ball-marker. You could also just just move the ball-marker out of the way to a new measured spot such as by using one or more club-lengths.

[@Dslots_]

@@JayRobertsGolf Thanks Jay! Found your channel doing my research from what I thought were incorrect assumptions in my foursome and have been enjoying your other videos as well.

[@JayRobertsGolf]

@@Dslots_ That's awesome. Happy to have you following and appreciate your questions! See you in the next video!

[@tuanoful]

These rules are SO confusing! you cant fix some damage in front of you before the green, but you can move a rock? because it is a loose impediment?

[@jx14aby]

Really? The pile of sand off the green can't be swept away? Okay.

[@jacquelinedooley4507]

The skybrook coin 🥲

[@JayRobertsGolf]

I keep it close by always