Simpler Rules: Rule 13

New and Revised Definitions

 

Grounded Club

A club is ‘grounded’ when it touches sand or soil or when grass supports the weight of the club.

 

Stroke and Distance

At any time permitted by the rules, a player may play a ball within one clublength of the spot from which the original ball was last played. Except where otherwise provided in the Rules, this incurs a ‘stroke and distance penalty’. That is, the stroke so played counts and an additional penalty of one stroke applies. 

 

Note: When such relief is taken, if the ball originally lay,

(a)   on the fairway, it must be placed on the fairway;

(b)   in the rough, it must be placed in the rough;

(c)   in a hazard, it must be placed in  the hazard;

(d)   on the tee, it must be placed on the tee and the ball may be re-teed.

 

Rule 13: Ball Played as It Lies 

13-1. General

The ball must be played as it lies, except as otherwise provided in the Rules. 

(Ball at rest moved – see Rule 18)

 

13-2. Improving Lie, Area of Stance or Swing, or Line of Play

A player must not improve or allow to be improved: 

(i)   the position or lie of his ball,  

(ii)   the area of his stance or swing,  

(iii)   his line of play or a reasonable extension of that line beyond the hole, or  

(iv)   the area in which he is to place a ball,  

by any of the following actions: 

(i)   pressing a club on the ground,  

(ii)   moving, bending or breaking anything growing or fixed (including immovable obstructions and objects defining out of bounds),  

(iii)   creating or eliminating irregularities of surface,  

(iv)   removing or pressing down sand, loose soil or turf replaced in a divot, or  

(v)   removing dew, frost or water.  

However, except when the ball lies in a hazard (see 13-4 below), the player incurs no penalty if any of these outcomes occurs as a result of the player: 

(i)   grounding the club lightly when addressing the ball,  

(ii)   fairly taking his stance,  

(iii)  making a stroke or the backward movement of his club for a stroke and the stroke     is made,  

(iv)  creating or eliminating irregularities of surface within the tee or in removing dew, frost or water from the tee, or  

(v)  removing sand and loose soil or in repairing damage on the putting green (Rule 16-1). 

 

13-3. Building Stance

A player is entitled to place his feet firmly in taking his stance, but he must not take any action to significantly alter the area in which the stance is being taken or to use any object to assist in taking the stance.

 

13-4. Ball in Hazard; Prohibited Actions

Except as provided in the Rules, before making a stroke at a ball that is in a hazard or that, having been lifted from a hazard, may be placed in the hazard, the player must not: 

(i)  Test the condition of the hazard or any similar hazard; or 

(ii)  Touch the ground in the hazard or water in the water hazard with his hand or a club. 

Exceptions:

1. Provided nothing is done that constitutes testing the condition of the hazard or improves the lie of the ball, there is no penalty if the player; 

(i)      touches the ground or loose impediments in any hazard, or water in a water hazard, as a result of or to prevent falling, in removing an obstruction, in measuring or in marking the position of, retrieving, lifting, placing a ball under any Rule, or 

(ii)     places his clubs in a hazard. 

2.  At any time, the player may smooth sand or soil in a hazard provided nothing is done to breach Rule 13-2 or Rule 13-4a.  

Note: At any time, including at address or in the backward movement for the stroke, the player may touch, with a club or otherwise, any obstruction, any construction declared by the Committee to be an integral part of the course or any grass, bush, tree or other growing thing. 

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE:

Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes. 

(Searching for ball – see Rule 12-1) 

(Relief for ball in water hazard – see Rule 26)