Loose impediments Rule 23

[3offTheTee]

Played in a howler today when the green was full of hailstones.

Am I allowed to move the hailstones on my line of putt?

 

[fairmorn308]

yes. its the same with sand and loose stones. pick them up or brush the sand away with the back of your hand. DO NOT USE UR CLUB.

 

[theeaglehunter]

I'm sure you can move them from your line of putt, not sure about if they were around your ball on the fairway though...anyone know about this?

 

[fairmorn308]

your allowed to remove them from around the ball only if you know the ball wont move when you remove or move them.

 

[John_Findlay]

Fairmorn's not quite right here, 3 off the tee.

Loose impediments may be removed by any means, except that, in removing loose impediments on the line of putt, the player must not press anything down (Rule 16-1a).

 

[Leftie]

I'm sure you can move them from your line of putt,

Had a minor disagreement with a fellow player in a club 4bbb on Good Friday. We had a thunder storm whilst playing the 16th followed by one of the heaviest hail storms I've seen in years. Everything was covered in hailstones within a couple of minutes. We eventually got to the green and this guy cleared a path from his ball to hole with his putter. When he putted down this channel, every time the ball deviated it hit the hailstones at the edge of the channel and went back on line.

I had him down for at least 2, possibly 3 rules violations.

What do you reckon?

b.t.w. it was all light-hearted as any chance of coming in the prizes had long gone by that stage.

 

[backwoodsman]

Under the definitions, hail would count as "natural ice", and therefore a loose impediment, or casual water at the choice of the player. So player was entitled to clear the hail on the line of putt. As there's nothing in the rules about leaving loose impediments where they are, then the fact that he ricocheted off the hail along the line is just good fortune.