testing the ground?

[hovis]

during a comp my pal hit his ball into the rough. Slightly ahead of his ball was the crown of a buried stone. Not wanting to splatter his new forged clubs my pal using a tee pushed it into the ground behind the ball and this confirmed that there was a massive stone under the ball. His decided to take a unplayable and dropped. Had he decided to play the shot would he have been penalised for his actions?

 

[rulefan]

No.
There are prohibitions on testing the condition of a hazard or the surface of a green but nothing else.

But this Decision spells it out

13-2/27

Probing Near Ball for Tree Roots

Q.A player's ball comes to rest through the green in such a position that he believes tree roots or rocks may be just below the surface of the ground. May he, without penalty, probe the area around his ball with a tee or the like to see if his club would strike a root or a rock in the course of making a stroke?
A.Yes, provided the lie of the ball, area of intended stance or swing or the line of play is not improved (Rule13-2) and the ball is not moved (Rule 18-2). The same principle would apply if the player wishes to probe to determine the presence of an immovable obstruction.

 

[hovis]

Thats that then. Cheers buddy