Rule 8 - Course Played as It Is Found

a. Actions That Are Not Allowed

Except in the limited ways allowed in Rules 8.1b, c and d, you must not take any of these actions if they improveImprove: To alter one or more of the conditions affecting your stroke or other physical conditions affecting your play so that you gain a potential advantage for your stroke. the conditions affecting your strokeConditions Affecting the Stroke: The lie of your ball at rest, the area of your intended stance, the area of your intended swing, your line of play and the relief area where you will drop or place a ball.:

• Move, bend or break any growing or attached natural object, or immovable obstructionImmovable Obstruction: Any obstruction that cannot be moved without unreasonable effort or without damaging the obstruction or the course, and otherwise does not meet the definition of a movable obstruction., integral objectIntegral Object: An artificial object defined by the Committee as part of the challenge of playing the course from which free relief is not allowed.(...Continued) or boundary objectBoundary Object: Artificial objects defining or showing out of bounds, such as walls, fences, stakes and railings, from which free relief is not allowed.(...Continued), or tee-marker for the teeing areaTeeing Area: The area you must play from in starting the hole you are playing. The teeing area is a rectangle that is two club-lengths deep where: when playing a ball from that teeing areaTeeing Area: The area you must play from in starting the hole you are playing. The teeing area is a rectangle that is two club-lengths deep where:.

• Move a loose impedimentLoose Impediment: Any unattached natural object such as:(...Continued) or movable obstructionMovable Obstruction: An obstruction that can be moved with reasonable effort and without damaging the obstruction or the course.(...Continued) into position (such as to build a stanceStance: The position of your feet and body in preparing for and making your stroke.).

• Alter the surface of the ground.

• Remove or press down sand or loose soil.

• Remove dew, frost or water.

Penalty for Breach of Rule 8.1a: General PenaltyGeneral Penalty: Loss of hole in match play or two penalty strokes in stroke play..

b. Actions That Are Allowed

In preparing for or making a strokeStroke: The forward movement of your club made to strike the ball., you may take any of these actions and there is no penalty even if doing so improvesImprove: To alter one or more of the conditions affecting your stroke or other physical conditions affecting your play so that you gain a potential advantage for your stroke. the conditions affecting your strokeConditions Affecting the Stroke: The lie of your ball at rest, the area of your intended stance, the area of your intended swing, your line of play and the relief area where you will drop or place a ball.:

• Fairly search for your ball by taking reasonable actions to find and identify it.

• Take reasonable actions to remove loose impedimentsLoose Impediment: Any unattached natural object such as:(...Continued) and movable obstructionsMovable Obstruction: An obstruction that can be moved with reasonable effort and without damaging the obstruction or the course.(...Continued).

• Take reasonable actions to markMark: To show the spot where a ball is at rest by either placing a ball-marker right behind or right next to the ball, or holding a club on the ground right behind or right next to the ball. the spot of your ball and to lift and replaceReplace: To place a ball by setting it down and letting it go, with the intent for it to be in play. your ball.

• Ground your club lightly right in front of or right behind your ball (but you cannot do this in a bunkerBunker: A specially prepared area of sand, which is often a hollow from which turf or soil has been removed. These are not part of a bunker:).

• Firmly place your feet in taking a stanceStance: The position of your feet and body in preparing for and making your stroke., including a reasonable amount of digging in with your feet in sand or loose soil.

• Fairly take your stanceStance: The position of your feet and body in preparing for and making your stroke. by taking reasonable actions to get to your ball and take your stanceStance: The position of your feet and body in preparing for and making your stroke.. But when doing so you are not entitled to a normal stanceStance: The position of your feet and body in preparing for and making your stroke. or swing and you must use the least intrusive course of action to deal with the particular situation.

• Make a strokeStroke: The forward movement of your club made to strike the ball. or the backswing for a strokeStroke: The forward movement of your club made to strike the ball. which is then made. But when your ball is in a bunkerBunker: A specially prepared area of sand, which is often a hollow from which turf or soil has been removed. These are not part of a bunker:, touching the sand in the bunkerBunker: A specially prepared area of sand, which is often a hollow from which turf or soil has been removed. These are not part of a bunker: in taking your backswing is not allowed.

• On the putting greenPutting Green: The area on the hole you are playing that is specially prepared for putting, or the Committee has defined as the putting green (such as when a temporary green is used)., remove sand and loose soil and repair damage.

• Move a natural object to see if it is loose. But if the object is found to be growing or attached, it must stay attached and be returned as nearly as possible to its original position.

 For information on permitted actions on the teeing area and in a bunker.

c. Avoiding Penalty by Restoring Conditions Improved in Breach of Rule 8.1a

There are limited instances when you may avoid the penalty by restoring the original conditionsConditions Affecting the Stroke: The lie of your ball at rest, the area of your intended stance, the area of your intended swing, your line of play and the relief area where you will drop or place a ball. before making a strokeStroke: The forward movement of your club made to strike the ball.. The determination as to whether the improvement has been eliminated will be made by the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course..

 For more information on avoiding penalty by restoring improved conditions.

d. Restoring Conditions Worsened After Ball Came to Rest

If the conditions affecting your strokeConditions Affecting the Stroke: The lie of your ball at rest, the area of your intended stance, the area of your intended swing, your line of play and the relief area where you will drop or place a ball. are worsened by another player, an animalAnimal: Any living member of the animal kingdom (other than humans). or an artificial object after your ball has come to rest, you have the ability to restore the original conditionsConditions Affecting the Stroke: The lie of your ball at rest, the area of your intended stance, the area of your intended swing, your line of play and the relief area where you will drop or place a ball. as near as possible. However, you are not allowed to restore the conditionsConditions Affecting the Stroke: The lie of your ball at rest, the area of your intended stance, the area of your intended swing, your line of play and the relief area where you will drop or place a ball. if they were worsened by you, a natural object or by natural forcesNatural Forces: The effects of nature such as wind, water or when something happens for no apparent reason because of the effects of gravity..

 For more information on restoring conditions worsened after your ball came to rest.