Loose impediments are unattached natural objects, including stones, loose grass, leaves, branches, dead animals and animal waste. You may generally remove them anywhere on or off the course, but if doing so causes your ball to move, a penalty and replacement may be required.
An object is not loose if it is growing, solidly embedded or adhering to the ball. Artificial objects are treated as obstructions instead.
Common examples
- Leaves, twigs and loose branches.
- Stones and loose soil, except that sand and loose soil are not loose impediments everywhere.
- Worm casts, insects and similar natural material.
- Spider webs and piles made by animals.
How to remove them
Use a hand, club, towel or other reasonable method, but do not improve conditions more than the rules allow. In a bunker or penalty area, removing loose impediments is allowed, yet touching sand or ground in other ways can still breach a different rule.
If the ball moves
In the general area, bunker or penalty area, causing the ball to move while removing a loose impediment normally means one penalty stroke and replacement. On the putting green, accidental movement carries no penalty, but the ball must be replaced.
The essential point
Natural and unattached usually means loose impediment; artificial and movable means movable obstruction. Remove either carefully and replace the ball if the rules require it.
Sources
The following official or specialist sources were used to verify this independently written guide.
- The R&A – official guidance Source used to verify the rules or factual information in this guide.
- The R&A – official guidance Source used to verify the rules or factual information in this guide.
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