13-2.
Improving Lie, Area of Intended Stance or Swing, or Line of
Play
Except as provided in the Rules,
a player shall not improve
or allow to be improved:
- the position or lie of his ball,
- the area of his intended stance or swing,
- his line of play or a reasonable
extension of that line beyond the hole,
or
- the area in which he is to drop or place a ball
by any of the following actions:
- moving, bending or breaking anything growing or fixed (including
immovable obstructions
and objects defining out of bounds),
- creating or eliminating irregularities of surface,
- removing or pressing down sand, loose soil, replaced divots or
other cut turf placed in
position, or
- removing dew, frost or water
except as follows:
- as may occur in fairly taking his stance,
- in making a stroke or the backward movement of his club for a
stroke,
- on the teeing ground in creating
or eliminating irregularities of surface, or
- on the putting green in removing sand and loose soil as
provided in Rule 16-1a or in
repairing damage as provided in Rule 16-1c.
The club may be grounded only lightly and shall not be pressed on
the ground.
Exception: Ball in hazard -see
Rule 13-4.
13-3. Building Stance
A player is entitled to place his feet firmly in taking his
stance, but he shall not build
a stance.
13-4. Ball in Hazard
Except as provided in the Rules,
before making a stroke at a ball which is in a hazard
(whether a bunker or a water
hazard) or which, having been lifted from a hazard, may
be
dropped or placed in the hazard. the player shall not:
a. Test the condition of the hazard or any similar hazard.
b. Touch the ground in the hazard or water in the water hazard
with a club or otherwise. or
c. Touch or move a loose impediment
lying in or touching the hazard.
Exceptions:
1. Provided nothing is done which constitutes testing the condition
of the hazard or improves
the lie of the ball. there is no penalty if the player (a) touches
the ground 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 retrieving, lifting. placing or replacing a ball
under any Rule or (b) places his
clubs in a hazard.
2. The player after playing the stroke,
or his caddie at any time without
the authority of the
player, may smooth sand or soil in the hazard. provided that. if
the ball is still in the hazard,
nothing is done which improves the lie of the ball or assists the
player in his subsequent play
of the hole.
*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
(Searching for ball- see Rule 12-1.)
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