Grass clippings in a hazard???

[mberube]

My ball came to rest about a foot in a lateral hazard on the right side of the green but on top of grass clippings. Do I get relief in the hazard?

TY
Mike

[justsomeguy]

No, you do not get relief.

The grass clippings would normally be considered loose impediments, which you are not allowed to touch in a hazard as per this note in Rule 23:

Note: If the ball lies in a hazard, the player must not touch or move any loose impediment lying in or touching the same hazard - see Rule 13-4c.

Grass clippings are specifically mentioned in the Definitions section as NOT being "ground under repair" unless they have been piled/marked for later removal - but even in this case you would not be entitled to relief under Rule 25:

Note 1: If a ball is in a water hazard (including a lateral water hazard), the player is not entitled to relief without penalty from interference by an abnormal ground condition. The player must play the ball as it lies (unless prohibited by Local Rule) or proceed under Rule 26-1.

[mberube]

TY
Mike

[Bouche]

i hate that!! Personally I think there should be designated areas where grass clippings should be dumped. Some courses are strict on this rule and some just dump the grass anywhere. One of my bigger pet peeves on a course for sure!

[sillywilly]

just curious, why would grass clippings effect your swing? I've never thought to move them

[Bouche]

its a big pile of cut grass. never seen that before? their buckets get full and they drop the clippings somewhere where they "think" golfers won't find it. pshhh

[mberube]

Bouche:

Tell me about it. The worst part is that I was less then 10 yards off the green. There were clippings from the green. Let’s just say that the grass cutter dude did not make much of an effort to dump the clippings where golfer wouldn’t be. The good thing is that I couldn’t drop even If I had the right to. I was in huge ditch. Dropping the ball would have surely worsen me lie.

Silly:

Grass clipping are very soft and unstable. A bit like sand. You could easily chunk the ball.

Mike

[Bouche]

when I did GCS -Golf Course Set up (pins and tee blocks).....my job was to pick up the grass clippings that the people who were cutting greens dumped beside the cart path. This ensured that they were not forgotten as they were beside the path. Worked very well and when i missed the pile....it was near the cartpath so they got relief

[btasse]

But you do get relief from glass clippings if it is not in a hazard.

[Bouche]

yes

[justsomeguy]

But you do get relief from glass clippings if it is not in a hazard.

Generally speaking, you don't. But if the grass clippings are piled for later removal by the greenskeeping staff, then the pile would be considered "ground under repair".

[mberube]

So if they are dumped in the woods, not in a hazard area, they are probably not going to be removed, then no relief?

[Kilroy]

You can't move the ball, but you can remove the clippings, as long as the ball doesn't move in the process.

25/11 Grass Cuttings
Grass cuttings are ground under repair only if they have been piled for removal — see Definition of “Ground Under Repair.” If cuttings piled for removal interfere with a player’s stance or swing, the player is entitled to relief under Rule 25-1b.
Grass cuttings are loose impediments (see Definition of “Loose Impediments”), whether or not they are piled for removal, and may be removed by the player — Rule 23-1. (Revised)