Hi all,

I need a ruling,

I'm playing foresomes today in a team match and i've hit the ball just short of the green on the fringe (6") , so its my partners shot and he has decide to put and picked up a leaf off the putting surface and our playing partners have picked us up on it? is that right? what is the ruling on loose impediments on the putting green when your not on it?.

I cant seem to find it in the rules of golf?

Thanks hOOter.......

You can remove a loose impediment anywhere on the course except a hazard (water or bunker).

"Except when both the loose impediment and the ball lie in or touch the same hazard, any loose impediment may be removed without penalty."

http://www.usga.org/playing/rules/books/ru...ule23.html#23-1

Many thanks limpwrist, thought that might be the case.

If the ball is lying outside of the hazard any loose impediments inside the hazard may be removed.

The ball could be lying behind a bunker with branches or pine cones in it, and the player may remove these before playing.

Right, thanks for clarifying that.