Rules of the Game

Golf Digest, April, 2001

Many courses have a driving range that runs parallel to one of the holes. While that setup is certainly convenient, it can be annoying hunting for your shot in a sea of striped range balls. And what happens if the area around your ball is littered with practice pellets? Can you knock them out of the way?

According to Rule 7-2, you can casually flick a range ball out of your way with your club--a backhanded whack works especially well--if your intent is to clear the area. But if you get into your regular stance and hit a majestic pitching-wedge shot back onto the range to get a feel for how you're hitting it that day, you've broken the rule that bans practice strokes during the play of a hole or between holes (unless you're practice-putting or chipping on or near the last green played or the next tee box and you aren't delaying play).

And while the next group will appreciate your housekeeping, it'll cost you two strokes in stroke play or loss of the hole in match play.