Rules Guy: Is hitting range balls on the course considered practice?

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My ball came to rest in the Rough next to the training ground. There were several practice balls that had crossed the practice area and were therefore on the course. Some got in my way and I knocked them away with my club. Have I been guilty of playing the wrong ball or practicing on the course, which resulted in a penalty, or are they treated as removable objects? —Keith Netley, via email

Keith, and all Rules Guy readers, it’s important to practice courtesy. However, when it comes to golf, “courtesy” and “practice” are two different things.

As long as you did not swing at these stray distance balls for any reason other than to politely get them out of the way – for example, by taking a practice stroke, taking a full setup and swing, and so on – then such actions are guilt-free, according to Rules 5.5a and 15.2.

These balls are movable obstacles and you can move them without penalty.

For more obstruction-related guidance from our guru, read on…

My ball is in a red penalty area. It is playable, but there is a fence between the ball and the green. The fence is out of bounds, my ball is not. Will I get relief from a fixed obstacle? If so, should I fall within the penalty area, or only within two club lengths of the nearest relief point? —Gary Ahlstrom, Charlotte, NC

First things first, Gary: No, you do not get free relief from an immovable obstruction if your ball is in a penalty area, per Rule 17.3.

Furthermore, since the fence is out of bounds, even if the ball is not in the penalty area, you would still not get a clear relief from it. Unfortunately, this makes your follow-up question moot, although it never hurts to ask!

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