Rules of Golf - Ant Hills and Fire Ants
Did you know that an Ant Hill is classed as a loose impediment?
You are entitled to take relief (without penalty) from Ant Hills and Fire Ants under the Rules of Golf.
A player can remove an ant hill under Rule 23-1.
Rule 23-1
Except when both the loose impediment and the ball lie in or touch the same hazard, any loose impediment may be removed without penalty.
If the ball lies anywhere other than on the putting green and the removal of a loose impediment by the player causes the ball to move, Rule 18-2a applies.
On the putting green, if the ball or ball-marker is accidentally moved in the process of removing a loose impediment, the ball or ball-marker must be replaced. There is no penalty, provided the movement of the ball or ball-marker is directly attributable to the removal of the loose impediment. Otherwise, if the player causes the ball to move,
he incurs a penalty of one stroke under Rule 18-2a.
When a ball is in motion, a loose impediment that might influence the movement of the ball must not be removed.
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.
Question: An ant hill is a loose impediment and may be removed, but there is no other relief without penalty. Some ant hills are conical in shape and hard, and removal is not possible, but relief under Rule 25-1b is not available since an ant is not a burrowing animal. If such ant hills interfere with the proper playing of the game, would a Local Rule providing relief be authorized?
Answer: Yes. A Local Rule stating that such ant hills are to be treated as ground under repair would be justified.
Fire Ants
Such a Local Rule is also justified on courses where fire ants exist. A fire ants' mound or hill is removable, but its removal will cause the fire ants to swarm out of the ground. When this occurs, anyone in the vicinity is in danger of being bitten by the ants, and the bite of a fire ant can cause serious illness.
If a Local Rule giving relief from fire ants has not been adopted and a ball is so close to a fire ants' mound that the player is in danger, the player is, in equity, entitled to relief as prescribed in Decision 1-4/10 (a player's ball comes to rest in a situation dangerous to the player, e.g., near a live rattlesnake or a bees' nest).
The Rules of Golf can be complex, but they can help you out of some tricky situations. So, know your rules.
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