Assuming you’re not one of those golf fans who are deep in the weeds of which angle whose ball flew over which turtles, here’s a very basic breakdown to get you started.
The general principal of Rule 8 is to “play the course as you find it”. But there are times when you’re allowed to lift your ball and clean it beyond the putting green.
You can’t jump on a ride-on mower and take out the fescue on the right side of the second hole in an effort to find your ball. But if you happen to accidentally rip some grass out as you reach down into the rough and scratch around for your ball, there is no penalty according to Rule 7.1.
Australian Golf Digest
