Whats the rule on this please

Yesterday my wife and I played and on one hole I landed in a greenside bunker. My first attempt at getting out saw my ball hit the bunker lip and roll back under a large pile of leaves which had obviously collected there because of the swirling wind. I couldn't even see my ball under the pile. My wife said "find it and move it to one side" which was generous but I suspect , not the right thing to do. Does anyone know what the ruling is ?

Phil, this is an unfortunate incident and one that has been the subject of much discussion on this forum when Darren M, moved a leaf in a bunker during the N v S match, and was, quite rightly, called for it.

Of course we all know that we are able to move leaves and loose impediments anywhere on the course except a hazard, even though this particular hazard should only contain sand. it is deemed a sin. Another one of the rules of golf that is an ass in my opinion.

It is also not a requirement that you shold be able to see the ball when playing a troke, but, on the other hand, the rules stipulate that one can identify the ball, which in this case, would mean the moving of at least one leaf. A quandary indeed.

Although incorrect, Phil, if I had been playing with you then I would have offered the same as your good wife, after all these leaves are not meant to be a hazard anywhere else on the course, so why should they be in a bunker.

and so it rears its ugly head again

LEAFGATE !!!!!!!!!!!!

yes as john has put it. it is not the correct thing to do a 2 stroke penalty in strokeplay and a loss of hole in matchplay

i will learn, i will learn, i will learn

and also as john has said its a complete ass of a rule!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hmmmmmm! Must give up the fiction and have the Rules book as my bedtime reading!!! 

Hmmmmmm! Must give up the fiction and have the Rules book as my bedtime reading!!!  

I wish most golfers would adopt this practice, i find it really annoying when golfers don't know even basic rules.

That would be annoying , luckily never met one.

I can see your point, Wayne, but other than a competition, it is just not worth the hassle of upsetting playing partners unnecessarily in my opinion.

You have to admit that some of the rules are in need of a change as they do nothing for the game.

Also SSS and CSS should be completely scrapped and everything based on par, as the game was intended to be. The amateur game should take a leaf from the Pro's.