2007 #9 Ball Lying Against Rake

THE SCENE:
You are playing a par 3 hole. You hit a good drive. Your ball stops just short of the green. It’s in the rough, beside the bunker. When you arrive you find that your ball is lying against a rake. You know the rake is a moveable obstruction and that you are allowed to remove it. So you lift the rake. But your ball rolls down into the hazard.

What would you do?
A. You must replace the ball. There is no penalty because lifting the rake caused the ball to move.
B. Gravity caused your ball to roll all the way down into the hazard. So, you must play it from there..

A is correct. If removing a moveable obstruction causes your ball to move you must replace it. There is no penalty.

Open your Rules of Golf book to rule #24-1:
24-1 Movable Obstruction
A player may take relief without penalty from a movable obstruction as follows: 
(a) If the ball does not lie in or on the obstruction, the obstruction may be removed. If the ball moves, it must be replaced, and there is no penalty provided that the movement of the ball is directly attributable to the removal of the obstruction.

A suggestion: This is not required, but I would suggest that before lifting the rake you mark your ball. Then, if your ball moves, there will be no doubt that you know exactly where to replace it. (If there is doubt as to its location you’d have to drop the ball. (Rule 20-3c))

REMEMBER: If you find your ball lying against a rake, there is no problem. You can lift the rake. And if your ball moves, replace it. There is no penalty.