Can you cut the grass on a tee box before your shot?

Super weird question. In another thread the OP is asking how to play shot from a tee box with long grass. One reply joked that you should bring scissors. but is it a joke?

Maybe it is late and I am not thinking it through, but what rules prevents you from modifying a tee box with scissors?

You can legally improve the tee box before your shot under rule 8B-8 (below). So as far as I can figure, though it sounds silly, you could pull out scissors and clip the grass on the tee box???? I can't believe it is true, but I can't find anything preventing it.

b. Actions That Are Allowed(8) In the teeing area

Place a tee in or on the ground,Move, bend or break any growing or attached natural object (see Rule 6.2b(3)), andAlter the surface of the ground, remove or press down sand and soil, or remove dew, frost or water

All's fair in love, war and teeing areas. No breach.

As antip pointed out, you can remove the grass altogether if you wish.

One thing that I believe is NOT allowed is putting down an object that indicates line of play.

Like, I always wondered if I could toss a tee down a couple feet in front of my ball to give myself an intermediate aiming point. (I tend to tee it up behind a divot or loose impediment to get myself this anyway)

Also, in reading the rules, I just learned that if you make a stroke that moves the ball off the tee say 1 inch, you can re-tee it if it stays in the teeing area. I don't know if this is "2019" rule, but I didn't know it. Any time a player’s ball is inside the teeing area, the player may move the ball to another spot within the teeing area, and may play it from a tee without penalty.For example, a player makes his or her first stroke from the teeing area, barely making contact with the ball, and the ball either comes to rest on the ground within the teeing area or remains on the tee.Since the ball is in the teeing area, the player may play the ball as it lies or, even though the ball is in play, may move the ball to any other spot within the teeing area and play from there without penalty. The player may also place the ball on a tee or adjust the height of the tee the ball is resting on.

Just can't mow in front of the box, see Phil and the RO that told him it was okay.

And if your tee shot hits and tree and returns to the teeing area - same options available.

One thing that I believe is NOT allowed is putting down an object that indicates line of play.

Except on the putting green, you may set down an object to show line of play, but it must be removed before the stroke is made. Rule 10.2b(1). You may not do that on the putting green even if the object is removed before the stroke.

Glad to hear I was not missing anything.

This is a change I would have not made as it creates interpretations. Setting down an object to indicate the line of play may also help the player in making their stance. IMO an unnecessary change that created another (unwanted) case of intent. It would have been soooooooo much easier to forbid setting down any object for any purpose. Although I am rather convinced antip, Sawgrass, Sui or someone else will now find a reason why that cannot be a good idea...

TheCityGame ------

Just remember that this refers to the "teeing area" not the "tee box". Its the area between the markers and 2 club lengths backwards. I've never seen this happen as most people tee the ball right at the forward most portion of the "teeing area". Even if they move the ball 6" forward with their stroke, it would, in most cases, be outside the "teeing area" and the above would not apply.

It would help if there would be 'the above' somehow visible. Now there is just a reference to the poster...

Nothing has actually changed on that showing the line of play issue off the putting green, you could always have another player/caddie/equipment on the crest of the hill to give you a line provided they were moved before the stroke. Just the language has evolved, using the phrase "setting down an object", which is also applied more broadly into a number of different sub-rule situations. So your proposal would move this issue away from what we have had for many years.

Like this?

I do not quite understand what you say. Earlier it was allowed (off the putting green) to set your club on the ground for lining purposes, either the line of play or your stance. Today latter is forbidden, so the Rule really has changed.

My point was, just in case it was not clear from my earlier post, that setting down an object to indicate the line of play just might help the player to take his stance and for that purpose it is not allowed to set down any objects. This situation may create questions of intent which always makes the Rule more of less grey. That is why IMO it would be much more straightforward not to allow any objects to be set anywhere.

And yes, this change 'would move this issue away from what we have had for many years'. I guess that is what changes in the Rules do...

“That is why IMO it would be much more straightforward not to allow any objects to be set anywhere.”

So hard to swing when I have my golf bag on my shoulder!

These rules are distinct/separate: setting down or positioning something to assist with line of play (position person on the crest of the hill example) and setting down or positioning something to assist with taking stance/line up feet. The first is unchanged from pre 2019 (only the language changed, not the substance), but the latter is very different.

I support current status quo, stance assistance banned anywhere, but (off the putting green) permit pointing out line providing indicator is moved prior to stroke. I think it is unfair to say to golfers you have to guess where a blind hole goes, and it is particularly damaging to visiting golfers on courses with blind tee shots.

This was my "joke"

I made it with the intuition that it is legal and I am glad to hear it is kosher.