I was thinking about my when I get my new irons and playing them. Then I started thinking about living here in the desert. That thought ultimately led me to think about playing out of a desert lie, which I do now with no care. However, with new irons I’m not so sure I’m going to want to do that.
So, the question is this: if I have a clean desert lie and move it laterally to a grassy rough lie to preserve my club, should I take a penalty stroke? If I don’t can I add my final round score for my handicap. I’m having a lot of trouble with this.
I know in a tournament, I would just play it as it lies, but in a friendly round I don’t want to be scuffing up my clubs, my club sponsor isn’t really generous right now.
Would love to hear some thoughts and what you guys would do. Thanks Practical Golf Family.
The Handicap Rules presume that you are playing golf in accordance with the Rules of Golf. The Rules of Golf don’t allow for free relief from “abrasive” lies, so under the rules your only choice is to take Unplayable Lie relief, with the penalty stroke. Now I don’t have the desert issues here in Virginia, so I may be a bit rigid, but that’s what the Rules say. If you can, you might have the conversation with the Handicap Committee Chair at your home club, to see what he says.
On a separate but related rules issue, I understand that many desert courses have chosen to define desert areas as Red Penalty Areas. If that’s the case, you’re not allowed to take Unplayable Lie relief for a ball in the PA, instead you must take the appropriate Penalty Area Relief. Your Reference Point is where the ball entered the PA.
Most courses here in NV call them native areas and you can take relief with one stroke, some even give you free relief. I understand what you’re saying, it’s just hard to commit to purposefully swing your clubs through rocks for no good reason. That is a good point to ask the committee but I’m sure they’ll say the same as you. However, the argument then exists that if you take a true unplayable lie you’d have to go to nearest point of relief, which might actually keep you in the desert area. If the course has the local rule in place that you can drop out of the native area, it’s moot point, but if not, then what do you do? I guess just not add the score to your handicap and consider it a practice round?
No, if you take Unplayable Lie relief, you either keep the ball between you and the hole, or else you drop within two clublengths of the original location (edit, not the hole, I’m an idiot). You’re right, you might still be in the desert, but “nearest point” isn’t used for Unplayable Lie.
As for what I do, I’d probably play the ball. My golf clubs are tool to me, not “treasures”, and tools do get scratched and nicked with normal use. I know not everyone has that attitude. What I recommend for anyone else is to play by the rules in place wherever you are.
I’m with @davep043. Clubs are meant for golf, not hanging in a showroom. They don’t look good until you’ve grooved ball marks into the sweet spot. Come on @Gisclairj, don’t you dare take a penalty stroke. 
I’m not worried about scuffing up my clubs. I’m talking about the functionality of them after hitting off of rocks in the desert. If you have never played in desert conditions, maybe it’s not quite clear what I’m saying. I don’t want to affect the playability of the clubs. I know they’re not going to stay shiny and new.
keep the old 7 iron in the bag and learn to hit a variety of shots off the junk
play a few muny’s that are full of rocky/gravel areas just off the fairway… 0 percent chance I am going after those lies with a new stick
For me, if you set off from the beginning with the round being a “practice round” with no intention of posting the score, then it’s all fair game (while the rules themselves don’t define a practice round, they do state that rounds that didn’t adhere to the rules shouldn’t be posted). If you want to post a round truly within the rules, then it’s either playing the ball as it lies or taking an appropriate penalty.
All that said, golf is a personal game, so if you personally feel that adjusting the lie isn’t impacting your score during your own, non-tournament rounds, then do what you think is best. We won’t be kicking you out of the forums or anything for that 
Arguments sake, if I leave a rock wedge in the bag, as we like to call them around here in the desert, I suppose I have to take a club out of the bag to stay within the rules?!
Hell no!
15 clubs all day baby!
I’m down for that then!!!
I remember the shot where Tiger Woods hit a rock or tree root with his iron - it hurt! I wouldn’t play my not-expensive clubs in that situation, to avoid being hurt.
Those shots you literally have to let go of the club at impact. I remember Tiger doing that one time he was hitting from the side of a tree. Hit the ball, let the club go, club smashed the tree. Pretty amazing timing and hands.