We have had a ton of rain lately, so I knew that I might have an embedded ball at some point during the round. The 2019 rules grant relief from an embedded ball even in the rough (but not in a bunker or penalty area). This is all covered in Rule 16.3.
But once it happened, I couldn't remember whether or not I am allowed to clean the ball. I know you clean a ball embedded on the green (this is specifically stated in the rule). But it doesn't say whether or not you can clean the ball when it is embedded in the general area. General area means anywhere except in a penalty area, bunker, out of bounds, or on the teeing ground. So pretty much the rest of the golf course.
Cleaning is covered by Rule 14.1, which says you can clean the ball any time your are taking legitimate relief. The only times you can lift the ball and not clean it are when checking to see if it is damaged, when identifying your ball, when it interferes with someone else's stroke, or when checking to see if the ball is in an area where relief is allowed. I'm not sure when that last one would come up, but there you have it...
Good to know!
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