JANUARY
Handwarmers and Golf
Occasionally the winter temperature warrants a supplemental heat source. Do not place your golf ball in the same pocket as your hand warmer. If you make a stroke with a ball after it’s been warmed, the penalty could be disqualification under Rule 4.2a. (“Could,” because whether the heating was deliberate may be debatable.)
Assuming this was just an oversight, you could lift the offending ball anywhere on the course and substitute a different ball in exchange for the general penalty (2 strokes) for an impermissible substitution, which beats being DQ’d; if the warming happened while between play of holes, you could do that same switch without penalty.
FEBRUARY Rule of the Month
If your ball is moved during a search there is no penalty for moving your ball, but you must replace it (see Rule 7.4). If the ball was on, under or against any immovable obstruction, integral object, boundary object or growing or attached natural object, the ball must be replaced on its original spot on, under or against such object (see Rule 14.2c).
If the ball was covered by sand, the original lie must be recreated and the ball must be replaced in that lie (see Rule 14.2d(1). But the player may leave a small part of the ball visible when doing so.
Penalty for Breach of Rule 7.4: General Penalty (2 strokes)