When I hit my approach shot it went long and over the green. I found it nestled up against a wire fence. I thought I should get relief without incurring a penalty but my friend said I had to take a penalty. Who was right and if I had to take a penalty, how many strokes would it be and
where would I play my ball from?

No, relief is not an option in this situation. The wire fence has been placed there to show where the out of bounds area begins. In order for a ball to be declared out of bounds, the whole ball must be beyond the line. If the ball is beyond then you must follow rule 27. If just part of the ball has crossed the line, you can still play in under rule 28.

Here is a summary of those two rules:

Rule 27 - Out of Bounds -the player must play under penalty of one stroke as nearly possible from where the last ball was played.

Rule 28 - Ball Unplayable - player must take a penalty of one stroke. In order to proceed with play the player must (a) play a ball as nearly as possible to the spot where the ball was previously played from; or (2) drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped; or (3) drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.

I was pitching a shot up onto the green and my ball struck my opponents golf bag. Do I incur a penalty for that?

Under rule 19-3 you do not need to add a penalty. Before another stroke is made by anybody in your group you may cancel the stroke and play another ball without penalty as near as possible to the original location last played. You may also play the ball as it lies.

I hit my ball into the rough and it landed in a pile of sticks. As I was clearing the sticks, my ball moved. Do I put the ball back where it was originally? Do I have to take a penalty stroke?

Under rule 18-2a you must take 1 penalty stroke due to the movement of the ball while brushing the sticks away. The ball must then be replaced where it was originally found and hit from there.

I was looking for my ball and thought that I had found it but I couldn't identify my mark as it was in some deep grass. Can I pick up the ball to identify it?

This is a great reason to put your mark on two (opposite) sides of the ball. In order to lift the ball without penalty, you must announce your intentions. The ball must not be cleaned other than to identify your ball. If you do lift it, you must be sure to place it exactly how you found it. Your lie should not be improved. This rule falls under 12-2

My friends and I keep having this discussion and we need to know who's right. When it comes to bunker play, can you bring the rake into the bunker with you and place it in the sand and then hit your shot? Or does the rake have to stay out of the bunker until you have hit your shot? Thanks!

This is a tough one as it comes down to interpretation. As long as you are not testing the condition of the bunker or improving your lie you would not get a penalty. By placing the rake in the bunker this could be interpreted as testing the condition. It is best to leave the rake just outside the bunker. There are some exceptions to keep in mind - this is rule 13/4

I know you have to play the same ball from the tee box to putting out, but someone told me you have to play the same brand of golf balls throughout the entire game. Is that true?

Under 5-3 A ball unfit for play may be substituted with another ball. As long as the ball is listed on the current List of Conforming Golf Ball's, it can be used.

When your opponent is putting out before you and the line of putts is similar, can you stand behind them to watch the roll of their putt?

Well, this is a etiquette situation here. No, you should not stand behind another players line of putt when that player is making a stroke, or cast a shadow over the line of putt.

In Stroke Play, must the player with the lowest score from the previous hole play first on the next hole?

Yes, under 10-2 the player with the lowest score from the previous hole should tee off first. It is that player's honour!

Once my ball landed on the side of the cart path that required relief for me to be able to hit it. The problem was that if I tried to take relief, it would put me in fescue. If I took relief on the other side of the cart path, it would place me closer to the hole. Where do I take relief?

Under 24-2 you are entitled to lift the ball and drop it without penalty within one club length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief. So in this situation since the side with the fescue is not
feasible, you would need to bring it to the other side and go backwards, making sure you are not nearer the whole.

My ball landed on the fringe of the green. In front of my ball were grass clippings and as I wanted to putt versus chip, I started to clear the clippings when my partner told me I couldn’t remove them. I thought I could. Who is right?

Since you were off the putting green you are in violation of rule 13-2. When you are off the green you are not entitled to improve your lie. If you had been on the putting green then you could have removed the grass cuttings.

My ball landed under a tree. As I was taking a practice swing I knocked a branch down. My playing partner said I had to take a stroke penalty for that. Was she correct?

You actually take a two stroke penalty as you improved your line of swing. Even if you chose to switch your direction of play, you still incur the 2 stroke penalty as you have already improved your line of swing. This is rule 13-2.

I hit my ball in the trees, inside the red hazard markers. My ball was surrounded by twigs and as I went to clear the twigs, my partner told me I couldn’t remove anything around my ball. Was that right?

You must play the ball as it lies...no cleaning the area allowed! You are not allowed to improve your lie as per rule 23.

I was in a bunker and my ball was nestled against a small rock. I felt I should be able to move the rock, but my playing partners said I couldn’t. Who’s right?

Under rule 13-4 you are not entitled to remove anything in the hazard until after you have hit your shot. If you do not get out of the hazard be aware that you still can not remove that rock until you are completely out of the bunker. Once again...play ball as it lies!