If you play any amount of golf at all, you will encounter something known as "artificial obstructions". Artificial obstructions are anything on the golf-course that is man-made and that gets in the way of the ball. There are essentially two types of these obstructions you'll find--movable obstructions and immovable obstructions.

Movable Obstructions: These obstructions can be anything such as a cigarette, a soda can, shovel, food wrappers, etc. These items can simply be removed from the course so you can play your ball from where it lies. If any of these objects are actually touching the ball, then you're allowed to mark the spot, lift up the ball, remove the item and then place the ball back in the original position.

Immovable Obstructions: The other type of artificial obstruction is known as immovable obstruction. Examples of this type of obstruction are sprinkler heads, bleachers, walls, large trailers, etc. Basically, these are anything too large or heavy to be moved by the player. If your ball lands in or underneath one of these items, then you're allowed to move the ball back into play without being penalized.