I always find the first scratch is the hardest one to deal with. I make it a point to scratch a brand new club at the range before I take it out for a round.
I too take relief from areas that are rocky or have roots sticking out. First off I don't want to tear up a perfectly good golf club but most importantly I don't want to get hurt or hurt someone else. I watched a guy break his wrist hitting off a root once and that is all it took for me to move the ball off them.