RULES OF GOLF damage such as animal tracks or spike marks and to remove sand while having no penalty for accidentally causing a ball or ball marker to move. Flagsticks can be left in the hole; but, whether in or out of the hole, once the player putts the status of the flagstick cannot be changed by anyone. A flagstick lying on the green may be moved along with players clubs or a ball without penalty even when a putted ball is in motion. Below are a few incidents that outline different situations when a ball has been putted to help you understand what the player may or may not do. ALL THE INCIDENTS BELOW ARE FOR A BALL LYING ON A PUTTING GREEN. >> INCIDENT 1 On a windy day, Player A’s ball comes to rest on a sloped putting green. Concerned that the ball might move due to gravity or wind, Player A quickly marks the ball with a ball-marker but does not lift the ball. A minute later, Player A’s ball rolls into a yellow penalty area.
A New and More Friendly Putting Green 52 | ARIZONA GOLF INSIDER |
APRIL 2021
T
his edition we have a quiz to help you understand the new Rules for the Putting Green. We thank Robin Farran, one of the country’s Rules experts and a good friend to the AGA, for several of the questions. To be included in his weekly Rules quizzes, just drop us a note at the AGA. The Rules allow a player to do a number of things on a putting green that are normally not allowed elsewhere on the course. Included are the ability to repair
** Player A must either play the ball as it lies or take penalty relief from the yellow penalty area. Since the ball was not lifted and replaced, and was moved by natural forces, the ball did not “own the spot” on the putting green and must be played from its new spot (or proceed under a Rule that applies). See Rule 9.3 and the Exception to Rule 9.3. >> INCIDENT 2 In a Single Match, Player A putts about three feet past the hole. A and B agree that A can leave the ball on the green. Player B
then putts from four feet and his ball also rolls past the hole, striking A’s ball. ** There is no penalty in Match Play. See 11.1a, Exception 2. >> INCIDENT 3 Player A marks and lifts his ball. When it is Player A’s turn to play, somewhat in a rush to complete the hole for a group waiting in the fairway, Player A replaces the ball and holes out, accidentally failing to pick up the ball-marker before playing the stroke. ** Player gets a penalty of one stroke for making a stroke with a ball-marker left in place. See Rule 14.1a. >> INCIDENT 4 While Player A is preparing to mark their ball, another player putts. Player A, concerned that the ball in motion might hit her ball, quickly picks up her ball without marking its position on the putting green. ** Player A gets a penalty of one stroke for lifting her ball on the putting green without marking its spot. In the 2019 Rules, a player is permitted to deliberately lift or move a ball on the putting green, when another ball is in motion, to affect the ball in motion. See Rule 14.1a and Rule 11.3. >> INCIDENT 5 In Match Play, Player A, upset that Player B is playing slowly, putts from 70 feet while Player B is in the process of marking his ball lying two feet from the hole. Player A’s ball bumps Player B’s marker and stops next to it, but nearer the hole. Player A putts in without marking. ** There is no penalty. Player B may recall the stroke and force A to play in turn. The ball striking the marker is irrelevant.
