Rules of Golf : When Can I Clean My Golf Ball?
August 03, 2018
Cleaning golf ball: A player is allowed to mark, lift, clean and replace the ball on the putting green and anywhere else on the course that is within the rules of golf. A player can clean the ball in a manner convenient and appropriate to their own taste. You may use a wet towel (best way), side of your pants/shorts, wipe it on the grass, lick thumb and clean the ball, spit on it or really any way the player deems appropriate.
Situation: You hit a nice tee shot into the middle of the fairway and upon arriving at the ball, find a huge piece of mud on the side of the ball. The mud is going to impact the next shot and you would like to pick it up and clean it off. Are you allowed to do that?
Answer: No. During the play of a hole, you are not allowed to lift, clean and replace a ball when it is off the green. If you were to do this, you would incur a 1-stroke penalty in stroke play and loss of a hole in match play.
Let’s be honest. Most of us know that we can clean the ball on the green, but there is much confusion surrounding the allowable other times we can clean our ball during the play of a hole.
Allow me to try and simplify:
- A player is allowed at any time to mark, lift and clean the ball on the putting surface without penalty.
- Elsewhere (not the green), a ball may be cleaned when lifted if you are taking an unplayable lie; taking relief from abnormal ground conditions (e.g. free drop from ground under repair); relief from water hazard; or relief from any position that local rules have stated you are allowed to lift and clean.
- You are not allowed to clean your ball if you are marking and lifting it to determine if it is unfit for play; if you are identifying your ball (you may clean only to the extent necessary for identification–very little room here); or marking and lifting ball that is assisting or interfering with play (e.g. your ball is sitting in the way of your opponents swing path and needs to be marked and lifted during their stroke).
Share:
Also in Phi Tee Golf Blog
August 03, 2018
The R&A and the USGA are pleased to announce the final changes to the Rules…
View full article →
August 03, 2018
originally published in Golf Digest I can’t roll it on line: Bad advice—and a tight…
View full article →
