{"id":15554435,"date":"2024-12-10T07:40:10","date_gmt":"2024-12-10T12:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/golf.com\/?post_type=article&p=15554435"},"modified":"2024-12-10T07:40:17","modified_gmt":"2024-12-10T12:40:17","slug":"rules-guy-legal-use-putter-tap-down-grass-around-hole","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/golf.com\/instruction\/rules\/rules-guy-legal-use-putter-tap-down-grass-around-hole\/","title":{"rendered":"Rules Guy: Is it legal to tap down grass around the hole before putting?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The\u00a0Rules of Golf\u00a0are tricky! Thankfully, we\u2019ve got the guru. Our\u00a0Rules Guy\u00a0knows the book front to back<\/a>. Got a question? He\u2019s got all the answers.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This morning, a gentleman in our foursome made a habit of tamping down rather forcefully around the hole with his putter (always in his line of putt, naturally).\u00a0When I question this \u201cgardening,\u201d he claimed the greenskeepers weren\u2019t doing their job properly when they changed holes.\u00a0I happen to know better, since I am one of those greenskeepers.\u00a0What rule should I quote?<\/strong> \u2014Bob Keifling, Seibring, Fla.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

Clearly,\u00a0you<\/em>\u00a0are the gentleman since you chose to take the high route rather than tamp forcefully around this clod\u2019s noggin!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next time, let the rules do that for you. Players may repair \u201cdamage\u201d to the putting green, which includes the hole and the area around it, even if doing so improves the line of play. But (!) normal maintenance practices, natural wear and natural surface imperfections are not damage as defined by Rule 13.1c(2) and may not be repaired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If his tamping alters the ground and improves a condition affecting the stroke, such as line of play, then Rule 8.1a applies, and he gets the general penalty of two strokes in stroke play and loss of hole in match play. Now who\u2019s not doing his job properly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more green-related guidance from our guru, read on …<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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\n\n
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\n \n Rules <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \"Caddie <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
\n
Rules Guy: Can my caddie touch the green to help me with my aim?<\/a><\/blockquote>\n By:<\/span>\n \n \n Rules Guy <\/a>\n \n <\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

I was called out for aligning my ball for a putt after placing my ball and then lifting my ball marker \u2014 that I cannot adjust the ball unless the marker is still in place, and if I were caught doing it again I\u2019d be penalized. Yet in the R&A\u2019s rule clarification 14.2c\/1, the ball can be aligned in any way so long as its vertical distance to the ground remains the same,\u00a0I don\u2019t see any reference to a ball marker being required when lining up a putt.\u00a0Can you clarify?\u00a0\u2014Mark O\u2019Neill, via email<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can, and we will, forthwith. Sad to say, you were called out correctly. Rotating the ball is considered \u201clifting\u201d under Rule 14.1, and you only get the right to lift the ball on the putting green after you mark it first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, if you rotate the ball when it isn\u2019t marked you get one penalty stroke \u2014 since it didn\u2019t change position you need not worry about replacing it. Please see Rule 14.1a.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The clarification you cited refers to how the ball actually gets replaced \u2014 you can replace the ball in almost any orientation; the aligning of the ball isn\u2019t your issue here \u2014 but it doesn\u2019t address whether or not the ball was marked when originally lifted, as that\u2019s a separate issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In sum: mark it, Mark!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Need help unriddling the greens at your home course? Pick up a custom Green Book<\/a> from Golf Logix.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Got a question about the Rules? Ask the Rules Guy! Send your queries, confusions and comments to rulesguy@golf.com. We promise he won\u2019t throw the book at you.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Is it permissible to tap down wayward blades of grass around the hole before putting? Rules Guy has the answer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":15554436,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2024-12-10T12:40:14Z","apple_news_api_id":"d0d23bf4-743d-44de-a775-6f1db2c7a8aa","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2024-12-10T12:40:21Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/A0NI79HQ9RN6ndW8dsseoqg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[52],"tags":[61891],"class_list":["post-15554435","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rules","tag-rulesguy"],"acf":{"art_author":[{"ID":14046396,"post_author":"235","post_date":"2018-02-10 16:33:43","post_date_gmt":"2018-02-10 16:33:43","post_content":"","post_title":"Rules Guy","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"rules-guy-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2018-02-10 16:33:43","post_modified_gmt":"2018-02-10 16:33:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.golf.com\/?post_type=golf_person&p=14046396","menu_order":0,"post_type":"contributor","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"art_source":"None","tee_time_button_status":false,"article_template":"standard","featured_image_caption":"What do the rules say about tapping down the grass around the hole before putting?","featured_image_credits":"Getty Images","wsum-gated-content":false,"wsotp_enable_one_time_payment":false,"allow_instaread_integration":false,"ad_meta":false},"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nIs it legal to tap down grass around the hole before putting?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Is it permissible to tap down wayward blades of grass around the hole before putting? 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