Rules Question

Adiaga 2

If I was to add an alignment mark to my putter, would that be against the rules? Would that be deemed as affecting the playing characteristics of the club? I have a 2004 2-Ball putter and am thinking of adding a black line through the centre of the 2 "balls".

OilBeefHooked2

Adiaga 2 wrote: »

If I was to add an alignment mark to my putter, would that be against the rules? Would that be deemed as affecting the playing characteristics of the club? I have a 2004 2-Ball putter and am thinking of adding a black line through the centre of the 2 "balls".

I'm not 100% sure but afaik putting a line on your club is not against the rules.Pun intended.
If your ever unsure of any rule you can look it up at www.randa.org

jampotjim

It's ok once you don't do it during the course of a round as that would be tampering with the club.

Mister Sifter

You're absolutely fine to do it. As Jampotjim says, as long as you do it before a round.

Par72

Adiaga 2 wrote: »

If I was to add an alignment mark to my putter, would that be against the rules? Would that be deemed as affecting the playing characteristics of the club? I have a 2004 2-Ball putter and am thinking of adding a black line through the centre of the 2 "balls".

Ha! I did the exact same thing with my 2-Ball last year, I found it a big help. I went back to it last week after my odyssey white hot #7 was letting me down (bad putting was all the club's fault obviously;))

I was tricky enough to get the line dead centre but i did a decent enough job.

Adiaga 2

Thanks for the replies Might have to give it a try. Going to do it with stickers so should be able to get it dead centre without ruining the club...I hope! Cheers!

copacetic

I think it is fine as mentioned above but remember something about it having to be a permanent change. So sticker or permanent marker for instance. It is worth doing as the one thing I found poor with the 2 ball was it was poor at aligning short putts.

A lot of pros do this and there was even a version available with it built in

Adiaga 2

copacetic wrote: »

It is worth doing as the one thing I found poor with the 2 ball was it was poor at aligning short putts.

Glad I wasn't the only one!! It's weird because the whole idea behind the 2-ball design(afaik) is that it's supposed to make alignment easier. Anyway, I added my lines and apart from anything else it looks great :cool:. It also worked very well for me on saturday.

The Rooster

Sprinkler Heads
In my last society outing a playing partner (Mick) was about four feet from the green (perfect lie on the fringe) but there was a water sprinkler head between his ball and the green, and it was directly in line with the pin. Mick would always use a putter in such circumstances (it was about a 20 foot putt) so declared he had a free drop as the sprinkler was in his line. I thought I remembered hearing that you could not get a free drop unless it interfered with the swinging of the club, but another of our playing partners agreed with Mick that as it interfered with the line of his putt he was entitled to a free drop.

Can anyone confirm or deny please...

(Mick dropped a foot or so away, knocked his putt to 6 inches and went on to win the competition)

Trampas

The Rooster wrote: »

Sprinkler Heads
In my last society outing a playing partner (Mick) was about four feet from the green (perfect lie on the fringe) but there was a water sprinkler head between his ball and the green, and it was directly in line with the pin. Mick would always use a putter in such circumstances (it was about a 20 foot putt) so declared he had a free drop as the sprinkler was in his line. I thought I remembered hearing that you could not get a free drop unless it interfered with the swinging of the club, but another of our playing partners agreed with Mick that as it interfered with the line of his putt he was entitled to a free drop.

Can anyone confirm or deny please...

(Mick dropped a foot or so away, knocked his putt to 6 inches and went on to win the competition)

He should be DQ for signing for incorrect score.

Only if it effects his stance, ball is in it or effects his swing is he allowed relief is my understanding.

copacetic

agreed, he took a dodgy drop imo

Rule 24-2 specifically addresses that problem in this way: "If the player’s ball lies on the putting green, interference also occurs if an immovable obstruction on the putting green intervenes on his line of putt. Otherwise, intervention on the line of play is not, of itself, interference under this Rule."

In other words, in order to take relief because of interference with the line of your putt, your ball must be on the green. In our example, however, the ball is off the green. Therefore, you cannot move the ball.

pixbyjohn

The Rooster wrote: »

Sprinkler Heads
In my last society outing a playing partner (Mick) was about four feet from the green (perfect lie on the fringe) but there was a water sprinkler head between his ball and the green, and it was directly in line with the pin. Mick would always use a putter in such circumstances (it was about a 20 foot putt) so declared he had a free drop as the sprinkler was in his line. I thought I remembered hearing that you could not get a free drop unless it interfered with the swinging of the club, but another of our playing partners agreed with Mick that as it interfered with the line of his putt he was entitled to a free drop.

Can anyone confirm or deny please...

(Mick dropped a foot or so away, knocked his putt to 6 inches and went on to win the competition)

As per the Royal and Ancient rules.

24-2. Immovable Obstruction
a. Interference
Interference by an immovable obstruction occurs when a ball lies in or
on the obstruction, or when the obstruction interferes with the player’s
stance or the area of his intended swing. If the player’s ball lies on the
putting green, interference also occurs if an immovable obstruction on
the putting green intervenes on his line of putt. Otherwise, intervention
on the line of play is not, of itself, interference under this Rule.

N00b2fitness

You mark your ball on the green - in taking the ball and hand away after putting in the marker, you clumsily knock your ball marker out of the turf and it rolls a foot back from where you placed it.

What do you do?

Par72

I'm just guessing but I'd say you replace the marker in the original position with no penalty.

Kimbot

Rule 20: Page 87 of the Rule Book.

If a ball or ball-marker is accidently moved in the process of lifting the ball under a Rule or marking its position, the ball or ball-marker must be replaced. There is no penalty, provided the movement of the ball or ball-marker is directly attributable to the specific art of marking the position or lifting the ball. Otherwise, the player incurs a penalty of one stroke under this Rule or Rule 18-2a.

Hope this helps.

stooge

I was playing at the weekend and had a ~16ft putt at the last for birdie from just off the green. About 2in in front of my ball directly in my line was a sprinkler cap. Was told I had to putt and was not allowed a free drop.

Hit a lovely putt to about 4-5in from hole and got my par. Won 1up

Davidth88

I am sure I have seen local rules where if a sprinkler head in in your line you get a drop , esp on links courses , maybe wrong

copacetic

Davidth88 wrote: »

I am sure I have seen local rules where if a sprinkler head in in your line you get a drop , esp on links courses , maybe wrong

yep, you see it in local rules when around the green is very puttable and the sprinkler is in the way of the normal stroke a player would take (ie a putt). It is a USGA sanctioned local rule.

fullstop

The Rooster wrote: »

Sprinkler Heads
In my last society outing a playing partner (Mick) was about four feet from the green (perfect lie on the fringe) but there was a water sprinkler head between his ball and the green, and it was directly in line with the pin. Mick would always use a putter in such circumstances (it was about a 20 foot putt) so declared he had a free drop as the sprinkler was in his line. I thought I remembered hearing that you could not get a free drop unless it interfered with the swinging of the club, but another of our playing partners agreed with Mick that as it interfered with the line of his putt he was entitled to a free drop.

Can anyone confirm or deny please...

(Mick dropped a foot or so away, knocked his putt to 6 inches and went on to win the competition)

Disqualification. It is a local rule on tour that pro's get a drop if the ball is within 2 clublengths of the sprinkler. I learned this the hard way, after a well known Irish international took dodgy drop in a match against me because the sprinkler was in his line. He then, of course, holed the putt and won the hole :mad:

Mister Sifter

What's the rule with an old hole being in your line?

Par72

Graeme1982 wrote: »

What's the rule with an old hole being in your line?

I believe it comes under rule 16c, you can repair any part of it that is interfering with the line of your putt but you don't get relief away from it or anything.

Niall09

Is there a penalty if you hole a putt with a playing partners golf ball already in the hole?

Mister Sifter

Niall09 wrote: »

Is there a penalty if you hole a putt with a playing partners golf ball already in the hole?

Don't think so.