You’re not sure where your shot ended up. Can you purposely delay the start of your search until other members of your group arrive at the location to assist?

Yes (decision 27/1).


In a four-ball match, one of your opponents hits his shot onto the green. To speed up play, can you mark the ball and pick it up before he arrives to give you permission?

No. Take a one-stroke penalty. Your partner is not penalised, however (decision 30-3f/10).


You’re wondering how saturated a green has become on a rainy day. Can you place your hand on the green behind your ball’s position to feel for moisture?

Yes, as long as you do not roughen or scrape the surface or touch the line of the putt (16-1d/4).


On a par 3, you hit a shot that comes up a few feet short of the green. As you’re walking back to your bag, can you softly murmur that you wished you had used a 6-iron?

Yes, as long as the statement was made casually, and not to inform another player or players preparing to hit the same tee shot (decision 8-1/8).


Your shot winds up in a bunker, but you can’t find it because it’s covered in leaves. Can you probe through the leaves and sandy ground with your club to find your ball?

Yes (decision 12-1/4).


You and your opponent each hit two balls out-of-bounds off the tee. Equally embarrassed, can you both agree to halve the hole and move on?

Yes. Agreeing to halve a hole being played is OK provided at least one of you has already made a stroke. (decision 2-1/1.5).


Your ball is on a cartpath, so you take free relief and drop the ball. Unfortunately, the ball becomes embedded in a muddy spot in the rough. Are you allowed to take relief for an embedded ball?

No. You would be entitled if a Local Rule was in place allowing relief for embedded balls “through the green.” Otherwise, the ball would have had to be embedded in an area through the green cut to fairway height or less (decision 25-2/2).


After finishing the front nine, you have to walk by the practice putting green. Because it’s on the way, can you stop, throw down a few balls, and hit some practice putts before walking over to the 10th tee?

Yes (rule 7-2).


Some of the grips on your clubs are so wet from a mid-round downpour, they’re too slippery to use. Can you replace them during the round with dry clubs that you left in your car?

No (decision 4-3/5).


Can you use a long putter to measure club-lengths for any situation where you’re entitled to relief?

Yes (decisions 20/1, 20/2).