It happens all the time in golf, particularly on the green. Your ball is in the way of someone else’s ball and it’s his or her turn to putt. Less frequently, two balls are so close to each other in the fairway that one player can’t stand or swing without potential interference from – or simply being distracted by – the other player’s ball.
RELATED: My opponent’s ball is in my peripheral vision. Can I ask them to move it?
In those cases, you probably know it’s OK under Rule 15.3 to ask or offer to move the offending golf ball. But did you know the Rules of Golf is very specific in its instructions for how to do it? For example, you wouldn’t be in compliance if you simply stuck the heel of your golf shoe next to the ball and then moved the ball to the front of the shoe.
Clarification 15.3/1 explains what to do: “When a player is moving their ball or ball marker under Rule 15.3, it should be placed to the side by measuring with a club, such as by using the clubhead or the full length of a club. This can be done by measuring directly from the ball or by marking the spot of the ball and measuring from there.”
Two examples:
(1) The player may mark the spot of the ball and then move the ball marker one or more clubheads to the side.
(2) The player may lay a club or clubhead down immediately to the side of the ball and move the ball to the other end of the club or clubhead, or place a ball marker at that point.
Now here’s a key part of the procedure to not forget: “In moving the ball or ball marker, the player should align the club with a fixed object (such as a blemish on the green or a sprinkler head) to ensure that when replacing the ball, the steps can be reversed and the ball be replaced on the spot from which it was lifted.”
What happens if you move a ball but then forget to put it back? You could ask Cameron Young but you might get a cold stare. At the 2023 PGA Championship, Young was penalised two shots for playing from the wrong place when he forgot to do it. Of course, he’s not the only golfer – professional or amateur – to do this. (Keep in mind that if you’re playing strokeplay and your ball is in the way of another, you wouldn’t be penalised if you played first rather than marking the ball and moving the marker.)
If you’re worried you might forget to return the ball to its original position, maybe add a voice memo to your smartphone or tie a string around your finger as a reminder to avoid the same fate as Young. Kidding. Just remember to put it back in the reverse process that you used to move it.
