The act of marking your golf ball on the green and subsequently replacing the ball when it's your turn to putt occurs so frequently during a round that it's easy to give it little or no thought. Carelessness in this area, however, can cost you penalty strokes from missteps in inadvertent movement of the ball when removing your mark. Learn the rules behind this part of the game to keep from needlessly dropping strokes.
Proper Marking
The rules of golf require that a ball on a green can be marked using a ball marker, a small coin or a similar object. The marker must be placed immediately behind the ball. The ball may be lifted by the player only after the marker is in place. A ball that is accidentally dropped in the process of lifting it following a mark does not result in a penalty because the ball is not in play at that moment.
Replacing the Ball
Once the ball has been replaced, it i considered in play, according to the rules of golf, even before the marker is removed. At this point, any contact the player makes with the ball that causes it to move will result in a 1-stroke penalty. Similarly, if you drop your ball marker while removing it from behind the ball and it strikes the ball, causing it to move, a 1-stroke penalty is incurred.
Slope and Wind
Once the ball has been replaced, it may be moved by either the slope of the green or the wind. In either case, no penalty is incurred if the cause of the ball's movement was definitively not the result of the player's action. The same holds true of any other outside force or agency which may act on the ball, causing it to move.
Replacing Marker
On occasion, you may be asked to move your ball marker when it's in the intended putting line of another player. When doing so, the rules warn you to remember to return the mark to its original position before replacing the ball. If you replace the ball on the spot the mark was moved to for the other player and either move the ball or putt it, you will be penalized 2 strokes for the infraction.
Posted in: Golf