Ask Linda #20 - ball unfit for play

Dear Linda,
I know that you have to play the same ball tee to green and if it gets a slice in it, you can change it, but what if it gets scuffed (as in hitting a tree or something else)? Can you change balls in the middle of a hole?
Thanks,
Lulu


Dear Lulu,

A ball is considered unfit for play only if it is visibly cut, cracked, or out of shape (Rule 5-3). If you suspect your ball is unfit, you have to tell your opponent, who should then observe you mark and lift your ball. You and your opponent can then inspect it, and if it is cut, cracked, or out of shape, you may substitute a new ball, placing it on the spot where you marked your original ball.

A ball is not considered unfit for play simply because mud or other materials are adhering to it, or the surface is scratched or scraped (what golfers commonly call “road rash”), or the paint is damaged or discolored. You may not take such a ball out of play until you have completed play of the hole.

Linda

Copyright © 2008 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.