Ask Linda #119-What may I borrow?

Dear Linda,
I read a puzzling story in the newspaper about a competitor who ran out of balls and disqualified himself from a tournament, thinking he wasn’t allowed to borrow balls from another competitor. The marshal told him he could borrow balls. I actually thought this was not permitted. What’s the story?
Lou Lou

Dear Lou Lou,

A player is permitted to borrow golf balls. There is no limit on the number of balls you may carry in your bag, so if you haven’t fixed that slice yet you might want to stock you bag with more than the usual number of spares.

In addition to borrowing balls, you are also permitted to purchase balls if you run short, but unless you are near the pro shop when you run out, you risk being penalized for undue delay (Rule 6-7).

The Rules of Golf do not require a player to use the same brand and type of golf ball throughout a round. However, you may someday find yourself playing in a tournament where the Committee adopts as one of the Conditions of the Competition what is known as a “one ball condition.” This condition requires that players use the same brand and type of ball throughout the round. You are still permitted to borrow golf balls, but the likelihood of your fellow competitors carrying the same exact ball that you play is very small. In this situation you would want to fill your bag with a generous supply of your preferred ball.

You may actually borrow any type of equipment except for golf clubs [Rule 4-4a]. The exception to this rule is that partners may share clubs, but only in the very unusual circumstance that the total number of clubs carried by the two partners is 14. In other words, if you have 6 clubs in your bag, and your partner has no more than 8, you may share. Assuming you are each carrying the customary number of clubs (maximum 14), then if you want to try your partner’s shiny new driver on the 14th hole, resist the impulse. The penalty for borrowing clubs is severe – two strokes in stroke play, adjusting the match by deducting a hole in match play.

Linda

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