Linda,
What is the rule for rolling a ball over? I play in
Florida and one of the courses down there tells players to roll the ball over
"with the club" ... and not to touch it with their hand. Is
this the proper way? (Most players range from 65 to 80 years old.)
Lulu from Florida
Dear Lulu,
No, Lulu, this is not the proper way. If the rules of the
day are “preferred lies,” players who move their ball must mark it, lift it,
and place it within the prescribed distance (e.g., one foot, one club-length,
etc.) no closer to the hole. They may clean the ball during this process
[Appendix I, Part B, #4c].
If a player “rolls her ball over” with her club, she incurs
a one-stroke penalty for moving her ball in play. If she doesn’t replace the
ball before hitting it, the penalty increases to two strokes [Rule 18-2a].
Considering the age of the golfers, I suspect the motive
behind this illegal requirement is to speed up the pace of play. However,
requiring players to break the rules is not the answer to slow play. Assuming
course conditions are good, there is no reason for players to move their balls
at all.
If the authorities at the golf course really want to speed
up play, telling players to play the ball “down” (as it lies) would go a long
way to that end. The use of “preferred lies” is only recommended when
conditions on the fairways are unfair (e.g., bad weather preventing the use of
mowers).
Linda
Copyright © 2013 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
