Dear Linda,
A ball is lying through the green. A player asked if he
could test the surface with his hands behind the ball prior to playing the
shot. The reason he suggested was to establish if the grain was against the run
of the ball or away from him.
Could you please advise if this would incur a penalty of
some kind, or is this allowed?
Kind Regards,
Lou from Thailand
Dear Lou,
While a player may not test the surface of a hazard or a
putting green, there is no reason he cannot test any other surface on the
course. He must be very careful not to
improve his lie or line of play, either of which would result in a
two-stroke penalty [Rule 13-2]. If his action causes his ball to move, he will
incur a one-stroke penalty and must replace his ball [Rule 18-2a].
Linda
Copyright © 2014 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
