Hi Linda,
Thanks for all you do!
Recently I have had several people tell me, in no uncertain
terms, not to put the ball in my pocket after I mark and pick it up on the
green.
I know that this is not the case - Rule 16 just says you can
lift and clean it; it never mentions where it has to be kept. What is going to
happen to it in my pocket??
I think they are confusing it with Rule 21 but even there it
does not say anything about where you have to keep it (although everyone says
it has to be in plain sight, held between 2 fingers, etc., etc.)
I would appreciate your comments on this.
Thanks,
Lulu from Northport (Long Island, New York) and Florida
Dear Lulu,
Thanks for the laugh, Lulu. This may be one of the funniest
misunderstandings I have received from a reader.
Of course you may put the ball in your pocket after you mark and lift it on the putting green. Any time you
are entitled to clean the ball, there is no restriction on where you may store
it until it’s time to replace it.
The player should not put the ball in her pocket when she is
not entitled to clean it [as in Rules 5-3
(determining if unfit for play), 12-2 (identification), and 22 (assisting or
interfering with play)]. In those situations, it would be hard to prove that
the ball was not cleaned, and the player would incur a one-stroke penalty.
Linda
Copyright © 2015 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
