When playing the other day, my opponent’s ball landed in
casual water in a bunker. She was able to take relief from the water in
accordance with the rules. She lifted the ball and cleaned it before
taking the prescribed drop. Was she permitted to clean the ball under these
circumstances?
Regards,
Lulu from Essex, England
Dear Lulu,
Yes. The ball may be cleaned when you are taking relief from
casual water, which is an “abnormal ground condition” [Rule 25-1b].
When the Rules allow you to lift a ball, there are only
three instances when you may not
clean it:
1. To determine if it is unfit for play (visibly cut,
cracked, or out of shape).
2. To identify the ball. In this case you may clean off only
what is necessary to see if the ball is yours.
3. When someone asks you to lift a ball that interferes with
her play, or when you lift your ball because it will assist someone’s play.
Please read Rule 21, Cleaning Ball. You may be pleasantly
surprised at how clear and how short it is!
Linda
Copyright © 2015 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
