Linda,
Especially at this time of year in Scotland the sun is low in the sky. In order to see where the ball goes when driving, one of your fellow golfers stands behind you to watch for the ball. They are not giving any advice other than watching for the ball. Under the new rules, is this allowed, as it now says, “You cannot have your caddie or your partner standing behind you once you begin taking your stance”.
Yours gratefully,
Lulu from Scotland
Dear Lulu,
Since the Rule [10.2b(4)] prohibits the caddie from deliberately standing behind the ball on an extension of the line of play for any reason, you may not ask your caddie (or your partner or your partner’s caddie) to stand behind you to help spot the ball. You may, however, ask other players or opponents to stand there.
You may want to ask someone to stand safely behind you but off to one side or the other. There is certainly no penalty for doing that, and standing off to the side may provide a better vantage point. For safety purposes, ask them to stand at least one pace off to either side of the extension of the line of play.
Linda
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