Thursday, April 4, 2019

Ask Linda 1887-Alignment on tee

Linda,
Thanks again Linda for all your help and clarifications! When I line up for the tee shot, I use the line I've drawn on the ball and line up with some irregularity on the teeing ground (divot hole, bare spot, foot print, etc.). I thought I had read that Nicklaus used a similar method. This is permissible, correct?   
Lou from Wheeling, West Virginia

Dear Lou,

Yes. 

There is no Rule that prohibits drawing a line on your golf ball. You may use that line to tee up your ball to line up with an object that already lies on the golf course. What you may not do is place an object on your line of play and leave it there while you make your stroke [Rule 10.2b(1)].

The ruling is different if your ball lies on the putting green. The player will get the general penalty (loss of hole/two strokes) if he or his caddie places an object (on or off the green) to indicate the line of play, even if the object is removed prior to the stroke [Rule 10.2b(2)].

Linda
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