Rules For Cleaning Your Golf Ball
Transcript
00:00 Hello there, in this video we are talking about cleaning your golf ball when the rules
00:04 allow you to do it and when they don't allow you to do it.
00:07 I am on the fairway here and my ball has picked up some mud and the harsh reality is that
00:12 other than when preferred lies are in operation when you could pick it up and clean it, you
00:16 are just going to have to play that as it lies.
00:19 Even if that piece of mud is where the club is going to make contact with the ball as
00:22 it probably is in this scenario, I am afraid that is just how it is.
00:26 As I say, if preferred lies are in operation you could pick it up and clean it and the
00:30 other times when you are allowed to clean it absolutely no problem are when you reach
00:34 the green, obviously then you can mark the ball, pick it up and do what you like with
00:38 it before you make your first putt.
00:41 You can clean your ball between the play of two holes at any time, that is no problem
00:45 and you can also clean your golf ball when you are proceeding under a rule taking free
00:49 relief or taking a penalty drop.
00:51 However, it is important to know that there are some occasions when you are not allowed
00:54 to clean your ball under the rules.
00:56 Let's go and take a look at those four scenarios now.
00:59 The first scenario where you are not allowed to clean your ball is when you have been asked
01:02 to lift it because it interferes with the play of another player.
01:06 In this example here my ball has the mud on it, I have been asked to lift it because the
01:10 other ball wishes to putt and therefore they want my ball out of the way.
01:13 So I mark my ball and then I would probably move it one marker to the side as well to
01:18 get off their line.
01:19 What I have got to be careful of now is that I am not allowed to clean that mud off the
01:22 ball.
01:23 However, you best can do that by holding it between two fingers like that or placing it
01:28 down somewhere very carefully.
01:30 You are not allowed to clean the ball when you have been asked to lift it because it
01:34 interferes with the play of another player.
01:36 Another time when you have to be a bit careful about cleaning your ball is when you are lifting
01:40 it to identify that it is definitely your ball.
01:42 In this thick rough here I can see a ball, it has got a lump of mud on the top.
01:46 I think it is mine, but I am not 100% sure.
01:48 So I mark the position of the ball, lift it, there is mud there where my mark would be
01:56 underneath the tightness branding.
01:57 What you are allowed to do is wipe that mud away.
02:00 It is sufficient to be able to identify that it is yours.
02:03 So I have moved it a fraction.
02:04 I can see my green circle around the number.
02:07 That is my ball.
02:08 Now I must put that ball back without cleaning the rest of the mud off.
02:11 So you are only allowed to clean it to the extent necessary to make a positive identification
02:16 that it is your ball.
02:19 Another time when you are not allowed to clean your golf ball is if you suspect it might
02:23 have become cut or cracked.
02:24 Perhaps this ball has hit a cart path on its way to this position and you think it might
02:28 have suffered some damage.
02:29 It very specifically has to be cut or cracked for you to be able to replace the ball during
02:34 play of a hole.
02:35 And you would then be allowed to lift the ball to check whether it is cut or cracked,
02:38 but if it proves not to be you must not clean that mud off it.
02:42 You must replace it as it is.
02:43 Obviously if it is cut or cracked you will be playing with a brand new ball from there
02:47 on.
02:48 But it is a pretty rare scenario these days.
02:50 And the final one is when you are wanting to lift your ball to see if it is in a condition
02:54 from which relief is allowed.
02:57 Here I have got a ball.
02:58 I am not entirely sure whether it is embedded in its own pitch mark or not.
03:01 So I want to check.
03:02 So I mark the position of the ball, lift the ball just to see if it is embedded or whether
03:07 it is just in a little hollow.
03:08 Now if the ball is embedded in its own pitch mark I would be entitled to take free relief
03:13 and therefore clean the ball.
03:14 If it isn't I would have to replace the ball where it was and take extra care not to clean
03:19 it before doing so.
03:21 [Music]