Golf Monthly
  • 4 months ago
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Transcript
00:00Hello there, in this video we are talking about cleaning your golf ball when the rules
00:04allow you to do it and when they don't allow you to do it.
00:07I am on the fairway here and my ball has picked up some mud and the harsh reality is that
00:12other than when preferred lies are in operation, when you could pick it up and clean it, you
00:16are just going to have to play that as it lies.
00:19Even if that piece of mud is where the club is going to make contact with the ball as
00:22it probably is in this scenario, I am afraid that is just how it is.
00:26As I say, if preferred lies are in operation, you could pick it up and clean it and the
00:30other times when you are allowed to clean it absolutely no problem are when you reach
00:35the green.
00:36Obviously, then you can mark the ball, pick it up and do what you like with it before
00:39you make your first putt.
00:41You can clean your ball between the play of two holes at any time, that is no problem
00:45and you can also clean your golf ball when you are proceeding under a rule, taking free
00:50relief or taking a penalty drop.
00:51However, it is important to know that there are some occasions when you are not allowed
00:55to clean your ball under the rules.
00:57Let's go and take a look at those four scenarios now.
00:59The first scenario where you are not allowed to clean your ball is when you have been asked
01:02to lift it because it interferes with the play of another player.
01:06In this example here, my ball has the mud on it, I have been asked to lift it because
01:10the other ball wishes to putt and therefore they want my ball out of the way.
01:13So I mark my ball and then I would probably move it one marker to the side as well to
01:18get off their line.
01:20What I have got to be careful of now is that I am not allowed to clean that mud off the
01:23ball.
01:24However you best can do that by holding it between two fingers like that or placing it
01:28down somewhere very carefully, you are not allowed to clean the ball when you have been
01:33asked to lift it because it interferes with the play of another player.
01:36Another time when you have to be a bit careful about cleaning your ball is when you are lifting
01:40it to identify that it is definitely your ball.
01:42In this thick rough here I can see a ball, it has got a lump of mud on the top.
01:46I think it is mine, but I am not 100% sure.
01:48So I mark the position of the ball, lift it, there is mud there where my mark would
01:56be underneath the tightness branding.
01:58What you are allowed to do is wipe that mud away, it is sufficient to be able to identify
02:02that it is yours.
02:03So I have moved it a fraction, I can see my green circle around the number, that is my
02:07ball.
02:08Now I must put that ball back without cleaning the rest of the mud off.
02:12So you are only allowed to clean it to the extent necessary to make a positive identification
02:17that it is your ball.
02:20Another time where you are not allowed to clean your golf ball is if you suspect it
02:23might have become cut or cracked.
02:24Perhaps this ball has hit a cart path on its way to this position and you think it might
02:28have suffered some damage.
02:29It very specifically has to be cut or cracked for you to be able to replace the ball during
02:34play of a hole.
02:35And you would then be allowed to lift the ball to check whether it is cut or cracked,
02:38but if it proves not to be, you must not clean that mud off it, you must replace it as it
02:43is.
02:44If it is cut or cracked, you will be playing with a brand new ball from there on, but it
02:47is a pretty rare scenario these days.
02:50And the final one is when you are wanting to lift your ball to see if it is in a condition
02:54from which relief is allowed.
02:57Here I have got a ball, I am not entirely sure whether it is embedded in its own pitch
03:00mark or not.
03:01So I want to check, so I mark the position of the ball, lift the ball, just to see if
03:06it is embedded or whether it is just in a little hollow.
03:08Now if the ball is embedded in its own pitch mark, I would be entitled to take free relief
03:13and therefore clean the ball.
03:15If it isn't, I would have to replace the ball where it was and take extra care not
03:19to clean it before doing so.