Asked NOT to mark ball near hole

mikseymono

mikseymono

Assistant Pro
Joined
Jan 8, 2017
Messages
221
Location
Bretagne, France
Visit site
So. me again...yesterday I chipped the ball off green and it finished hole high about 4 inches to the left. I went to tapp it in as my playing partner was off green and about to putt. He then said leave it there. Obviously as a back/side stop in case he missed the hole left

I thought I could not do this and in strokeplay both he and I are disqualified if we agree not mark it. He played the ball and it hit mine, I replace mine for a tap in and he had a much shorter putt. This happened TWICE in the round..................also, what happens if he hits mine in even though it has been at rest for 1 min or so and it goes in?

What a day though..........

M
 
mikseymono said:
So. me again...yesterday I chipped the ball off green and it finished hole high about 4 inches to the left. I went to tapp it in as my playing partner was off green and about to putt. He then said leave it there. Obviously as a back/side stop in case he missed the hole left

I thought I could not do this and in strokeplay both he and I are disqualified if we agree not mark it. He played the ball and it hit mine, I replace mine for a tap in and he had a much shorter putt. This happened TWICE in the round..................also, what happens if he hits mine in even though it has been at rest for 1 min or so and it goes in?

What a day though..........

M
Click to expand...

Yes, both disqualified. This bit of Rule 21 applies:

In stroke play, if the Committee determines that competitors have agreed not to lift a ball that might assist any competitor, they are disqualified.

In other circumstances where there has not been collusion and a ball knocks your ball at rest into the hole you must replace your ball. [Rule 18-5]. You don't get a lucky from that one :)
 
Thanks for the positive responses....playing at our club in France rules are a little lax unless I am playing certain people. Not lax from me, just most of the others. I was fairly sure of the rule but find the person I was playing so aggressive I preferred not to haggle it out as he gets SO defensive and just ruins the round. He was already 7 over whilst I was -1...so I wanted to keep going in my 'positive' atmosphere.

So, with the big boy rules hat on...the other player, we were three, could have pulled us both up and disqualified BOTH of us ...yes?!
Thanks.

M
 
mikseymono said:
Thanks for the positive responses....playing at our club in France rules are a little lax unless I am playing certain people. Not lax from me, just most of the others. I was fairly sure of the rule but find the person I was playing so aggressive I preferred not to haggle it out as he gets SO defensive and just ruins the round. He was already 7 over whilst I was -1...so I wanted to keep going in my 'positive' atmosphere.

So, with the big boy rules hat on...the other player, we were three, could have pulled us both up and disqualified BOTH of us ...yes?!
Thanks.

M
Click to expand...

Surely the honourable thing to do would be to DQ yourself and Mr Grumpy.
 
It happened so quick...like, 5 seconds after my ball had come to rest near the hole...he said "stay there and leave it" then he putted his ball. Most people get really defensive when confronted with rules like this.

Most of the time, unless it is blatant cheating, I would say "be careful on that as other people may give you a penalty shot" or give them a fair warning and if they infringe on the same thing again then proceed with the penalty. It is hard sometimes as this really can promote tension and anguish and can lay your marker done as a 'rules do-gooder' I constantly remind my team on the rules and we have sessions and scenarios through the winter. On team match play stuff everyone is on the look out for any infringements which is a lot easier against somebody you don't really know.....as opposed to a club player who you may see twice a week or so....

M
 
Colin L said:
Yes, both disqualified. This bit of Rule 21 applies:

In stroke play, if the Committee determines that competitors have agreed not to lift a ball that might assist any competitor, they are disqualified.

In other circumstances where there has not been collusion and a ball knocks your ball at rest into the hole you must replace your ball. [Rule 18-5]. You don't get a lucky from that one :)
Click to expand...

So if the other bloke had simply said to the OP en-route to mark his ball "stand still please I'm ready to play" then no DQ for either?
 
Slab said:
So if the other bloke had simply said to the OP en-route to mark his ball "stand still please I'm ready to play" then no DQ for either?
Click to expand...

That opens up different possibilities. The OP would have had every right to reply that he was first going to mark and lift his ball as it could assist the other player.

If what you are thinking about is a situation where the first player did not realise that the other guy was pushing ahead with his putt because the ball might assist him then there could be no DQ. You can't agree to something you haven't cottoned on to.
 
Maintaining social harmony is important for social rounds. My practice was to allow the breach without comment, then after heading to the next tee I would ask: "Do you know what rule you breached back there?" Turns into a teaching moment without raising temperatures.
 
atticusfinch said:
Maintaining social harmony is important for social rounds. My practice was to allow the breach without comment, then after heading to the next tee I would ask: "Do you know what rule you breached back there?" Turns into a teaching moment without raising temperatures.
Click to expand...

A classic "yes, but' in the competition example raised here the player has no such option. He is required to Mark his ball (or finish out) or becomes subject to penalty for not doing so. As the matter has now clearly been raised he is also left with a minimum of advising the player before he returns his card that he has a penalty to be applied...
 
indeed gents..............it is just the skill required to advise my playing partner his error without him getting all foul mouthed and aggressive and spoiling the whole day...as has happened countless times before....that is the real problem. Will try the teaching method as prescribed by atticusfinch

Cheers,

M
 
I think sometimes a casual " you do know that against the rules" before someone does something wrong can work wonders
 
atticusfinch said:
Maintaining social harmony is important for social rounds. My practice was to allow the breach without comment, then after heading to the next tee I would ask: "Do you know what rule you breached back there?" Turns into a teaching moment without raising temperatures.
Click to expand...

You reckon this teaching method will still work if he 'birdies' the hole and you blob it :D
 
I had a go yesterday, when my playing partner, who was level after 6, went to back hand a one inch putt and missed, then tapped in on the second attempt. I told him when walking to the next tee to be careful on that next time and put it in the hole properly. He agreed and nothing more was said about it. He is a good bloke and the best one we have in our team. However, yesterday I was playing against him whilst having a nice time...if you know what I mean.

It is a bit different for me as I am English but live and play my golf in France and I do not want to alienate myself anymore. I do pretty well in the comps, take home some nice prizes most of the time, they made me first team captain and have made some good friends.....so happy to share the love. I am happy to let the first one ride,so long as it is not blatant cheating, whilst notifying them of possible penalty and then bank it for later on in the round or when I play with/against them another time.

M
 
Hi team...or the lucky ones who have subscribed to this thread...........so it happened again today....picture the scene, par three, three up near the fringe of the green, and me a bit sorter by 15m. I played first and being furthest away...I managed to semi stiff mine to within 50cm just after the flag (sorry about the metric) I then walked up to the ball to mark it before the others could putt as it was behind the hole now and could be used as a back stop. My playing partner said leave it there I'll use it as a back stop...he is off 1.5, plays a lot of golf and to be honest we were having a nice time so wasn't going to stride up and mark before he played.

Here's the thing...after the hole, I explained the rule situation and their error. They did not understand this and said that I was wrong. They did not even pay full attention to the rule book and have a look. I said don't worry I'll show you later after the round. He did not say "do not mark your ball" but did strangely say "I'll use it as a backstop". The other player got pretty aggressive and said is was a load of b*******s and never heard such rubbish in his 40 year golfing life. In retrospect I should have just walked up after my shot and marked the ball. I have read and re-read the rule 22-1 over and over and I can not see what the problem is....

Is it me?

M
 
mikseymono said:
Hi team...or the lucky ones who have subscribed to this thread...........so it happened again today....picture the scene, par three, three up near the fringe of the green, and me a bit sorter by 15m. I played first and being furthest away...I managed to semi stiff mine to within 50cm just after the flag (sorry about the metric) I then walked up to the ball to mark it before the others could putt as it was behind the hole now and could be used as a back stop. My playing partner said leave it there I'll use it as a back stop...he is off 1.5, plays a lot of golf and to be honest we were having a nice time so wasn't going to stride up and mark before he played.

Here's the thing...after the hole, I explained the rule situation and their error. They did not understand this and said that I was wrong. They did not even pay full attention to the rule book and have a look. I said don't worry I'll show you later after the round. He did not say "do not mark your ball" but did strangely say "I'll use it as a backstop". The other player got pretty aggressive and said is was a load of b*******s and never heard such rubbish in his 40 year golfing life. In retrospect I should have just walked up after my shot and marked the ball. I have read and re-read the rule 22-1 over and over and I can not see what the problem is....

Is it me?

M
Click to expand...
Perhaps your English accent is causing them a problem. Is your copy of the rules book in French?
 
I have two rules books..English and French...exactly the same...in my golf bag.....two partners were French and the other British. (British one got super aggressive though it was the Frenchy who fell foul).............I explained to our rules bod afterwards about the situation as my partner who fell foul was asking him...obviously feeling a bit guilty.....I then asked our club rules guru who is head of Golf rules in Brittany after the prizes etc the situation again..and he agreed that if I want to mark my ball and make this clear then they are in breach if they want you not not mark and proceed to play...he is going to double check and give my his definitive answer this Thursday...............jeez
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

mikejohnchapman
Backstopping - Enforcing a Player to Mark Their Ball
2
Replies
23
Views
1K
SwingsitlikeHogan
SwingsitlikeHogan
D
Refusal to mark and lift ball
2 3
Replies
48
Views
3K
rulie
R
D
Removing the pin, ball in motion
Replies
2
Views
598
Steven Rules
S
Crazyface
Match Play Conceding Hole
2
Replies
26
Views
3K
Swango1980
S
D
Ball moved accidentally when preferred lies are in place
Replies
6
Views
827
rulefan
R
Top