Ball cleaning

RichA

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This happened a while ago, but something I've just read reminded me of it.
Playing during a winter competition, when pick, wipe, place was in effect, my ball landed in a puddle of mud within a bunker that was designated GUR. The bunker adjoins fairway and rough. I marked the entry point and cleaned my ball as it was totally covered in mud. It resembled an oversized Malteser - no part of the surface of the ball was visible.
I did not see whether the ball rolled into the bunker from the rough or the fairway.
One of my playing partners told me I should not have cleaned the ball before dropping it in the relief area.
Is that correct?
 

clubchamp98

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This happened a while ago, but something I've just read reminded me of it.
Playing during a winter competition, when pick, wipe, place was in effect, my ball landed in a puddle of mud within a bunker that was designated GUR. The bunker adjoins fairway and rough. I marked the entry point and cleaned my ball as it was totally covered in mud. It resembled an oversized Malteser - no part of the surface of the ball was visible.
I did not see whether the ball rolled into the bunker from the rough or the fairway.
One of my playing partners told me I should not have cleaned the ball before dropping it in the relief area.
Is that correct?
No.
I was always told .
If your moving your ball to another place you can clean it.
 

nickjdavis

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Rule 14.1c is your friend...

c. Cleaning Lifted Ball
A ball lifted from the putting green may always be cleaned (see Rule 13.1b).

A ball lifted from anywhere else may always be cleaned except when it is lifted:
  • To See If It Is Cut or Cracked. Cleaning is not allowed (see Rule 4.2c(1)).
  • To Identify It. Cleaning is allowed only as needed to identify it (see Rule 7.3).
  • Because It Interferes with Play. Cleaning is not allowed (see Rule 15.3b(2)).
  • To See If It Lies in Condition Where Relief Is Allowed. Cleaning is not allowed, unless the player then takes relief under a Rule (see Rule 16.4).
 

RichA

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Picking up on this point, why did you do that?

The relief is procedure is find the nearest point of full relief, where the ball went in to the bunker is not relevant.
Sorry - that's what I meant. I didn't see the entry point.
 

RichA

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Really need to improve my rules knowledge. Penalised myself 2 shots in a comp at the weekend because my ball wobbled without actually changing position when I moved a nearby stick. Now I think I didn't need to.
 

Colin L

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Really need to improve my rules knowledge. Penalised myself 2 shots in a comp at the weekend because my ball wobbled without actually changing position when I moved a nearby stick. Now I think I didn't need to.

You didn't. And even if you had moved the ball, the penalty would have been one stroke. See the Definition of "moved" and Rule 15.1b
 

jim8flog

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Really need to improve my rules knowledge. Penalised myself 2 shots in a comp at the weekend because my ball wobbled without actually changing position when I moved a nearby stick. Now I think I didn't need to.

It is only two shots if you cause the ball to move and fail to replace it.
 
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