Is this legal

[Hippolyus]

Just started playing serious golf (handicap/competitions etc) and am discovering there are a lot more rules than I ever realised - and any number of grey areas that I have no idea whether legal or not.

Last week I played a competition with a guy who lined up every putt as follows:

1. Place tip of putter directly behind the ball so that the underside of the blade points down the target line.

2. Push down on the putter - not a hard push, but a clear downward movement: I presume he made a light mark on the grass, but I never checked in detail.

3. Turn putter to normal address position & strike at 90° to the previous putter alignment.

Does anyone know if that's allowed, or if it's illegal?

Thanks...

 

[Oddsocks]

I'm 99% sure he has used the leading edge of the club to make a line up point as a guide aid, I'm sure this is not allowed. Once could be deemed a mistake but I'm assuming it was more than once

 

[daymond]

Welcome to the forum. IF he is pressing down this is illegal as it is deemed testing the surface even though it may not be his primary intention.

 

[ScienceBoy]

I would report this behaviour immediately! It is not in the spirit of the game at best, down right cheating at worst.

 

[Oddsocks]

Checked r&a and under rule 8.2b it's a two stroke penalty in stroke play or loss of hole on match play

If you have a iPhone the r&a do a rules off golf app for free

 

[Imurg]

If you have a iPhone the r&a do a rules off golf app for free

But don't use a GPS.....

 

[Oddsocks]

Unless you have the weather app removed

 

[viscount17]

I would report this behaviour immediately! It is not in the spirit of the game at best, down right cheating at worst.

but as you're new to comps, and probably don't want to be seen as making waves, do it in the nature of an enquiry to the competition sec and/or the pro.

 

[chrisd]

If he is just an odd bod who you happened to get drawn with, I would forget it and move on. If you play with him again, I would query with him, his actions at the time, and point out that he is very likely to be infringing rule 8.2b (as Oddsocks has said) Its a rule that he may not be infringing, if he doesn't make a mark, and I would tread carefully on this one - an enquiry rather than a row!


Chris

 

[Hippolyus]

Thanks all for the replies, that pretty much confirmed what I suspected (that this was in all likelihood illegal).

The possible courses of action in the replies were pretty interesting. Chrisd's scenario is the closest to the real life situation, and probably my wisest approach.

Very tempted by the thermonuclear blast-him-out-of-the- competition approach though: he was an annoying character even off the putting green!

 

[goldenbare]

I had a friend who was making a mark with his club about a foot in front of his ball to show the line on a fairway shot and advised him similarly that he could pick out a mark that he could see, old divot, weed etc but could not make his own mark.

 

[chris661]

he could pick out a mark that he could see, old divot, weed etc but could not make his own mark.

A weed? A weed on the fairway pfft whatever next