Marking a ball on the green Rule 15.3

jim8flog

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Ball Anywhere on Course Interfering with Play
(1) Meaning of Interference by Another Player’s Ball. Interference under this Rule exists when another player’s ball at rest:
  • Might interfere with the player’s area of intended stance or area of intended swing,
  • Is on or close to the player’s line of play such that, given the intended stroke, there is a reasonable chance the player’s ball in motion could hit that ball, or
  • Is close enough to distract the player in making the stroke.

One of my mates keeps asking for nearly every ball on a green to be marked before he plays his shot. I am pretty sure he does this because he says they are a visual distraction. This is becoming very tedious and causing slow play.

E.g last Monday he asked for my ball to be marked which was 6 ft right and level with the hole and one of the other guys who was 8 ft left and level with the hole( I was off the green at the time)

At what distance would you consider a ball to be close to line or hole sufficiently to meet the condition of the emboldened part of the rule.
Is the player the sole judge? Can I refuse as I consider it to be a 'silly' request? Given

Penalty for Breach of Rule 15.3 General Penalty. This penalty also applies if the player:
  • Refuses to lift his or her ball or move his or her ball-marker when required to do so and a stroke is then made by the other player whose play might have been helped or interfered with
 
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nickjdavis

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Surely as part of the process of taking your putt you are going to want to lift your ball to clean it anyway?...or if not to clean it to at least align a marking with your intended target line for aiming purposes?
 

jim8flog

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Surely as part of the process of taking your putt you are going to want to lift your ball to clean it anyway?...or if not to clean it to at least align a marking with your intended target line for aiming purposes?

If this is the case I have no problem, it is the person waiting for the me to get on to the green that is a causing the delay or my waiting well away from my ball as he is very finickity about where people stand ( I would not be 'allowed' to stand where my ball is as that would 'distract' him as well) .
 

jim8flog

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I would add the club has adopted Ready Golf as policy but this guy does not want to adhere to it. He is slowing the group down to the position where we are being complained about. I and others want to try to get him to just get a move on.
 

backwoodsman

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If my ball was within a couple of feet or so of the other players ball I will likely comply. If it is 6ft away I'd tell him to naff off - unless it was actually my own desire to lift/mark it. (And in which case I'd leave it to them to prove to the committee that my ball was " close enough to distract the player in making his stroke".)

And no, I'd not necessarily want to clean my ball - if it was not dirty, and no, I'd not want to "line it up". (I've putted a lot better after deciding not to align any alignment marks ...)
 

KenL

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If my ball was within a couple of feet or so of the other players ball I will likely comply. If it is 6ft away I'd tell him to naff off - unless it was actually my own desire to lift/mark it. (And in which case I'd leave it to them to prove to the committee that my ball was " close enough to distract the player in making his stroke".)

And no, I'd not necessarily want to clean my ball - if it was not dirty, and no, I'd not want to "line it up". (I've putted a lot better after deciding not to align any alignment marks ...)

You wouldn't be welcome in any of the groups I play in.
 

Colin L

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Very difficult to mark my ball when I am 20 yards away from the green sometimes or still in a bunker raking it after my shot.

You could authorise another player to mark and lift your ball [14.1b].

By the way, is this guy prone perhaps to shanking his putts?
 

rulefan

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  • Refuses to lift his or her ball or move his or her ball-marker when required to do so and a stroke is then made by the other player whose play might have been helped or interfered with
These words are key

If this player complains that you didn't move your ball the committee may well decide there was no possible help or interference. It's up to him to prove it to the committee.
 

Steven Rules

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If you are asked to lift your ball by another player then you do so. You have already identified the rule.

But I thought you said he was a "mate".

"Mate....we need to pick up our pace of play."

"Mate....the Committee wants us to play ready golf."

"Mate.....I don't like how everybody else complains about how slow this group is."

"Mate....if things don't improve I'm going to start playing in a different group. "
 

SwingsitlikeHogan

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If they want it marked, you mark it.
Or, better still, you mark your ball without having to be asked.
Absolutely spot on. OP‘s buddy causing him an issue could be me. I also ask other players stand on or near my line behind the hole as I putt to shift across a bit.
 

SwingsitlikeHogan

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If this is the case I have no problem, it is the person waiting for the me to get on to the green that is a causing the delay or my waiting well away from my ball as he is very finickity about where people stand ( I would not be 'allowed' to stand where my ball is as that would 'distract' him as well) .
…or if you are still a way off you tell him he can mark and move your ball for him…?

And I’m afraid that if I think that where you are standing is a distraction…then you are a distraction and I‘d ask you to move…sorry.

This sort of stuff is simply a matter of courtesy to your fellows, and basic etiquette - the sort of stuff that should not even be a matter of contention or debate. You just accede to the request, and without question.
 
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rulie

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…or if you are still a way off you tell him he can mark and move your ball for him…?

And I’m afraid that if I think that where you are standing is a distraction…then you are a distraction and I‘d ask you to move…sorry.

This sort of stuff is simply a matter of courtesy to your fellows, and basic etiquette - the sort of stuff that should not even be a matter of contention or debate. You just accede to the request, and without question.
But you could have a word with him on the way to the next tee explaining your (and the group's) view of his behaviour and impacts on pace of play.
 

SwingsitlikeHogan

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But you could have a word with him on the way to the next tee explaining your (and the group's) view of his behaviour and impacts on pace of play.
Yes you could. But tbh I don’t think pace of play is really the issue…not really. Rather I suspect it’s just that some players don’t like being asked to do something they can’t themselves be bothered to do of their own volition, or that wouldn’t bother them if they were the player to putt.

I also suspect that verbal rejections of such very occasional requests would be very rare, if they happened at all. I just can’t imagine it happening at my place…as hard as I might try.

The above is not to say that those who take an eternity over every shot might not get a polite request from me if we are losing our place. But that is not the same as an occasional request to mark a ball. I might make such a request maybe once or twice a round when in a four ball - and prob not bother at all in casual non-comp golf. Maybe OP experience is of a player doing this all the time on every hole to every other player - when yes - I can imagine that becoming a bit frustrating.

Same number of times asking a player to move (and in any random four ball oddly enough it’s usually the same player ?), though this is less common as most players know where not to stand when another is putting - and it’s usually them simply not paying attention that another is about to play that causes it.
 
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rulie

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Yes you could. But tbh I don’t think pace of play is really the issue…not really. Rather I suspect it’s just that some players don’t like being asked to do something they can’t themselves be bothered to do of their own volition, or that wouldn’t bother them if they were the player to putt.

I also suspect that verbal rejections of such very occasional requests would be very rare, if they happened at all. I just can’t imagine it happening at my place…as hard as I might try.

The above is not to say that those who take an eternity over every shot might not get a polite request from me if we are losing our place. But that is not the same as an occasional request to mark a ball. I might make such a request maybe once or twice a round when in a four ball - and prob not bother at all in casual non-comp golf. Maybe OP experience is of a player doing this all the time on every hole to every other player - when yes - I can imagine that becoming a bit frustrating.

Same number of times asking a player to move (and in any random four ball oddly enough it’s usually the same player ?), though this is less common as most players know where not to stand when another is putting - and it’s usually them simply not paying attention that another is about to play that causes it.
"That player" needs to know that, in stroke play, he can mark any ball on the putting green without permission and without consequence. So, it you're raking a bunker, he's free to go and mark your ball if he feels it is in his way or distraction zone.
 

salfordlad

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At what distance would you consider a ball to be close to line or hole sufficiently to meet the condition of the emboldened part of the rule.
Is the player the sole judge? Can I refuse as I consider it to be a 'silly' request?
The player is the sole judge, the rule is not qualified. If he wants your ball marked, you need to mark - that is precisely what the rule says. It could be worse, the player could also ask that any ball-marker be removed from his sight. But as rulie notes, the player can mark your ball himself in stroke play - which could be sensible if that avoids undue delay.
 
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