Marking ball on the apron

The tee is needed in the diagram because thats where you would place your tee right behind the ball.

I've always placed the ball back behind my original tee marked when on a fairway. Its just that when I was on the apron today, I used a ball marker like I would on a green and put the ball in front of the marker and nearer the hole like I would on a green. Technically not like this picture.

If as Fundy said the line should be going through the equator then putting the ball back in front would be safe (not recommended granted) . Otherwise its a rule breach according to this picture because the shaded area is definitely not in front, nearer the hole.
 
Diagram is correct if you place your tee along the line, but wrong if that's where you must place the centre of the ball. And it's also a tiny bit wrong anyway, because he distance at the end of the scorecard distance is ever so slightly further away from the hole than the middle - it's the hypotenuse of the right-angled triangle with 6" as its short side and 'ball to hole' as its long one.

Question to answer: Is replacing in same spot 'not nearer the hole'. Of course it is, so that was fine.

If that's your club's explanation, you should challenge it! Otherwise, what exactly was reason given by your opponents for your marking being wrong?
 
I think the easiest way to answer your question is this:

No matter where on the course you mark your ball you can mark it in the same way as you mark it on the green (i.e. Ball Marker behind the ball)

Many people when not on the green choose to use a tee as it can be suck in the ground and will not risk being moved during the dropping process.

You were not wrong to Mark it and replace it as you did. Forget all the diagrams, as long as you are placing/dropping the ball within the specified distance and it does not land or finish nearer the hole than your original location you are ok. If dropping andit rolls nearer the hole on 2 drops then place it as close to where it landed on the 2nd drop.

Simples
 
Foxholer said:
Diagram is correct if you place your tee along the line, but wrong if that's where you must place the centre of the ball. And it's also a tiny bit wrong anyway, because he distance at the end of the scorecard distance is ever so slightly further away from the hole than the middle - it's the hypotenuse of the right-angled triangle with 6" as its short side and 'ball to hole' as its long one.

Question to answer: Is replacing in same spot 'not nearer the hole'. Of course it is, so that was fine.

If that's your club's explanation, you should challenge it! Otherwise, what exactly was reason given by your opponents for your marking being wrong?
Click to expand...

I dont know what my clubs precise explanation is I just grabbed that diagram off the net and assumed each club uses the same template. I've just discovered just now for the first time that the areas that you pick and place your ball vary from club to club! I think I ought to check with my club exactly what the area is.

The player didnt really object to what I did it was more of a "oh you pick and place your ball like that do you?" and thats when I realised that I placed the ball like I do with a putt on the green rather than using the semi circle rule.

Steve, it wasnt a drop just a regular pick up , clean and place back off the green on the apron. The crux of the matter is that I marked it like a putt , ball behind marker. Then I put the ball back in front of marker and it looks wrong - I can see why my opponent made comment.

Put it this way. If the ball was 100yds away from the green in the middle of the fairway I would put a tee behind the ball. When I go back to place the ball I would never ever place the ball back where it was in front of the tee. I've always erred on the side of caution and placed behind this imaginary line. It might be correct to do otherwise but it can appear illegal to some.
 
You've really made this more difficult for yourself than need be. Everything that you need to know has been said so this is just to summarise and confirm:

You can mark your ball with anything you like, provided it defines the spot precisely.
You can mark behind, in front or to the side of the ball.
There is no difference in marking anywhere on the course.
With a placement within 6" where there is a preferred lies local rule, the 6" should be measured from the point at which the ball touches the ground.
There was nothing wrong with the way you marked and placed your ball. Placing your ball exactly where it was can't be nearer the hole and is rather obviously within 6".


As has been said, you've been badly misled by a flawed diagram in which the diameter of the 6" semicircle within which you can place the ball has been shown behind the ball and the tee instead of through the centre of the ball as illustrated here (click on it for a larger image)

View attachment 134
 
Last edited:
Colin L said:
You've really made this more difficult for yourself than need be. Everything that you need to know has been said so this is just to summarise and confirm:

You can mark your ball with anything you like, provided it defines the spot precisely.
You can mark behind, in front or to the side of the ball.
There is no difference in marking anywhere on the course.
With a placement within 6" where there is a preferred lies local rule, the 6" should be measured from the point at which the ball touches the ground.
There was nothing wrong with the way you marked and placed your ball. Placing your ball exactly where it was can't be nearer the hole and is rather obviously within 6".


As has been said, you've been badly misled by a flawed diagram in which the diameter of the 6" semicircle within which you can place the ball has been shown behind the ball and the tee instead of through the centre of the ball as illustrated here (click on it for a larger image)

View attachment 134
Click to expand...

As per Colin above.
And just re-emphasise that (in respect of marking/lifting) putting ball back in exact same spot is never wrong.
And although obvious, it's worth reminding oneself that all distances and measuring are in relation to the position of the ball - not the marker. The marker is only there to show where the ball was.
 
Thanks that is super clear now.

Apologiies for flogging this to death but there waa some ambiguity caused by the diagram and you dont want to be accused of cheating or losing a match over some stupid technicality. That cant happen now cheers to everyone who replied.
 
i only ever use a ball marker when on the green,everywhere else i use a tee peg cant see a problem about marking on the fringe under winter rules no matter how the op marked his ball
 
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