Marking someone's ball

[Dellboy]

Hi
My local track has now made the 6th par 3, a play up hole, so yesterday after we got to the green we marked and waved the next 2 ball to play up.

I was fine but my partner had his line blocked by one of the group, playing up ball and pitch mark.

Not sure what to do I just marked it and repaired the green for him, he took his putt and I replaced the ball, was I ok to do this or should we have waited or should he have marked it himself ??

Cheers

Del

 

[thecraw]

You can mark it and he can put it back. He doesn't need you to re-mark it for him.

 

[Colin L]

Your partner had to have the player's authority to lift his ball. (Rule 20-1) By lifting it without authority he was simply moving a ball at rest which is covered by Rule 18-4. There is no penalty and the ball must be replaced - which your partner could do. The outcome is the same as if it had been lifted with authority and replaced: the same result but by a different route.

In the case of a "play up" hole like this, it might be reasonable to consider that by playing up, a player is giving tacit authority for his ball to be marked and lifted. What do you think?