bobmac
Major Champion
What would you say if you saw your opposition mark his ball on the green, pick up the ball and wipe the mud off the ball on the green?
Muddy balls
- Thread starter bobmac
- Start date
Bacardibatman
Challenge Tour Pro
fixed that for ya Bob
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
"Mind the green Mate"
But nothing else..........
But nothing else..........
bobmac
Major Champion
CliveW
Tour Winner
Nothing....Why?
bobmac
Major Champion
Nothing....Why?
Some people still think it's not allowed
Bacardibatman
Challenge Tour Pro
Scouser
Tour Winner
I have done this a couple of times .....never once thought it could be deemed as cheating......
Suppose I should respect the course a bit more though
Suppose I should respect the course a bit more though
Bob,are you on the wind up?
I have never ever heard of anyone who thinks it aint allowed.
I have never ever heard of anyone who thinks it aint allowed.
Mungoscorner
Journeyman Pro
When i read the thread title,i thought it was a euphemism.
bobmac
Major Champion
Seriously. Someone tried to call me for it, said I was testing the surface
Piece
Tour Winner
I've been called for it before-got given a warning as no one really knew the rule. Since I've always cleaned the ball on a towel or my trousers (or fringe!) just to be very safe!
rosecott
Money List Winner
The very fact that the rule recommends that you do not do it must push you in the direction of not doing it in case it is construed as testing the putting surface.
Better safe than sorry, although I can't imagine how you could distinguish between an absent-minded wipe and a deliberate attempt to gain some knowledge of the putting surface. Has anyone ever learnt anything by wiping their ball in this way?
Region3
Ryder Cup Winner
I had someone try to give me a penalty for doing it once. I said (knowing) that I thought it wasn't but we'd check after before I entered my card.
I showed him the decision quoted above, but all he could go on about was it stating in the rules you couldn't do it.
In the end he agreed that I wasn't doing it purposely to test the surface, but said that now I know (!!!!!) that he would give me the penalty next time.
No you won't.
However, next time I will make him wait while I go to my bag and wipe the ball on a towel.
Divot.
If I wanted to test the surface I'd brush something off my line with my hand. I don't know what I'd learn though.
I showed him the decision quoted above, but all he could go on about was it stating in the rules you couldn't do it.
In the end he agreed that I wasn't doing it purposely to test the surface, but said that now I know (!!!!!) that he would give me the penalty next time.
No you won't.
However, next time I will make him wait while I go to my bag and wipe the ball on a towel.
Divot.
If I wanted to test the surface I'd brush something off my line with my hand. I don't know what I'd learn though.
backspin22
Club Champion
Keep a bar towel in your back pocket. It's good for noses too 
I'd have thought a man of your status would have had a man servant on hand for such situations Bob especially with all the V-easy royalties
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
To me this is where the Rules need a serious overhaul in the wording department. So often a rule reccommends or suggests leaving a grey area the size of Wales.. What the hell is "testing the surface"? "testing the sand"
My favourite is the marking of the ball. The Rules suggest that you should mark your ball to make it identifiable. But if you don't mark it, you are unable to positively identify it as yours therefore the ball is lost. Why not simply say - mark your ball then you can identify it. Clears up the grey area and makes it simpler to understand.
Leftie
Tour Winner
I think that it would be very difficult to "test the surface" by wiping the mud off your ball on the green which is why, I suppose, the decisions ruling has been made.
A patch of mud on the green however might not be appreciated by someone playing behind your group.
More to the point, I recall several occasions when a certain American golfer (I won't mention his name as I don't want the hate mail that comes from any adverse comments about TW) would mark his ball on the green, roll the ball away, and subsequently roll the ball back in front of his marker.
That's as near as testing the green as you can get.
Sorry you TW lovers. It's only my humble opinion. I'm sure other pro's also do it (no, not you Bob. You only wipe your balls
)
A patch of mud on the green however might not be appreciated by someone playing behind your group.
More to the point, I recall several occasions when a certain American golfer (I won't mention his name as I don't want the hate mail that comes from any adverse comments about TW
) would mark his ball on the green, roll the ball away, and subsequently roll the ball back in front of his marker. That's as near as testing the green as you can get.
Sorry you TW lovers. It's only my humble opinion. I'm sure other pro's also do it (no, not you Bob. You only wipe your balls
)
rosecott
Money List Winner
Agree wholeheartedly!
If the rules are going to do the job they set out to do, then there must be more "musts".
CliveW
Tour Winner
Neither are pitchmarks, but that doesn't stop people walking off the green without repairing them.
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