No longer required to mark a balls position for free relief!

[oltimer]

apologies if already discussed but can find no sign of it. As you no longer need to mark the balls position before relief from say a preferred lie and as you may clean your ball when doing this I wonder how many having lifted, turned to their bag and towelled it clean, now know the exact spot lifted from so they are playing it within the allowed six inches, seems open to some very advantageous lies by some. same will apply to relief from any abnormal condition.

 

[NearHull]

Our four ball discussed this during our game this morning. Pick, clean and place on the fairways - we all marked the balls position for 95% of the time. Habit I guess. On the other 5% of occasions the player left his club on the ground as an indicator of where the ball was positioned. It just felt wrong.
(But we did putt with the flag in on most putts, eventually we’ll catch on!)

 

[rulie]

The 2018 Local Rule for lift, clean and place did require the ball to be marked before lifting; the 2019 Local Rule does not. The "old Rules" (pre 2019) did not require the ball's location to be marked for things like GUR, casual water, unplayabe, IO), nor do the 2019 Rules. While it may be good practice to do so, there is no requirement to mark the ball.

 

[bobmac]

I will always mark my ball if I have to lift it.

 

[duncan mackie]

Always? I have had that cause issues in the past where people start to believe it's a rule and dish out penalties.

Don't see how that can cause any issue for Bob, and in the vast majority of times I do the same thing myself. Makes my thought processes simpler to follow through.

The fact that I don't have to is completely irrelevant.

As to other players dishing out penalties....?

 

[jim8flog]

I had picked this up in the new Preferred lie rule but having spent the last 10+ years getting most of the guys I play with to get in to the habit of marking the ball's position I am not telling them about the change ( I have changed the LR wording accordingly though).

 

[rosecott]

I had picked this up in the new Preferred lie rule but having spent the last 10+ years getting most of the guys I play with to get in to the habit of marking the ball's position I am not telling them about the change ( I have changed the LR wording accordingly though).

Legal?

 

[jim8flog]

Legal?

We have notices all around the club telling players that the local rules have changed and have published details of the rules changes and to pick up a new local rules sheet from the Pro shop. It is not my 'job' to go round telling all the members of the new local rules on a one to one basis.

If they continue to mark the ball they are not doing anything that is against the rules.

Our local rules now reads - "it is advisable to mark the position of the ball before picking it up to ensure it is placed within the relief area"

 

[oltimer]

Comps can only be Qualifiers if the ball is placed within 6 inches no nearer the hole - yet - we no longer require any marker to show where the ball was lifted from, I think this will allow some to be playing from nearer the hole than they had hit the ball to contrary to the requirement to hit a ball with a club from tee until holed out. think its a bad change of rule.

 

[bobmac]

Comps can only be Qualifiers if the ball is placed within 6 inches no nearer the hole - yet - we no longer require any marker to show where the ball was lifted from, I think this will allow some to be playing from nearer the hole than they had hit the ball to contrary to the requirement to hit a ball with a club from tee until holed out. think its a bad change of rule.

I agree. It's one of the main things in the rules
NOT NEARER THE HOLE.
If you don't mark it, accusations are going to be made

 

[duncan mackie]

Comps can only be Qualifiers if the ball is placed within 6 inches no nearer the hole - yet - we no longer require any marker to show where the ball was lifted from, I think this will allow some to be playing from nearer the hole than they had hit the ball to contrary to the requirement to hit a ball with a club from tee until holed out. think its a bad change of rule.

I think it was a necessary rule change - the rules only required a ball to be marked if it was required to be replaced so it was a source of confusion to have one situation that was different.

The question as to whether golfers should be trusted to do anything without someone else watching them is more philosophical - the change to the rules in this regard is more principled; the stated change in this regard is to move things further than previously. Golf as a game requires integrity, anyone can cheat in any number of ways, so this makes sense. The players judgement call is increasingly (in the new rules) accepted rather than questioned.

As said earlier, I still mark mine especially anytime my actions may be questioned (in whatever way).

 

[Wolf]

I will always mark my ball if I have to lift it.

Same for me as well, if I have to lift the ball for any reason I will always mark it. Its become a habit, helps my thought process and and saves any confusion of where I am to replace it thus taking any potential accusations out of the equation.

 

[Slab]

Comps can only be Qualifiers if the ball is placed within 6 inches no nearer the hole - yet - we no longer require any marker to show where the ball was lifted from, I think this will allow some to be playing from nearer the hole than they had hit the ball to contrary to the requirement to hit a ball with a club from tee until holed out. think its a bad change of rule.

Just a thought, but since no one (that I ever heard about or saw) actually measured the length of a scorecard (or 6") when using preferred lies relief, haven't we always had to rely on the players integrity to remain within the correct distance. Relying on them not to play from further forward seems no different

 

[duncan mackie]

Just a thought, but since no one (that I ever heard about or saw) actually measured the length of a scorecard (or 6") when using preferred lies relief, haven't we always had to rely on the players integrity to remain within the correct distance. Relying on them not to play from further forward seems no different

Yes, and the tee peg is rarely accurately or consistently positioned either - it's all very nominal.

 

[jim8flog]

Just a thought, but since no one (that I ever heard about or saw) actually measured the length of a scorecard (or 6") when using preferred lies relief, haven't we always had to rely on the players integrity to remain within the correct distance. Relying on them not to play from further forward seems no different

Reminds me of a funny incident that could have been very embarrassing if they were not very good friends it just brought loads of laughter between us.

Playing golf with three lady friends it was obvious they were not very particular about placing within the required distance so I commented
" the trouble with you ladies is you do not know what 6" inches is".

 

[Orikoru]

I'll probably keep marking it when clean and replace this winter, saves having to have a conversation about it with someone who maybe doesn't know the rule has changed (heck, I didn't know until just now when I read this). Besides, without marking the position, how would I know I hadn't accidentally replaced it slightly nearer? No point risking it. That said, being 1cm nearer the hole from 150 yards away is not really going to make any difference to the shot.

 

[Slab]

I'll probably keep marking it when clean and replace this winter, saves having to have a conversation about it with someone who maybe doesn't know the rule has changed (heck, I didn't know until just now when I read this). Besides, without marking the position, how would I know I hadn't accidentally replaced it slightly nearer? No point risking it. That said, being 1cm nearer the hole from 150 yards away is not really going to make any difference to the shot.

It might if that's where the nicest biggest juicy worm-cast is

 

[rulefan]

It might if that's where the nicest biggest juicy worm-cast is

Ah! So you are well aware of that facility also.

 

[clubchamp98]

I'll probably keep marking it when clean and replace this winter, saves having to have a conversation about it with someone who maybe doesn't know the rule has changed (heck, I didn't know until just now when I read this). Besides, without marking the position, how would I know I hadn't accidentally replaced it slightly nearer? No point risking it. That said, being 1cm nearer the hole from 150 yards away is not really going to make any difference to the shot.

Could do if your 1cm short.

I will keep marking for my own sake .
I think it’s a bad change and will lead to accusations of cheating.
Others can do what they like.
I think it’s a fundamental thing in golf to mark before picking up or nobody would bother on the green .
Just imagine “ who’s away” “might be me I am about here somewhere “
That would be fun in matchplay.

 

[bobmac]

Just to be clear.......
If you get a drop off a path or a staked tree etc, you don't need to mark the ball's original position before picking it up?