When is a Green not a Green?

[mikejohnchapman]

Played ths week in a strokeplay competition - no prefered lies.

A ball came to rest on the edge of the green. However, before marking and lifting it the player was worried the ball was not touchng the green. On closer inspection it appeared the greenkeeper had not cut the edge of the green on the normal line so there was a 2" to 3" strip that hadn't been cut that morning. Hence the grass under the ball appeared a darker colour.

If you stood to one side the ball appeared to be inside the normal line of the green but as he wasn't sure he decided to play it despite it having a lot of sand attached.

Would he have been within his rights to mark and clean his ball?

 

[Hosel Fade]

Its odd, the green is just defined as a surface specially prepared for putting. If the height of cut was visibly different I would say the player acted correctly.

 

[rulefan]

Within reason, it doesn't really matter when the surface was cut (prepared). If the ball was on yesterday's cut or it had obviously been prepared for putting recently, IMO it was on the green.

 

[Colin L]

Since the whole purpose of requiring relief to be taken from a wrong green is to protect the putting surface, err on the safe side.

 

[rulie]

Within reason, it doesn't really matter when the surface was cut (prepared). If the ball was on yesterday's cut or it had obviously been prepared for putting recently, IMO it was on the green.

In my opinion, the only relevant line was the line of the cut made today, not yesterday and not "traditional". That has been my ruling in the past (and will be in the future).

 

[rulefan]

The definition makes no mention of a time qualification for 'prepared'.