Written by: Darin Green, Senior Director of Rules & Competitions
Welcome to 2024 and Happy New Year! Luckily for us, 2024 is NOT a rule change year, so we do not need to learn any rule changes.
One of the more common questions I receive are when a player makes a stroke from the putting green and their ball in motion collides with something else on the putting green. I am always surprised how often this happens!
Rule 11 covers all of the scenarios when a ball played from the putting hits something on the putting green. Rule 11 can be confusing if you read through, so rather than explaining the Rule in “rules speech”, we will look at each possible scenario and explain what to do.
In all of the following scenarios, the ball is played from the putting green, is in motion, and hits the object that is also on the putting green.
Scenarios
Ball Marker: Ball played from putting green and the ball hits another player’s ball marker – No penalty to anyone and play the ball as it lies. If the ball marker moved, just replace it.
Another Ball: Ball played from putting green hits another ball at rest on the putting green (that was at rest when the stroke was made) – No penalty to anyone in match play, even if it was your partner’s ball. Two stroke penalty in stroke play to the player that made the stroke.
Another Ball in Motion: Ball played from the putting green accidentally hits another ball that is also in motion – No penalties and the stroke is cancelled and the player should replay the stroke by placing a ball where the previous stroke was made. The other ball should be replayed if it was played from the putting green; however, if the other ball was played from off the putting green, then it is played as it lies without penalty. *
The Player or Club Used: Ball played from putting green accidentally hits the player that made the stroke, or the club used to the make the stroke – No penalty and the ball is played as it lies.
Another Person: Ball played from the putting green accidentally hits any other person (other than a person attending the flagstick) – No penalty and the stroke is cancelled and the player should replay the stroke by placing a ball where the previous stroke was made. *
Animal: Ball played from the putting green accidentally hits any animal (other than an insect or the player – No penalty and the stroke is cancelled and the player should replay the stroke by placing a ball where the previous stroke was made. *
Curious what an animal is under the Rules? Read the definition here.
Movable Obstruction: Ball played from the putting green accidentally hits any movable obstruction (towel, glove, cigarette butt, another club, most equipment of any player, etc.) – No penalty and the stroke is cancelled and the player should replay the stroke by placing a ball where the previous stroke was made. *
Insect: Ball played from the putting green accidentally hits an insect – The stroke counts and the ball is played as is it lies.
Curious what an insect is under the Rules? Insects are explained within the defintiion of loose impediments here.
Removed Flagstick: Ball played from the putting green accidentally hits the flagstick that was removed prior to the stroke – No penalty and the stroke counts and the ball is played as is it lies provided the flagstick was not placed in a position to deliberately deflect or stop the ball in motion.
Holed Flagstick: Ball played from the putting green hits the flagstick that was left in the hole prior to the stroke – The stroke counts and the ball is played as is it lies.
Attended Flagstick or Person Attending (Accidental): Ball played from anywhere on the course accidentally hits the attended flagstick or the person attending it – No penalty to anyone and the ball is played as it lies.
Attended Flagstick or Person Attending (Deliberate): Ball played from the putting green deliberately hits the attended flagstick or the person attending it – Player should cancel the stroke and replay the stroke. If the deliberate action to deflect or stop the ball in motion was done by the player’s partner or caddie, or under the direction of the player, the player gets the general penalty (loss of hole in match play or two strokes in stroke play). *
* In any of the situations above that instructs the player to cancel the stroke and replay it, if the player does not replay the stroke and continues to play the ball from its new location, the previous stroke counts, they get the general penalty (loss of hole in match play or two strokes in stroke play), and they have not played from a wrong place.
Be careful on the greens out there!
Have a great 2024!
