Rule 7.3
Identifying your ball
Also searched as: identify ball, lifting to identify, is this my ball, identification mark
If you are not sure it is your ball, you may lift it and check, anywhere on the course, including in a bunker or penalty area. Mark the spot first.
It is easiest if you put your own identification mark on your ball before the round, as the Rules recommend. If you find a ball but cannot identify it as yours, it counts as not found and is lost after three minutes of searching.
Step by step
- 1Mark the spot. With a ball-marker right behind or next to the ball.
- 2Lift it. Rotating the ball counts as lifting. Lifting without marking costs one penalty stroke.
- 3Clean it only as needed. Cleaning more than needed to identify it also costs one penalty stroke. On the putting green you may clean it fully.
- 4Replace it. Then put it back exactly on the marked spot, whoever it belongs to.
In the video
