Marking the ball

A ball-marker is an artificial object, such as a coin, a tee or a purpose-made marker. You may also hold a club on the ground right behind or next to the ball.

On the putting green you may mark and lift your ball whenever you like. Your caddie may do so there without your specific authorisation. If you accidentally move your ball or ball-marker on the green, replace it without penalty.

If your ball-marker is in another player’s way, you may move it one or more clubhead-lengths to the side. Before you putt, you must move it back exactly. If you putt from the moved spot, you play from a wrong place, which costs two penalty strokes in stroke play.

If another player’s ball interferes with you, you may require it to be marked and lifted. But if two players in stroke play agree to leave a ball in place to help, for example as a backstop at the hole, both get two penalty strokes.