2011 #1 Can You Lift and Clean Your Ball?

THE SCENE:

Your ball in lying in the fairway on hole #4. It has a hunk of mud adhering to it. You lift the ball and rub it against the grass to clean it. But then your fellow competitor calls you on it. She says, “Hey! You can’t do that! That’s a one stroke penalty.”

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

A. You did lift and clean your ball, so you take a one stroke penalty.

B. Your ball had mud on it. You couldn’t even tell if it was your ball until you cleaned it. So there was no penalty.

A IS CORRECT.

You are not allowed to lift your ball. If you do so, you will be penalized 1 stroke.

See Rule 18 Ball at Rest Moved 

18-2. By Player, Partner, Caddie or Equipment

a. General

When a player's ball is in play, if:

(i) the player, his partner or either of their caddies lifts or moves it, touches it purposely (except with a club in the act of addressing it) or causes it to move except as permitted by a Rule, or

(ii)equipment of the player or his partner causes the ball to move,

the player incurs a penalty of one stroke.

You are not allowed to clean your ball.

If you lifted your ball to identify it, and if you followed the proper procedure for doing so (see Rules Tip 2008 #8 How to ID Your Ball), you will still be penalized 1 stroke for cleaning it.The following rule says you can’t clean your ball when you have lifted it to ID it.

Rule 21 Cleaning Ball

A ball on the putting green may be cleaned when lifted under Rule 16-1b. Elsewhere, a ball may be cleaned when lifted, except when it has been lifted: a. To determine if it is unfit for play (Rule 5-3); b. For identification (Rule 12-2), in which case it may be cleaned only to the extent necessary for identification; or c. Because it is assisting or interfering with play (Rule 22). If a player cleans his ball during play of a hole except as provided in this Rule, he incurs a penalty of one stroke and the ball, if lifted, must be replaced. The only time you are allowed to Lift, Clean and Replace you ball on the fairway is when the Club has instituted Winter Rules.

REMEMBER: When your ball lies in the fairway or ruff, even if it is very dirty, don’t lift it and clean it.