2010 #8 Repairing Hole

THE SCENE

You are putting on hole #2. Your ball goes in the hole but as you reach in to pick it up you see a ragged edge on the side of the hole. You pat it back into place, then smooth it until it looks perfect. You look up and smile. But one of your fellow competitors says in a sing-song voice, “That’s a 2 stroke penalty, ya ya di ya ya.” Then she pointed her finger at you. “That will ‘influence the movement of our balls’.”

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

A. Laugh at her antics and tell her she is wrong.

B. Look at Rule 1-2 which says you can’t exert influence on another’s ball,

then take a 2-stroke penalty

C. Ask the Pro when you get in and adjust your score accordingly.

A  AND C ARE CORRECT

The Pro will tell you that if you repaired the hole as a curtesy to those following you, or just to care for the course, there is no penalty. However, if you did it for the purpose of making someone’s ball either go in or fail to go in, there is a 2-stroke penalty.

See Rule 1-2

1-2. Exerting Influence on Ball A player or caddie must not take any action to influence the position or the movement of a ball except in accordance with the Rules. *Penalty for Breach of Rule 1-2: Match play — Loss of hole; Stroke play — Two strokes. *In the case of a serious breach of Rule 1-2, the Committee may impose a penalty of disqualification. Note: A player is deemed to have committed a serious breach of Rule 1-2 if the Committee considers that his act of influencing the position or movement of the ball has allowed him or another player to gain a significant advantage or has placed another player, other than his partner, at a significant disadvantage.

And see this from Decision 1-2/3.5

A. If the player smoothed the edge of the hole as a courtesy to the players in following groups or for the care of the course, he was not in breach of Rule1-2. However, if the player’s primary purpose in smoothing the ragged edge was to influence the movement of his opponent’s, fellow-competitor’s, or partner’s ball, he was in breach of 1-2.

REMEMBER: It is okay to smooth a ragged edge of the hole, as long as you are doing it as a curtesy.