
A player deliberately touches his/her ball in play. The ball does not move. Does this player receive a penalty? Yes.

RULE 9.4B/1 – BALL DELIBERATELY TOUCHED BUT NOT MOVED RESULTS IN PENALTY TO PLAYER
When the ball in play is deliberately touched by the player, even if it does not move, the player gets one penalty stroke under Rule 9.4.
Here are four examples when a player would receive one penalty stroke if they:
• Without first marking the ball’s spot, rotate the ball on the putting green to line up the trademark with the hole, even if the ball remains on the same spot. If the player marked the spot of the ball before touching or rotating it, there would have been no penalty. • Without first marking the ball’s spot, rotate the ball anywhere on the course to identify it, and the ball is the player’s ball. • Deliberately touch the ball with a club in preparing to make a stroke. • Hold the ball steady with their hand, or position a pinecone or stick against the ball to prevent the ball from moving while they remove some loose impediments, or brush something off the ball.
Here is this month’s golf etiquette tip: When you are filling a divot with sand, ONLY fill the divot to ground level. Over filling a divot is as much a problem as not filling it at all. It is recommended to step on the sand-filled divot to make it level to the ground.