You are playing the 7th hole on the Sabal Course. You and your opponent balls end up just short of the green. You are first to play, but you think that your opponent’s ball may interfere with your next stroke. You ask your opponent to mark his/her ball that has a piece of mud sticking to the top of it.
Is your opponent allowed to clean his ball in this situation?
No
RULE 15.3B BALL ANYWHERE ON COURSE INTERFERING WITH PLAY
(2). When Relief is Allowed from Interfering Ball. If a player reasonably believes that another player’s ball anywhere on the course might interfere with the player’s own play:
- The player may require the other player to mark the spot and lift the ball, and the ball must not be cleaned (except when lifted from the putting green).
Is your opponent required to replace his/her muddy ball back with the mud on top of the ball, the way it was lying before it was marked?
No
RULE 14.2C/1 BALL MAY BE REPLACED IN ALMOST ANY ORIENTATION
When replacing a lifted ball on a spot, the Rules are only concerned about the location. The ball may be aligned in any way when being replaced (such as by lining up a trademark) so long as the ball’s vertical distance to the ground remains the same.
When using a Rule that does not allow cleaning, the player lifts their ball and there is a piece of mud sticking to it. The ball may be aligned in any way when replacing it on the original spot (such as by rotating the interfering mud towards the hole).
However, the player is not allowed to replace the ball in an alignment so the ball rests on the mud unless that was its position before it was lifted. The “spot” of the ball includes its vertical location relative to the ground.
Here is this month’s golf etiquette tip. On the Green: Fix ball marks like a craftsman, leaving no bare ground and an even, smooth surface where the ball mark was. Never dig under a ball mark and leverage the soil upward with your tee or tool. This dislodges the tender plant structures. Pull the surrounding grass gently to the middle of the mark, starting at the highest point). Finishing off with using you putter to tap the area smooth.
