I have a question about marking your golf ball on the green. A lot of us line up our putts using the logo or letters on the ball. Do you have to mark the ball if you don’t pick it up to line up the logo or lettering?

That is an interesting golf question. There are a number of different golf rules about how and when you can touch or pick up your golf ball. So I’ll answer this one and share another one.

One of the primary questions about touching or picking up your golf ball has to do with where the ball is. On the green, generally speaking the ball cannot be lifted, touched, or moved without marking the ball first. You can see more on this at Rule 16 and Rule 18 in the Rules of Golf.

Now what happens in a situation where you are allowed to take relief without penalty? For instance where a cart path interferes with your stance? In this case, the rules don’t require you to mark your ball before lifting and doing a proper drop for the relief.

How about that awful golf shot, the whiff on the tee box? Your partner (because I know that this has never happened to you) whiff’s his or her tee shot, just barely causing the golf ball to fall off the tee. He or she then picks it up and puts it back on the tee, claiming “practice swing!”.

Now we all normally let that slide, but technically by the rules, the golf ball should be played as it lies and it should be their second shot. But normally I don’t think too many golfers call this penalty or enforce it. And that is generally just the way amateur golfers play.

But know you know what to do, if you dare, when it happens in your foursome during this Saturday mornings’ round of golf! Especially if there is big money riding on it.