Rules question on golf balls
Golf Nut, I have a question about playing with different golf balls. When I have a difficult golf shot where water is definitely coming into play off the tee, I usually play an older golf ball. My playing partner said that I could not do that. Who is right?
Well the Rules of Golf only specify one specific item in this situation. The golfer must finish each golf hole with the ball he or she started with (unless lost of course). So as long as you are hitting from the tee box, you are fine to substitute an old ball.
The only thing that you might run into is a local rule or a tournament rule that states something different. A lot of golfers do substitute golf balls during a hole. I have seem them tee off with an older ball and use a newer ball to putt with. This is not allowed unless the ball has been declared unfit to play. And that is a whole different can of worms that I won’t go into.
I have also heard golfers say that you must play an entire round with the same type of golf balls. I may have missed it, but I haven’t found anything in the rules of golf that state this. So continue to do what you have been doing with a clear conscience, you haven’t broken any rules.
Good golfing to you and your partner!
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Comment by ED on 13 October 2008:
If your playing a round of golf with your buddies and one of them hits a tee shot and when it lands it gets some mud on it from impact, can they clean it off in the middle of a fairway, and then put it back on the ground. (lets say it is a par 5), I know you can clean your ball on the tee blocks and on the putting green, but i thought fairway was play it as it lies.
thanks a lot.
ED
Comment by Golfer1983 on 3 June 2009:
You may not pick up your ball anywhere other then the Green. On the tee-box you may reset your ball after teeing up as long as no swing has been made. Fairway is simply play it as it lies you may not clean the ball or remove any obstacles (that are fixed) from where your ball rests.
Comment by Rolf Sabye on 8 February 2010:
yesterday I was watching a NCGA youth golf tournament which brought up a question between my wife and me. We both play regularly.
With all the recent rains, the fairways are very soft, and even a little muddy in spots.
Yesterday we saw most of the players in the youth tournament mark and pick up their balls from the fairway, clean them and replace them in the same spot.
This goeas against the rule as I understood it.