RULES
Rub of the Green
Can you check for moisture before you putt? BY RON KASPRISKE
BACK IN 2019, THE RULES be- came a lot friendlier in terms of what you can and can’t do on a
putting green. For example, if a ball on the green moves after you’ve addressed it, whether you accidentally caused the ball to move or natural forces such as the wind did it, there is no penalty (Rule 13.1d). That wasn’t always the case. You’re also allowed to “tidy” a green, removing loose impediments any way you see fit (Shop-Vac, anyone?), as well as repair damage such as spike marks. All of this is intended to make arguably the most important part of the game more equitable. There’s nothing worse than worrying about a ball moving on a green on a gusty day or seeing it track towards the cup only to have it re-rout- ed by someone’s unrepaired footprint. However, there are some things you still need to be aware of when it comes to the putting green and committing penalties. This brings us to the scenario of checking to see if all that rain from the night before has made the surface you’re about to roll a putt on damp and slow. Can you put your hand down to check for moisture? In a word: Yes. Rule 13.1e says that during a round or while play is stopped under temporary suspension, a player must not deliber- ately rub the surface of a green or roll a ball on it to test conditions. Where things get a little confusing is that the act of putting your hand down on a green to see if it’s wet is not considered testing conditions. To be clear, there is no penalty if you check for moisture by touching the putting surface. However,
on the green to clean off mud or grass.) Some argue that what constitutes test- ing can be a gray area. An example: When someone removes
OVERNIGHT RAIN? Water could slow down your putt. It’s OK to check.
if you run your hand back and forth on the green to see how grainy or firm it is, you would be in violation of Rule 13 and that comes with a two-stroke penalty in stroke play or loss of hole in match play. (However, it’s OK to rub your ball “What constitutes testing can be a gray area. An example: When someone removes sand from a green by sweeping it.”
sand from a green by sweeping it with his or her hand. While that person liter- ally is rubbing the green, it’s being done as an act of cleaning up the surface and not as a way of gauging the speed or firmness of it. If that player happens to glean a little information about his or her ensuing putt, there is nothing in the rule book that says it’s a violation of Rule 13.
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 19
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2025
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