Rules Column: Patti Daskalos

When it is OK to clean your golf ballith another way to play

Have you ever wondered when you can or cannot clean your ball while you are playing a round? You can always clean a ball that has been lifted from the putting green. But remember the spot of the ball must be marked before it is lifted and the ball must be replaced on its original spot.

A ball lifted from anywhere else may always be cleaned except when it is lifted for one of the following reasons:

• If you think you ball may be cut or cracked, you may mark and lift your bill to determine  if it is cut or cracked — but cleaning is not allowed. As a reminder, a ball is not cracked if it is only scratched or scraped. Missing paint, or discoloration on the ball also would not be cut or cracked. If the ball is not cut or cracked, then replace the ball on its original spot. If the ball is cut or cracked, you can play it if you want or replace another ball on the original spot.

• If you are not sure if a ball is yours, you may mark and lift the ball to identify it. In this  case, you may clean the ball just enough to identify it. And if your ball is on the putting green, you can clean it as much as you want.

• Another player says your ball interferes with their play, they may ask you to mark and lift your ball. In this case, you cannot clean the ball (except when lifted from the putting green). Keep in mind the Interference Rule is only for when you believe another player’s ball will interfere with your own play. If David, Joe, and Bruce are playing, and David believes Joe’s ball will interfere with Bruce’s play, the decision to have the ball marked and lifted, belongs only to Joe. And do not assume that your ball might interfere with another player —they need to tell you that your ball is interfering before you mark and lift your ball.

• Cleaning is not allowed if you are lifting your ball to see if it lies in a condition where  you could get relief—for example to see if your ball is embedded. I would always  recommend marking the ball before you lift, because if you lift the ball without marking  it and you are not entitled to relief, you will need to give yourself one penalty stroke for moving your ball in play. Do not clean it and replace that same ball on the estimated spot you lifted it from. If you did not mark the ball before you lifted it, and you are allowed to proceed under a relief rule, you have avoided getting the one stroke penalty for moving your ball in play.

If you have cleaned your ball in any of the instances above, the penalty for cleaning your ball is  one stroke. You must also replace the same ball on the spot from where it was lifted.