Evening star., 1935-12-15
Can't Touch Line of Putt.


IN THE case of the divot hole made
in the putting green. player asked
the following question: "In playing a
match recently as my opponent ap-
preached to the green her ball made
a large divot in the green. Before
putting the ball out she replaced the
divot and then pressed on it with her
foot" The answer of the U. S. G. A,
was this: The rules of golf pertain
ing to the putting green forbid that
the line Of the putt may be touched;
they do not allow a partne~ Or his
caddie or the players caddie, in point
ing out a direction for putting, TO
touch the ground on the proposed line
OF the stroke, nor the placing OF a
mark anywhere on the putting green.
Irregularities of surface Whicn could
in any way affect the players stroke,
whether on or off the green, shall not
be removed or pressed down
But the U. S. G. A also ruled that
# the divot was so far removed from
the line of play that its elimination
could not possibly affect the suo5e-
quent play of the hole, no penalty
would result from its elimination or
repair. The committee recommends,
however, that players avoid the posi-
bility of any question being raised
under the above rules Ny deferring re-
pairing the ground until the play OF a
hole is finished
A ball stops in a sand trap in a
pile of leaves that have been blown
into the trap by the wind. The ball
cannot be seen. Can anything be
done about it?" asks player. Ger
tainly," says the U. S. G. A. "Under
rule 81 a player is entitled to find
his ball and in the opinion of the
committee the player is permitted to
move leaves to the extent necessary
to enable him to find his ball" The
ball may not be touched, but the
leaves may be removed to permit
Identification and sight of the ball.
The same situation exists in the case
of cut grass in hazard.
If Ball Hits a Spectator.
"A ND here's funny one which
actually happened. A ball hit a
member of the gallery and this per-
son, angered at being hit, threw the
ball into the rough. Should the
ball be dropped or does the player
have to play it from the rough?s was
the question.
The U. S. G. A. ruled that the ball
having come to rest and its lie being
then altered by the spectator, it must
be dropped at and played from the
spot where it came to rest after hit
ting the spectator, without penalty.
A player may not place coin di-
rectly in front of his ball through the
fairway so he will be able to train his
eye to keep it on the ball as he hits
it, under another ruling. "Subdivi-
sion 4 of rule A. the U. S. G. A. said,
provides that no mark shall be placed
on the proposed line of play in order
to indicate it while the stroke is
being played. Even though a COM
petitor asserted that the mark placed
in front Of his ball was not to indi-
cate the line of play, but to help him
keep his eye on the ball. so doing
would necessarily indicate the line of
play and assist him in making the
stroke on that line. In the judgment
of the committee, it is not only
violation of rule 4, entailing the pen
atty in match play of loss of the hole,
and in stroke play of two strokes,
but also the spirit and tradition of the
game uhirh enter into the internre-
tation of the rules, do not sanction
artificial aid in the making of a
shot"