No Deliberate Greens Testing Exception-Testing Greens Between Two Holes: A player may rub the surface of the hole's putting green or roll a ball on any practice green (see Rule 5.5b). In general, you can't do anything with the green except play golf from the fairway. However, there are times when it is necessary to reach into the hole for various reasons. As long as you don't fill in any part of the hole, reaching into the hole to retrieve something that has fallen into it is permitted. For example, if a dog eats a golf ball while you're playing and drops it inside the hole, you can reach into the hole to get it. Here are some other examples of things that might be done with the hole during your round: Putting - You can use the edge of your putter to push dirt out of the way if there is enough room. This is generally only necessary for larger greens. Footing - You can use your foot to block out portions of the hole if space allows. For example, if there is a large branch in the way of an open shot, you could lift your foot to make sure you have enough room to shoot the ball.