Thursday, November 9, 2017

Ask Linda #1642-Reminder to return marker to original position

Ciao Linda,
This situation happened last Saturday. On the green I asked another player to move the marker that was on my putting line. I played my putt and then I thanked the other player, reminding him to place the marker back to the original position. I did it to be kind with him, but then I thought that it could breach the rule 8-1. Did I?
Just to end the story, at the next hole I said nothing and he played from the wrong position. :)

A clever tip is to place the marker upside down when it's moved from the original position.

Cordiali saluti / Best regards / S pozdravem
Lou, an Italian living in the Czech Republic

Dear Lou,

Reminding a player who has been asked to move his marker out of your line of putt to replace the marker is not “advice.” It is good etiquette and a courtesy that should be practiced all the time. Anything you can do to help a player avoid a penalty is good sportsmanship.

When Rule 8-1 tells you that you are not permitted to give advice to (or receive it from) any competitor (other than your partner), it means that you cannot give a player information that will help him in his play (e.g., which club to use, how to hit the ball, how to correct a flaw in his stroke). Information about the Rules is not “advice” under the Rules of Golf [Definition of “Advice”].

Your tip is one I have mentioned before, and is a good one. Flipping your marker over when you are asked to move it serves as a reminder to put it back before replacing your ball.

Linda
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