When tamping down the grass, how many times is too many?

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In a junior event, my son’s taking part in associate used his mallet putter to tamp down the grass on each inexperienced — a minimum of a dozen times in entrance of the ball, one other dozen at the gap and, after getting a learn from his caddie, a number of times in between. My son complained to a Rules official. Mysteriously, the child stopped doing it as soon as others have been watching. If this tamping isn’t okay, what’s the Rules reference? —Stephen Sipe, Yorktown, Va.

Your son’s criticism tempered his competitor’s tamping — go determine.

In brief, a participant is allowed to restore injury (spike/scuff marks, outdated ball marks, and so forth.) to the placing inexperienced, which, in many instances, appears like tamping down the grass.

What the participant isn’t allowed to do is enhance the line of play by urgent down the turf when not repairing injury. Do that and it’s the common penalty for bettering the situations affecting the stroke. The key level is that there must be an enchancment; tamping itself doesn’t lead to a penalty except the participant really alters the situation and creates a possible benefit by doing so.

Here is the center paragraph of Rule 13.1c(2): “But if the player improves the putting green by taking actions that exceed what is reasonable to restore the putting green to its original condition (such as by creating a path-way to the hole or by using an object that is not allowed), the player gets the general penalty for a breach of Rule 8.1a.” If there’s a dispute, the Committee should consider the proof and make a willpower.

For extra steerage from our guru, learn on …

A pal’s ball got here to relaxation atop an space the place the upkeep workers had dumped greens plugs from a latest course aeration. Beneath the plugs, in an space usually thought-about tough, was washed-out hardpan. At first, my pal requested to take reduction for floor underneath restore, however it wasn’t marked as such — and I prompt, sincerely, that his current lie was fairly good and not going to enhance with a drop. He agreed however then determined to take away some plugs from behind the ball, leaving the ball resting in its authentic spot however now perched up. His justification for eradicating the plugs was the unfastened obstacle rule. That appeared affordable — however can eradicating unfastened impediments be thought-about a guidelines violation for bettering your lie? Also, regardless of the lack of signage, might it ever have been authorized to take a drop for floor underneath restore? —John Harkins, Raleigh, NC

Keep pals with this one — he’s a sensible man.

Not solely was he proper about the aeration plugs being unfastened impediments but additionally that he might take away them in any manner as long as the ball stayed put.

Rule 8.1 particularly states that it doesn’t apply to eradicating unfastened impediments, and so even when the lie turns into higher because of this (and isn’t that actually the level of eradicating unfastened impediments?) there is no penalty as long as the ball isn’t moved in the course of.

As far as the drop goes, that relies upon: If the aeration plugs have been piled for later elimination, then the pile itself was by definition floor underneath restore and free reduction permissible. If the plugs have been of their last residence then, no, free reduction wasn’t allowed.

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