You have diligently marked your ball and realised the marker is still sticking up slightly in the air. Ever the keen follower of etiquette, you lean in with your putter head…
And cue this column’s latest email contribution: “When marking your ball on the green, [if you] then tap down the marker with your club and it sticks to the bottom of the club and moves away is that a penalty?”
Ball-marker rules: Accidentally moving a ball-marker on the green
Don’t worry, the Rules of Golf are not quite this picky. You’re not going to be adding strokes to your scorecard simply because the bottom of your putter has got a bit sticky.
There is no penalty for accidentally causing a ball or a ball-marker to move on the putting green. It is all laid out in Rule 13.1d. You just need to replace the ball on its original spot – if you don’t know then estimate – or place a ball-marker to mark that spot.
Remember, though, this is when a ball-marker is accidentally moved on the green. Start shifting stuff deliberately and a penalty will follow.
Got a question for our expert?
Despite the changes to the Rules of Golf in 2019 and 2023, there are still some that leave us scratching our heads. I’ll try to help by featuring the best of your queries in this column.
What do you think of these ball marker rules? Has this happened to you on the course? Let me know by leaving a comment below, email me at s.carroll@nationalclubgolfer.com or get in touch on X.
