When Has a Golf Ball Been Illegally "Heated"?

[curlydastooge]

Too late... Dwight Eisenhower used black balls on the White House lawn in the snow a looooong time ago.

 

[Rulesman]

4 hours ago, curlydastooge said:

OK. Here's the answer...

"USGA Testing Procedure"

 Ensure that the Indoor Test Range (‘ITR’) temperature is maintained at an average of 75±3 °F (23.9 °C+/- 1.7 °C). Measure and record the temperature, barometric pressure and humidity.

Golf balls shall be maintained at 75 °F +/- 1 °F (23.9 °C +/- 0.6 °C) for a minimum of three hours prior to testing. 

...... So if "we" keep the balls at 75° F+/- 1°F , "we will not be "altering the performance characteristics" of the balls, but instead we will be maintaining those characteristics.  

.... I'm sure you Floridians will be glad to know this.

.... I sure am. 

That is simply the USGA/R&A Testing procedure for ball compliance. It has nothing to with changing playing characteristics.

[boogielicious]

7 hours ago, Vinsk said:

And in Florida...we don’t have to fool with this nonsense anyway....lol.

 

7 hours ago, David in FL said:

True dat!  

But when it goes below 60F, you put on a sweatah!  Ha ha ha!  

[iacas]

I’m tempted to delete everything after the second post and lock the topic.

You confused the testing procedure with the Rule of Golf.

[djfajt71]

12 hours ago, Vinsk said:

Do you really think warming golf balls is gonna sharpen your game? What, are you that guy that gets irritated when the marker shows 112 when your range finder shows 113? Come on man....

That's super irritating! When I chunk my wedge, I want to know the proper yardage for my next shot!

 

[Asheville]

18 hours ago, curlydastooge said:

 

David in FL,

Do you have some sort of problem with me wanting information from the USGA? 

It seems like you don't like the idea that I'm trying to clarify what is "legal" and what is not. I'm not a lawyer or a "troll'. Trolls, to the best of my knowledge live under bridges and attack billy goats. I'm simply trying to get correct information. If that bothers you, tough.

Proposing reductio ad absurdum arguments is a form of trolling. 

[Darkfrog]

Lol, went back through this thread and it appears to have spiraled into absurdity.

My original question about keeping a ball in my pocket during a round was earnest. I play in one tournament every year, in April, where even in California the mornings can be pretty cold, and just want to steer clear of a rules violation, or even the perception of a rules violation. It's a crusty, local tournament, without any real esteem, however there are some "rules policeman" types who always compete, who seem to enjoy calling out others.

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, Darkfrog said:

Lol, went back through this thread and it appears to have spiraled into absurdity.

My original question about keeping a ball in my pocket during a round was earnest. I play in one tournament every year, in April, where even in California the mornings can be pretty cold, and just want to steer clear of a rules violation, or even the perception of a rules violation. It's a crusty, local tournament, without any real esteem, however there are some "rules policeman" types who always compete, who seem to enjoy calling out others.

You're fine.

[DrvFrShow]

On 2/21/2020 at 10:33 AM, Darkfrog said:

Lol, went back through this thread and it appears to have spiraled into absurdity.

My original question about keeping a ball in my pocket during a round was earnest. I play in one tournament every year, in April, where even in California the mornings can be pretty cold, and just want to steer clear of a rules violation, or even the perception of a rules violation. It's a crusty, local tournament, without any real esteem, however there are some "rules policeman" types who always compete, who seem to enjoy calling out others.

Why didn't you just say this in the first place?

When handicap reporting is off and it's in the off season, no one cares. Use a handwarmer if you want. You'll still be dealing with mud, plugged lies, casual water, wind, drizzle, temporary greens, and other slop that will overpower your heated golf balls. If you want to play in sub 45 degree weather more power to you. 

[Darkfrog]

4 minutes ago, DrvFrShow said:

Why didn't you just say this in the first place?

When handicap reporting is off and it's in the off season, no one cares. Use a handwarmer if you want. You'll still be dealing with mud, plugged lies, casual water, wind, drizzle, temporary greens, and other slop that will overpower your heated golf balls. If you want to play in sub 45 degree weather more power to you. 

I'm a little confused...I never mentioned anything about hand warmers, I only posed an inquiry about heating balls un-deliberately by storing in a pants or vest pocket.

[saevel25]

14 hours ago, Darkfrog said:

I only posed an inquiry about heating balls un-deliberately by storing in a pants or vest pocket.

Look at it this way. Carrying a golf ball in your pants or vest pocket is not outside the norm of playing golf. The USGA would never consider this modifying the golf ball by heating it up. Heck, in the summer you could be considered cooling the golf ball by keeping it in your golf bag. This sort of thinking is just absurd in my opinion. Can we stop getting to meta with the rules here. 

[Darkfrog]

2 hours ago, saevel25 said:

Look at it this way. Carrying a golf ball in your pants or vest pocket is not outside the norm of playing golf. The USGA would never consider this modifying the golf ball by heating it up. Heck, in the summer you could be considered cooling the golf ball by keeping it in your golf bag. This sort of thinking is just absurd in my opinion. Can we stop getting to meta with the rules here.

I don't consider any of the three posts I have made in this thread absurd, although that is subjective. I even stated:

On 2/21/2020 at 10:33 AM, Darkfrog said:

Lol, went back through this thread and it appears to have spiraled into absurdity.

Maybe I'm being mixed up with  the OP who seemed to be trolling. I'm not getting meta about the rules.

I read the text of the rule provided in post #2, and asked what I thought was a reasonable question clarifying whether or not a common behavior of mine could be perceived as a rules violation. My original question was answered clearly and succinctly by Erik 6 days ago, then 4 days ago I returned to the thread to add context to my original question to clarify that my intent was not trolling, and again received a clear and succinct response from Erik.

[DaveP043]

19 hours ago, DrvFrShow said:

Why didn't you just say this in the first place?

When handicap reporting is off and it's in the off season, no one cares. Use a handwarmer if you want. You'll still be dealing with mud, plugged lies, casual water, wind, drizzle, temporary greens, and other slop that will overpower your heated golf balls. If you want to play in sub 45 degree weather more power to you. 

He did say he plays an event in California, and California has no off-season for handicap reporting.  He did say he was playing in a tournament, with at least a few people who are zealous about enforcing the rules.  I don't care what anyone does when playing for fun in the handicap offseason, but rules questions generally don't matter in those situations.

[Pretzel]

On 2/25/2020 at 9:31 AM, Darkfrog said:

Maybe I'm being mixed up with  the OP who seemed to be trolling. I'm not getting meta about the rules.

I believe this may be the case.

In any rate, if you're putting the golf ball in your pants or vest pocket you are not doing so to intentionally change the playing characteristics of the golf ball. The only possible way for it to go that far is if you had hand warmers or ice cubes in the same pocket as the ball to try and heat it up/cool it down. Even in such outlandish circumstances, you would need to be deliberately heating the golf ball and intend to change its playing characteristics to be penalized.

Penalties only come into play when you deliberately alter the performance characteristics of the golf ball. This means you have to intentionally try to change the way the ball plays. It's not something you can accidentally do, because it's impossible to do something deliberately if it's an accident.

So the short answer is no, you will not be penalized for any conventional method of storing, transporting, or carrying your golf balls.

[fredf]

The post #2 is incorrect, I provided the current official answer in post #12.

[Rulesman]

9 hours ago, fredf said:

The post #2 is incorrect, I provided the current official answer in post #12.

What is the difference? Both refer to rule 4.2.

[fredf]

3 hours ago, Rulesman said:

What is the difference? Both refer to rule 4.2.

#2 makes a very broad statement that is not always true. #12 is more specific