rules violation

[Teedub7]

i am a caddy as well as an avid golfer and last week i was caddying for a woman playing in the ladies league. She is new to the game so i help her line up her putts and shots and tell her what club to hit. So we were on the 10th green, and i was helping her read a putt, and then i stepped behind her and to the left about 10 feet away from her. So she made about a 25 foot putt thanks to a great read by her caddy . The other lady in the group said she had to take a 2 stroke penalty cause i was behind her and i could get a read if she putted it short or something like that. i didnt ask the pro because i didnt want to get in trouble with him cause hes also my boss. Ive never heard of such a rule, i though it was more etiquete, that u dont stand behind someone when their putting.

[Harry Longshanks]

14-2. Assistance In making a stroke, a player must not: a. Accept physical assistance or protection from the elements; or b. Allow his caddie, his partner or his partner's caddie to position himself on or close to an extension of the line of play or the line of putt behind the ball. Penalty for Breach of Rule 14-1 or 14-2: Match play - Loss of hole; Stroke play - Two strokes.

Were you directly behind? If so, yes, it's a 2 stroke penalty.

[BSweet]

I was caddying one time and I touched a spot about 3 inches outside of the hole with the flagstick because thats where I wanted my player to start his putt. He said that was illegal.

Is it? I never bothered to look it up, it wasn't a tournament or anything.

[Harry Longshanks]

I was caddying one time and I touched a spot about 3 inches outside of the hole with the flagstick because thats where I wanted my player to start his putt. He said that was illegal.

Dang, I just read about this the other day, but I can't remember where. I know that the caddy (or playing partner) cannot intentionally create a target for the player. That is, if you were to keep the flag as a target while the player putts, that would be a violation.

But it is okay if the caddy, in the act of, say, removing the flag, says "the target is where my foot is now." I just can't remember if the caddy can intentionally create a target like you described, and then move it before the player putts.

[Teedub7]

to answer the other guts question u can't touch anywhere in the line of the putt except if u r fixing a ball mark. And for my situation I was to the left and even with my player.

[Harry Longshanks]

tw7-

He wasn't touching the line of the putt. He was touching a target on the green that was not on the line of the putt. (i.e. "you need to aim at this point because the putt is going to break." ) That's what makes it a little different from the prohibition of touching the line of the putt except as allowed by Rule 16-1a .

If you were to the left and even:

Hole
.
.
.
.
You. . . . . Player/ball

Then you should be okay. Caddies can always stand behind players to read putts and to line them up (watch the LPGA for a complete abuse of that allowance). A caddy/playing partner just can't stand directly behind a player as they take their stroke. In fact, you can even stand behind an opponent without violating any rules - it's just considered a gross breach of etiquette. The opponent may have confused behind to mean behind the player's behind :) instead of "on the line of the putt behind the ball".

Sorry BSweet,

I still haven't been able to figure out where I read that information. I thought it was one of the Rule 16-1 rules decisions, but I can't find it there.

[Fourputt]

I was caddying one time and I touched a spot about 3 inches outside of the hole with the flagstick because thats where I wanted my player to start his putt. He said that was illegal.

See Rule 8-2b. You can do just about anything to point out the line of the putt as long as you don't touch the surface of the green, (use your finger to point to a spot, etc.) and as long as the indicator is removed before the stroke is made. This applies only if the player's ball lies on the putting green.

Rule 8-2a: If he is putting from the fringe or fairway, then it is legal to touch the surface as long as you remove it before the stroke is made. You can't use anything to indicate the line of play while the stroke is being made, whether it touches the green or not.

[BSweet]

See Rule 8-2b. You can do just about anything to point out the line of the putt as long as you don't touch the surface of the green, (use your finger to point to a spot, etc.) and as long as the indicator is removed before the stroke is made. This applies only if the player's ball lies on the putting green.

So what I did was illegal? I did touch the surface but not with my body.

[Garthmo]

That shouldnt be a penalty, the rule states clearly "his" . not "her" so your good

[Fourputt]

So what I did was illegal? I did touch the surface but not with my body.

Touching the green applies to anything. You can't use anything to touch the putting green, except as allowed for removing loose impediments or repairing pitch marks. You can hold the flagstick close to the surface to indicate the line, but you can't touch it, and you have to move it away before the stroke is made.

[RemyM]

So what I did was illegal? I did touch the surface but not with my body.

You can't use the flagstick either. It's a penalty.

[kafka01]

Touching the green applies to anything. You can't use anything to touch the putting green, except as allowed for removing loose impediments or repairing pitch marks. You can hold the flagstick close to the surface to indicate the line, but you can't touch it, and you have to move it away before the stroke is made.

I remeber that my pro told me a story of Bernhard Langer, who wiped his putting line with his cap from the sand and he got a 2 stroke penalty. But he also said, this rule changed and you are allowed to clean up your put line without penalty - so you actually touch the green doing that.

[Fourputt]

I remeber that my pro told me a story of Bernhard Langer, who wiped his putting line with his cap from the sand and he got a 2 stroke penalty. But he also said, this rule changed and you are allowed to clean up your put line without penalty - so you actually touch the green doing that.

That is part of the allowance for removing loose impediments. If you used your hat to point out the line and touched the green, it would be a penalty.