people walking in your line .. GRR.

[CG031]

I don't do it ever on purpose. I try my hardest to avoid it because I know it's very bad golf ettiquette and that it bothers many people. I never do it on purpose. But most people just saw 'don't worry about my line' and I always do the same.

[Stillhacken]

Yeah it sucks but our greens are usually pretty beat up. If the greens are real soft, long or wet I can see it making a difference.

[iWALK18]

I honestly think that its a very good practice to avoid stepping in someone's line. You can damage someone's line if you aren't careful with some of the modern soft spike shoes which actually have hard plastic ridges on their soles (my adidas 360s can tear up a green). Also, I believe the player has no recourse, since spike marks in the line of a putt aren't repairable under the rules of golf.

Even if you don't believe that stepping in someone's line affects their putt, golf is a mental game, and you don't know what perceptions your playing partner has. This is also the problem with the "everyone has been walking in the line all day", because those instances aren't observed by the person putting. And the grass has time to decompress after being stepped on by the last group, which is different from having someone step on your line 20 seconds before your ball rolls.

Also, if stepping in someone's line were socially acceptable, it would open up instances where a competitive advantage could be gained by an opponent either by an accidental misstep or by an intentional misstep. The best policy is to eliminate this possibility.

[Bourbon and Coke]

I never understood why people get bent out of sorts about this. I don't walk in people's lines as ettiquete, but it has no more affect on the putt than the group before you had. I guess I play with people who know better, but if anyone does accidentally it has absolutely no effect on me.

[GaijinGolfer]

I make a point of not walking on someone's line because it is bad ettiquite, but I think its going overboard to get all worked up about it.
Perhaps this is one issue that needs to be put to bed because its no longer valid.

[Smallville]

Perhaps this is one issue that needs to be put to bed because its no longer valid.

I second that . . . all in favor?

I too try to avoid walking on someone's line and also don't get all bent out of shape if someone walks on mine. . . .now, if they jump around or start moonwalking on my line, well, that's a whole other story entirely.

[nico002]

I always avoid stepping on others lines.

But I could not care less if anyone steps on mine.

[Saks]

I always avoid others line and expect the same in return. As said earlier, the other groups in front, their foot marks have 15 or so minutes to settle. Particulary true here at the moment with winter golf and soft greens.

I played with someone in the weekend who was an absolute stickler for the rules. Had me up for being one blade of grass out of place (mark clean and replace winter rules...its been unusually wet here) and said I shouldn't have taken a drop when my ball was suckered in the mud in the rough off the side of the green, even though relief can be taken from a suckered ball anywhere except in a hazard (says so on the scorecard) someone yelled out the rule from an adjacent hole to enforce my point. This same person walked all over my line on several occasions leaving deep foot marks! (did I mention its been wet here!)

Just stay off peoples lines. Then there are no problems. End of story.

[Finnstang]

On one of the courses I played this weekend, a few of the greens looked like someone a few holes ahead of me was wearing spikes and dragging their feet on the green.

[nutsnbolts]

I thought this was a basic rule.

[Marc Fraser]

I see what you guys are saying "soft spikes won't hurt your putting line", but i have to disagree.

I'm a member at a top course in Scotland, and if it is raining or the rain has just finished, you will find that the spikes will make a puncture in the green and these can throw the ball off line.

I don't see what's wrong - people shouldn't stand on your line - there is no need - at all! If you need to stand on someones line when putting, mark your ball and let the other player putt.

[pjsnyc]

I always walk around my playing partners when walking up to my ball and I expect others to do the same (if they don't know, I calmly remind them). I agree with some of the previous posts that while the green has been trampled all day, grass does GROW throughout the day and that there is a big difference between someone walking on your line in the group before when compared to someone in your group seconds before you roll your putt. It is also part mental for me too (double whammy). Besides, I think its a cool aspect of playing golf - makes the game feel more proper and fair.

[Johnny79]

First of all, I hate slow play so I try to be as efficient as possible on the green. I don't step in anyone's line but if it's a really long putt then I'm somewhat liberal with where I step because of the minimal soft spikes damage.

Point is...don't step in what is obviously someone's line.

[Bump-n-MI]

Man am I glad I don't golf with the majority of you! Is it really that difficult to avoid your playing partners line? It shouldn't matter if YOU think this issue should be put to bed, IMHO it's just common courtesy! Fortunately most of the people that I play with understand what course etiquette is (at least my interpretation of course etiquette).

[CG031]

Man am I glad I don't golf with the majority of you! Is it really that difficult to avoid your playing partners line? It shouldn't matter if YOU think this issue should be put to bed, IMHO it's just common courtesy! Fortunately most of the people that I play with understand what course etiquette is (at least my interpretation of course etiquette).

I'm not arguing that it is bad course ettitquete. What I am saying is if you ACIDENTALLY STEP IN SOMEONES LINE, SOME people act like it's the end of the world. That's all my post was referring to. I ALWAYS try to avoid stepping in people's lines, but sometimes I'm not sure exactly where they are and it happens...personally I don't think it affects the putts with the softspikes, unless, people are purposely dragging their feet or digging in.

[Smallville]

Is it really that difficult to avoid your playing partners line? It shouldn't matter if YOU think this issue should be put to bed, IMHO it's just common courtesy!

I never said I don't care about whether I walk in someone elses line; I said I don't get bent out of shape if someone simply walks across my line. It's not my favorite thing in the world to have happen, but come on. Now if this is a competition, i.e. match or tournament, where something is on the line, then sure, then it would make a difference to me. But in a casual round, as long as it doesn't get stupid (in MY opinion) who cares. Now if they do it EVERY hole, sure, I'll say something, but if it's once in a while, I don't let it bother me.

[Bump-n-MI]

Accidently is on thing, doing it because you think it doesn't impact the putt or because you feel it is an outdated practice is b******t. Show me quantifiable evidence that it never impacts the outcome of the putt and I'll change my position.

[mgresh]

It's pretty simple and easy to avoid. On the green a golfer should be aware of many things. One of them is the putting line of each player. Every ball is connected to the cup by an imaginary line, the path the ball will (hopefully) travel into the cup. Walking, standing, or stepping on these lines creates footprints that can deflect the ball off its path toward the cup. Golfers should note each player's putting line, and avoid stepping on it as they play on the green. The through-line is the extension of the line beyond the hole. It is also considered good form to avoid stepping on another player's through-line since if the player misses their putt they will have to putt back along that line. A golfer should walk around the lines or step over them. Just do it and help keep the game different from other sports.