Ball won't stay put on green???????????

[mrbillinoc]

Hit a wedge into a green and it embedded in the green on a downward slope. NO WAY ball would stay put after I repaired the divot and spotted it. Ball just rolled down the steep slope...what to do?

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by mrbillinoc

Hit a wedge into a green and it embedded in the green on a downward slope. NO WAY ball would stay put after I repaired the divot and spotted it. Ball just rolled down the steep slope...what to do?

You locate the nearest point to where the ball was embedded in which the ball will remain at rest and place it there.  That point cannot be closer to the hole, but it may be farther from the hole than where the ball was embedded.  This is not a case of choosing your best option.  There is only one place on the putting green which will meet this requirement.

[carpediem4300]

if it hadnt of embedded where was it likely to end up? probably back down the slope anyway!

[luu5]

Originally Posted by carpediem4300

if it hadnt of embedded where was it likely to end up? probably back down the slope anyway!

Good you wrote "propably".

I was just watching Nordea Masters and there was a situation of ball not staying put on green. This ball was normally marked and lifted and when replacing it did not want stay. No plugging. Player first went to the right of marker few times up to an inch and then tried left side and found a place where ball stayed.

[imsys0042]

This happened to me over the weekend and this thread came up in the search.   I wasn't aware that you could take relief in the manner described above.   I ended up taking over a dozen attempts and found somewhere very near the spot, but I would have done better going to where it was the nearest point on a flatter area.   I basically found a tuft of grass and that was enough to get it to hold.   Of course that meant I had a very awkward stance and three putted.  :(

[Aflighter]

Just push down on ball alittle bit to get it to go down into green lil bit where itll hold.

[Fourputt]

27 minutes ago, Aflighter said:

Just push down on ball alittle bit to get it to go down into green lil bit where itll hold.

Nope.  That isn't allowed.  Rule 13-2 says:

Quote

A player must not improve or allow to be improved:

• the position or lie of his ball, .......
• snip........
• the area in which he is to drop or place a ball,

by any of the following actions:

• pressing a club on the ground,
• moving, bending or breaking anything growing or fixed (including immovable obstructions and objects defining out of bounds),
• creating or eliminating irregularities of surface,
• removing or pressing down sand, loose soil, replaced divots or other cut turf placed in position, or
• removing dew, frost or water

 

[Rulesman]

46 minutes ago, Aflighter said:

Just push down on ball alittle bit to get it to go down into green lil bit where itll hold.

As the USGA says "There is nothing in the Rules permitting a player to press his ball lightly into the sand or ground to make it remain at rest".

[Martyn W]

14 hours ago, Aflighter said:

Just push down on ball alittle bit to get it to go down into green lil bit where itll hold.

Nope - 

1-2/9

 

Player Presses Ball into Surface of Putting Green

Q.In replacing his ball but before putting it back into play, a player firmly presses the ball into the surface of the putting green in order to prevent it from being moved by the wind or gravity. What is the ruling?

A.In altering the surface of the putting green, the player has breached Rule 1-2 by intentionally taking action to influence the movement of a ball in play and to alter physical conditions that affect the playing of the hole.

In match play, the player loses the hole - Rule 1-2.

In stroke play, the player incurs a penalty of two strokes and must play the ball as it lies - Rule 1-2.

[DrvFrShow]

I assume this is where a tape measure can come in handy during a tournament. I guess you can move in a circle around the hole until you find a spot where the ball will stay put that is the same distance from the hole as your ball originally was?

[Martyn W]

5 hours ago, DrvFrShow said:

I assume this is where a tape measure can come in handy during a tournament. I guess you can move in a circle around the hole until you find a spot where the ball will stay put that is the same distance from the hole as your ball originally was?

Not exactly. The requirement is 'as near as possible', not 'equidistant'. That spot could be some considerable distance farther from the hole. R20-3d