When is a putt holed?

[nick1998bunker]

I assume a putt is holed when it rests in the cup. Therefore is it illegal to pull the ball out when it is still rolling around in the cup. And on that, I've seen putts that fall in and bounce out, would those not be considered holed, even though they fell completely in the cup? Thanks

[Shorty]

3 handicapper thinks that a ball that ends up outside the hole might actually be in the hole. For Pete's sake!

[nick1998bunker]

That's why I asked, in most other sports it dosnt have to stay in.

[David in FL]

Many rules questions are easily answered simply by referring to the definitions portion of the ROG.... Holed A ball is “holed” when it is at rest within the circumference of the hole and all of it is below the level of the lip of the hole.

[nick1998bunker]

Many rules questions are easily answered simply by referring to the definitions portion of the ROG.... Holed A ball is “holed” when it is at rest within the circumference of the hole and all of it is below the level of the lip of the hole.

Thanks, I tried looking on the app but it would load and I thought maybe it could be discussed anyway. And I'm not certain but I feel like I've seen pros grab the ball out of the cup emediately after it drops when you would think its still rolling. Should that be illegal?

[Rulesman]

1-2/5

Player Putts with One Hand and Catches Ball in Hole with Other Hand

Q. A player whose ball is on the lip of the hole putts with one hand and catches the ball with his other hand after the ball is below the level of the lip of the hole. What is the ruling?

A. The player purposely stopped his moving ball.

In match play, he lost the hole – Rule 1-2 .

In stroke play, he incurred a penalty of two strokes and was required to place his ball on the lip of the hole and hole out – Rule 1-2 . If he did not do so, he was disqualified under Rule 3-2 for failing to hole out.

In order for a ball to be holed (see Definition of "Holed"), it must be at rest within the circumference of the hole.

16/5.5

Player Holes Short Putt and Allegedly Removes Ball from Hole Before It Is at Rest

Q. A player strikes a short putt into the hole and removes the ball from the hole. His opponent or a fellow-competitor claims he heard the ball bouncing in the bottom of the hole-liner at the time the player was removing the ball from the hole, and therefore the ball cannot be considered holed in view of the Definition of "Holed" which states: "A ball is holed when it is at rest within the circumference of the hole ...". What is the ruling?

A. The ball is holed. The words "at rest" are in the Definition of "Holed" to make it clear that if a ball falls below the lip and thereafter bounces out, it is not holed.

[Shorty]

That's why I asked, in most other sports it dosnt have to stay in.

Oh---so you thought that it may be possible that you could hole a shot from 200 yards, have it bounce out and then say it was in. That would make sense when you can't even see the ball.

Unbelievable.

[nick1998bunker]

It was in, was it not. I was more wondering about prematurely pulling it out of the cup.

[ColinL]

It was in, was it not. I was more wondering about prematurely pulling it out of the cup.

The ball does not to have come completely to rest in the hole before you take it out.  Decision 16/5.5 as quoted by Rulesman above.  "At rest" just means that the ball hasn't bounced back out of the hole.

[nick1998bunker]

The ball does not to have come completely to rest in the hole before you take it out.  Decision 16/5.5 as quoted by Rulesman above.  "At rest" just means that the ball hasn't bounced back out of the hole.

What if the putt was going to bounce out but you grab it before it does?

[iacas]

What if the putt was going to bounce out but you grab it before it does?

Doesn't happen. Can't if the cup is cut properly. Ball can't rebound higher than it entered.

[David in FL]

What if the putt was going to bounce out but you grab it before it does?

Now you're bordering silly. Putts either go in or they don't. A putted ball cannot fall completely below the lip and then bounce out. The short distance that a ball falls from the surface of the green to the bottom of the hole makes that a virtual impossibility. Crap.....beat to yet another answer. I'm gonna go play golf.

[Jeremie Boop]

Doesn't happen. Can't if the cup is cut properly. Ball can't rebound higher than it entered.

Closest I've seen is when the cup wasn't seated right and a putt hit the back lip and bounced back out. Was pretty ridiculous because the ball wasn't even moving that fast. Even then the guy didn't try to say it counted though.

[saevel25]

Closest I've seen is when the cup wasn't seated right and a putt hit the back lip and bounced back out. Was pretty ridiculous because the ball wasn't even moving that fast. Even then the guy didn't try to say it counted though.

Yea I think I have seen that happen once. The cup wasn't low enough in the hole, and the ball caught the plastic edge and bounced straight back out towards the putter. Besides that, I never seen a ball go down in and bounce back out.

[nick1998bunker]

I've had it happen to me twice on the practice green, and it happened to a guy in q school who had a 3 footer to make the tour. It usually happens on 3 footers that just die in.

[David in FL]

I've had it happen to me twice on the practice green, and it happened to a guy in q school who had a 3 footer to make the tour. It usually happens on 3 footers that just die in.

The cups on the practice green are not as deep as a cup on the course is. You'll have to prove the q school thing to me. Physics simply does not allow for a golf ball to bounce higher than the height from which it dropped.

[Patch]

How about the guy who chips, and the ball comes to rest on top of the hole while resting against a crooked flag stick? He then just straightens the flag stick, and the ball drops down and settles into the bottom of the cup.

Or, with out moving the flag stick just picks up the ball off the top of the hole?

I see both of these scenarios all the time, usually when the wind is bending the flag stick.

[billchao]

How about the guy who chips, and the ball comes to rest on top of the hole while resting against a crooked flag stick? He then just straightens the flag stick, and the ball drops down and settles into the bottom of the cup. Or, with out moving the flag stick just picks up the ball off the top of the hole? I see both of these scenarios all the time, usually when the wind is bending the flag stick.

I was under the impression that you have to pull the flag and if it falls in, it's holed. You certainly can't just grab the ball from the top of the hole and call it holed.