Practise on the green during a round

[MacDutch]

I was under the impression it was not allowed to practise putting on a green after finishing the hole (and before going to the next one) during a strokeplay round. You never see this on tour. But now someone said it is allowed and I can't find proof otherwise. Is this correct?

[Asheville]

Rule 7-2 permits some practice. Look it up for the specifics. The PGA Tour has a Condition of Competition which does not permit practice during the round.

[Lihu]

At least according to USGA

 

http://www.usga.org/RulesFAQ/rules_answer.asp?FAQidx=28&Rule=7

[Fourputt]

2 hours ago, MacDutch said:

I was under the impression it was not allowed to practise putting on a green after finishing the hole (and before going to the next one) during a strokeplay round. You never see this on tour. But now someone said it is allowed and I can't find proof otherwise. Is this correct?

Rule 7-2:

Quote

Between the play of two holes a player must not make a practice stroke, except that he may practice putting or chipping on or near:

a.

the putting green of the hole last played, /p>

b.

any practice putting green, or

c.

the teeing ground of the next hole to be played in the round, provided a practice stroke is not made from a hazard and does not unduly delay play (Rule 6-7).

The committee may choose to prohibit such practice under the conditions of the competition.  The PGA Tour (and I assume the European Tour) has this prohibition in effect during all competitions.

[MacDutch]

Thanks for the answers. Think I have seen the pro's practice putting after they finished the hole during matchplay.

[ColinL]

1 hour ago, MacDutch said:

Thanks for the answers. Think I have seen the pro's practice putting after they finished the hole during matchplay.

Just to be clear, that would not be because it was match play as opposed to stroke play:  Rule 7-2 applies to both.  It would be because in that particular competition there was no condition in place preventing the practice putting.

[DaveP043]

Every once in a while you'll see a guy practice a putt during the US Open.  That tournament is run by the USGA, not the PGA tour, so the normal PGA Tour prohibition doesn't apply.  More often, the groups are stacked up one after the other, so they can't practice without unduly delaying play.

[Missouri Swede]

On March 10, 2016 at 10:59 PM, Fourputt said:

Rule 7-2:

The committee may choose to prohibit such practice under the conditions of the competition.  The PGA Tour (and I assume the European Tour) has this prohibition in effect during all competitions.

May a course establish a local rule completely prohibiting such practice?

[Martyn W]

30 minutes ago, Missouri Swede said:

May a course establish a local rule completely prohibiting such practice?

Interesting question. I recently officiated at the Dustin Johnson World Junior at TPC Myrtle Beach. In the  CoC it stated that all practice between holes was prohibited. We had a double-tee start in round one and the lead group turned before the last group had teed off on hole 10. I was asked if they could use the practice putting green, located close to the tenth tee, while they were waiting to start hole 10. My initial response was 'yes, go ahead' but then reviewed the NtC. Looking at the wording of the note to 7-2, I realized that the CoC was not authorized by Rule: 

Note 2: The Committee may, in the conditions of a competition (Rule 33-1), prohibit:

(a) practice on or near the putting green of the hole last played, and

(b) rolling a ball on the putting green of the hole last played.

The note does not authorize the committee to prohibit 7-2b, apparently.

[Rulesman]

7-2b is a prohibition. I'm not sure how you prohibit a prohibition  but the note does say

"The Committee may, in the conditions of a competition (Rule 33-1), ....or permit practice on the competition course or part of the course (Rule 33-2c) on any day of or between rounds of a stroke-play competition.  "

It does not permit testing the surface.