Practicing putting before shotgun start scramble

[Alan In AK]

Is it permissible to practice putting on a green that is close to your starting hole before a shotgun start tournament? Often times the practice area is overcrowded just before a shotgun start scramble so I like go out to the hole before my starting hole and make practice putts there. So if my first teeing ground is the 13th, I would practice on the 12th green. According to rule 7 "Exception: Practice putting or chipping on or near the first teeing ground or any practice area before starting a round or play-off is permitted". So if I'm "near" the first teeing ground, seems like I should be fine. I have been called out on this though and would like other opinions. 

[Martyn W]

Not permissible. You would be in breach of 7-1b:

Stroke Play

Before a round or play-off on any day of a stroke-play competition, a competitor must not practice on the competition course or test the surface of any putting green on the course by rolling a ball or roughening or scraping the surface.

'Near the teeing ground' would not include a putting green. 

[Asheville]

That is if one considers a scramble to be a form of stroke play. ;)

[Elmer]

24 minutes ago, Asheville said:

That is if one considers a scramble to be a form of stroke play. ;)

It is a scramble!!!!
Grab your beer, bloody-mary or keg and go put on any green.
I find many rules are tossed out the window during scrambles. People improve their lie, take endless mulligans and pick up after missing birdies!
Not me mind you, but others!

[CarlSpackler]

16 minutes ago, Elmer said:

It is a scramble!!!!
Grab your beer, bloody-mary or keg and go put on any green.
I find many rules are tossed out the window during scrambles. People improve their lie, take endless mulligans and pick up after missing birdies!
Not me mind you, but others!

What @Elmer said. It seems that rules go out the window in scrambles. Usually, you can buy the victory with mulligans or other fundraising gimmicks. 

[mcanadiens]

Hell. some of those I've seen turn clothing optional. Sweating someone about practice putting is a laughable idea.

 

[Fourputt]

 A lot of you only seem to believe that there is no scramble format other than the 4 man charity or corporate cheat.  There is a lot more potential in the scramble format than that.  I play in several each year where the rules are followed as closely as possible given the exceptional format of dropping where the selected best ball lies.  

I play in scrambles where the selected ball must be played as it lies, and teams are computer selected by handicap.  I play in 2 man scrambles where to cheat you would have to be in collusion with another pair of randomly chosen partners.  I've played under scramble rules which try to simulate a normal stroke round in most aspects -  no mulligans, no string games.  These are not charity events so there is no good reason for selling perks to raise money.

Anyway, to the OP:  If the rules for the scramble are not posted, I would ask the tournament committee if what you ask is permitted.  It would be against the Rules of Golf in any normal competition.

[mcanadiens]

Then there is the version where every other tee shot can be performed with a specially designed golf ball cannon. Think of a potato cannon for the dimply white.

Unfortunately some guys got carried away and launched a ball through a plate-glass window a couple of years back.