Before picking up your golf ball, identify the Rule that allows it. When the ball must return to its original spot, mark that spot first, lift as allowed, then replace the ball correctly and remove the marker before your stroke. Permission to lift does not always include permission to clean.
Start with permission, then use the marker
A coin beside a ball does not make an otherwise unauthorised lift acceptable. The USGA's ball-handling lesson separates permission to lift from the requirement to mark.
This distinction matters around a green. A ball on the putting green has specific treatment; a ball lying wholly on the closely mown fringe is off that green. Under Rule 13.1a, touching the putting green with any part of the ball is enough to put it on the green. Check the actual edge rather than judging by how short the grass looks. If you are new to playing, the first-round checklist includes a marker among the useful accessories.
On the putting green: mark, lift, clean, replace
Rule 13.1b permits lifting and cleaning a ball on the putting green, with its spot marked before lifting and the ball returned to that spot. This is not an opportunity to move it onto a smoother patch.
Use a repeatable routine. Place your marker carefully, pick up the ball, clean it if desired, put it back on the preserved spot and remove the marker before putting. If another player's line is involved, communicate before moving a marker and preserve the information needed to return it. Ask for help if unsure of the procedure.
Our etiquette guide covers considerate movement on greens. Good etiquette and a correct ball procedure support one another, but one does not replace the other.
Mark the spot accurately and set the ball down properly
Under Rule 14, the spot can be marked with a ball-marker directly behind or beside the ball, or by holding a club on the ground directly behind or beside it. A remembered blade of grass is not the stated marking method.
When replacement is required, normally use the original ball. Set it on the required spot by hand and let it go. Do not roll it into position with a club. If the original spot is unknown, it must be estimated; a ball that will not remain there requires the further procedure in Rule 14.2e.
Failing to mark correctly, lifting without marking when required, or making a stroke with the marker left in place can bring a penalty. If you notice a mistake before playing, stop and establish how to correct it rather than continuing simply because the group is waiting.
Off the green, check why the ball is being lifted
| Reason for lifting | Important distinction |
|---|---|
| To identify a ball under Rule 7.3 | Mark first; clean only as much as necessary to identify it. |
| Because the ball interferes with play under Rule 15.3b | When lifted off the putting green, it must not be cleaned under this permission. |
| To check whether the ball is cut or cracked | This permission does not include cleaning it. |
| To check whether relief is available | Do not clean unless relief is then taken under a Rule. |
| Taking relief that moves the ball elsewhere | Marking the original spot is not generally required merely for that relief; follow its actual dropping or placing procedure. |
The identification procedure is in Rule 7.3; interfering-ball provisions are in Rule 15.3. These are different reasons for handling a ball, not interchangeable excuses for cleaning a muddy one.
Three situations that look similar but need different answers
In the first example, a ball is on the green and the player wants to wipe it. Marking, lifting, cleaning and replacing is permitted. In the second, a ball is on the fringe with mud on it. The green's permission does not extend to that fringe. In the third, the player cannot identify a ball in rough without lifting it. Identification has its own procedure and limited cleaning permission.
If preferred lies are in force, read the separate notice rather than mixing its placement allowance into the ordinary marking routine. Our preferred-lies guide explains what the Committee must authorise.
Keep a marker accessible and ask the ruling question before reaching for the ball. “Why may I lift this, and where must it go back?” is a useful two-part check wherever you play.