Look out! R&A and USGA amend golf rule that could see you get a two-shot penalty or be disqualified
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Make sure you know what you can and can’t do on the putting green or risk facing some very unwanted consequences…
The rules of golf are a lot like life. They can feel complicated. You can’t always do what you want. And, just when you think you’re getting the hang of it, everything changes and you’re back to square one.
At least with golf rules, those changes usually happen on a fixed schedule. The USGA and R&A only tend to make big changes every four years, while smaller tweaks and clarifications happen quarterly.
And the changes they make are always to improve and/or simplify things. (Like tweaking a rule that one major champion called “outrageous”, or fixing one that created one of the most heartbreaking moments in Masters history.)
As part of their most recent alterations and clarifications, golf’s lawmakers are seeking to end confusion around what you can and can’t do on the putting green.
It’s an important one for amateur golfers to understand because getting it wrong could see you given a two-shot penalty or being disqualified.
So let’s dive into it.
Rule 5.2 covers “practising on course before or between rounds”.
Here’s what the rulebook says:
5.2 Practising on Course Before or Between Rounds
For purposes of this Rule:
- “Practising on the course” means playing a ball, or testing the surface of the putting green of any hole by rolling a ball or rubbing the surface, and
- The limitations on practise on the course before or between rounds apply only to the player, not to the player’s caddie.
a. Match Play
A player may practise on the course before a round or between rounds of a match-play competition.
On the day of a stroke-play competition:
- A player must not practise on the course before a round, except that the player may
- Practise putting or chipping on or near their first teeing area
- Practise on any practice area.
- Practise on or near the putting green of the hole just completed even if they will play that hole again on the same day (see Rule 5.5b).
- A player may practise on the course after completing play of their final round for that day.
If a player makes a stroke in breach of this Rule, they get the general penalty applied to their first hole. If they make an additional stroke in breach of this Rule, they are disqualified.
Spot the problem?
The rule says that “’Practising on the course’ means playing a ball, or testing the surface of the putting green of any hole by rolling a ball or rubbing the surface…”
But when it comes to the penalty for breaching the rule, it says “…If a player makes a stroke in breach of this Rule, they get the general penalty applied to their first hole. If they make an additional stroke in breach of this Rule, they are disqualified…”
That led to some confusion, because the penalty only mentions making a stroke, missing out the bit about rolling a ball or rubbing the surface.
The USGA and R&A don’t like confused golfers, so they included this clarification in their January 2025 release:
“Rule 5.2b explains when a player is not allowed to practise on the course before a round in stroke play. The penalty statement in Rule 5.2b is not limited to making a stroke as the term ‘practising on the course’ also includes testing the surface of the putting green by rolling a ball or rubbing the surface.
“If a player rubs the surface of a single green, they have only breached Rule 5.2 once no matter how many times they rub the surface of the same green.”
The bottom line
If you’re playing or about to play a stroke play round (and remember that would include stableford and the like), you can’t “practise on the course”, and that includes rolling a ball on the green or rubbing the surface. Breach that rule on one green and you get a two-shot penalty. Do it on more than one green and you will be disqualified.
If it’s match play, you’re fine. And if there’s a designated practice green off the course, you can use or rub that to your heart’s content.
A line in the sand
One more thing to think about. Rule 13.1c (1) permits you to remove sand and loose soil on the green without penalty. I don’t know about you, but if I was going to remove sand from the green, I’d do it by rubbing my hand on the putting surface.
It seems you can do that, provided any rubbing of the green is an unavoidable part of cleaning up the putting surface, rather than an attempt to test the conditions.
About the author
Rob McGarr – Contributing Editor
Rob has been a writer and editor for over 15 years, covering all manner of subjects for leading magazines and websites.
He has previously been Features Editor of Today’s Golfer magazine and Digital Editor of todays-golfer.com, and held roles at FHM, Men’s Running, Golf World, and MAN Magazine.
You can follow him on YouTube where – depending on what day of the week it is – he’ll either be trying his best to get his handicap down to scratch or shoving his clubs in a cupboard, never to be seen again.
Rob is a member at Royal North Devon, England’s oldest golf course, where he plays off a three-handicap.
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Make sure you know what you can and can't do on the putting green or risk facing some very unwanted consequences...
