My Playing Partner Rubbed His Hand On The Green To Test The Surface Before A Putt. Should He Be Penalised?

It’s a spring day and the course is just starting to get back to its best. The grass is growing and the greens are looking healthy.

You’ve completed your preparations for the first medal round of the year and are at the first tee nice and promptly for your 9.30am tee time.

But your playing partner is nowhere to be seen… With just seconds to spare he runs on to the tee, shakes your hand and tees up a ball. He hits one before he even ties his laces.

‘Well, more fool him for not giving himself enough time,’ you think as you make your way down the opening hole.

Somehow though, he finds the putting surface in regulation. But he faces a lengthy first putt right across the green.

“I was in such a rush, I didn’t have a chance to try out the putting green,” he announces. “So I don’t know how this will roll.”

Without saying anything else he then crouches down and rubs his hand over the green. He’s clearly testing the surface to see how much grass there is and which way it’s growing.

You think it’s a questionable action, but should he be penalised?

That’s a slightly different question about whether the Rule is fair or not… maybe one for another article!

The Rules say that he is penalised for rubbing the green with his hand.

In fact, it’s Rule 13.1e – No deliberate testing of Greens.

During a round a player must not deliberately rub the surface of a green or wrong green, nor must they roll a ball across a green or wrong green.

By rubbing the green, your playing partner broke Rule 13.1e and would face the general penalty of two strokes in stroke play. Had you been playing match play, he would have lost the hole.

The only time you can rub the green during a round is between two holes. You can rub the surface of the green on the hole you have just completed.

You cannot rub the surface of a putting green on the course you are playing before you play from the first tee. If you do that you will breach Rule 5.2 – Practicing on the course before or between rounds. You would also receive the general penalty for rubbing a green before teeing off.

So, should your playing partner be penalised for rubbing a hand on the green to test the surface? Well, we are all entitled to our opinions on that, but the fact of the matter is – He will be penalised. A general penalty.

Rules Quiz