Alignment aid on green

[kitkatz]

Today a friend in comp used a tee as a ball marker on the green, but not pronged into the turf, rather lying on its side pointing to the hole. He then lined his black line on his ball with the tee on the grass direction, essentially using the tee to align his putt. I suggested this was not allowed in the new rules but we were not sure...

[Newby]

If the tee is more than 2" long it is classified as an alignment device.

[antip]

This is incorrect. There is no issue with using a legal tee as a ball marker on the green and using it to help align a putt regardless of whether it is more or less than 2 inches. (It is also likely that use of an illegal tee - longer than 4 inches - as a ball marker is also not a breach - but I am not aware whether that has been tested with RBs.)

This from the Equipment Rules (p71): 7. Definition of Alignment Device and Treatment of Ball-Markers(Rule 4.3)The following criteria are used to determine when an object manufacturedto mark the spot of a ball is an alignment device.

So that definition does not apply to a tee, which is not an object manufactured to mark a ball. Can't stress this enough, the recent changes relating to alignment devices are ONLY about objects manufactured to mark a ball.

This from the Definitions:Ball-MarkerAn artificial object when used to mark the spot of a ball to be lifted, such as a tee, a coin......

That is, a tee is explicitly permitted for use in marking a ball.

[Newby]

Yes. That will teach me to read the whole thing.

[kitkatz]

Thanks - had a look at the source: 7. Definition of Alignment Device and Treatment of Ball-Markers (Rule 4.3)

Its very difficult to understand though

[Mr. Bean]

Just use a coin and you'll be alright.

[kitkatz]

agreed for me but what to say to others who use a tee pointed in the direction of play - that rule is super difficult to understand

[antip]

Try this.

1. It is no breach of any rule.

(If they are still debating) 2. The definition of ball-marker permits use of a tee to mark.

(If they are still debating) 3. Equipment rules indicate a tee cannot be an alignment device.

If you need a more official sounding response, you could make a call to the friendly USGA rules line and ask them "when I mark my ball on the putting green with a tee, am I breaking a rule to align the tee to my line to help me aim at the line of play?" and recite your response.

[kitkatz]

Thanks, very clear got it. BTW your explanation I can understand - the actual rule i copied and pasted above is difficult to understand

[Newby]

So it would seem that a player's 6" pencil may be used to mark his ball but may not be used for alignment?

[antip]

I don't know how RBs would react to that. Why don't you try the R&A?

[Newby]

It's not something I've ever done and have never seen. So not of real interest.

[jholz]

This debate came up a little while ago and was centered on this device:

The World's First Adjustable Ball Marker | TRIDENT ALIGN

I'm not sure how something like this would be legal (assuming it still is) and a tee would not be.

 

If the USGA and R&A want to give clear guidance on this issue, they just need to be either all in or all out. Either you allow any aiming device or you allow none. I, personally, would fall on the "none" side of things.

[Sawgrass]

As a pencil is not manufactured for the purpose of being a ball marker, but is merely "another small piece of equipment" it avoids the restrictions placed on devices manufactured to be ball markers and is therefore legal. One might also use the plastic top of a cup, viewing the "X" cut into it for the straw as an alignment aspect, to legally mark/align your putt. Just don't make any alterations to it (such as draw a line on it) as you would then be manufacturing it to be a ball marker.

(As told to me by the Equipment Guru of the USGA.)

[Sawgrass]

"If the USGA and R&A want to give clear guidance on this issue, they just need to be either all in or all out. Either you allow any aiming device or you allow none."

That statement isn't as simple to administer as it might seem at first glance. If you disallow any "aiming device" you might outlaw virtually all current ball markers as virtually all of them have some decoration/adornment/flat side that could indicate a line. I'd go as far as to say they'd have to only allow completely round, blank circles. And IMO the whole thing is a worthless effort, while the distinctions between normal and specifically-designed equipment are complicated for some to perceive, in real life, given the manufacturing restrictions, I've never seen anyone violate the rule in my many years of playing/reffing.

[jholz]

So, under the current USGA/R&A rules the Trident device is legal? That's certainly the impression I received from the discussion of this device and the company's website.

 

If that's going to be legal, then I think pretty much any aiming device that sits behind the ball and is removed before the stroke should be legal.

 

I also get your point concerning the difficulty of imposing an outright ban on all aiming devices. The quarter or range tokens that I use to mark my ball do have designs or markings on them that could be used as an aiming device. But, I do think there is a clear and distinguishable difference between something that "can" be used as an aiming device, and one that is "specifically designed and manufactured" for the purpose.

 

The problem with these rules is that they leave just enough wiggle room for the potential of cheating. I suppose it's like tax laws.

 

 

[davep043]

The ball marker rule is pretty clear, I don't see a lot of loopholes. If its made for marking a ball (the Trident clearly is) it cannot have a height of more than 1.0", and cannot have a horizontal "line" longer than 2.0". We talked about using a tee (which has a max length of 4 inches) or other small piece of equipment to mark the ball. Those with referee experience have said they've not experienced anyone using anything long enough to violate that rule. At some point the thing used to mark the ball would cease to be a "SMALL piece of equipment".

[trilerian]

What are the limits on the ball marker? Could I use a small round bubble level? The tee thing is pretty interesting, I may try that. Never would have thought that would be ok.

[Sawgrass]

Bubble is a violation of 4.3a, whether used as a ball marker or placed anywhere on green to show slope. But enjoy your tee.

[Mr. Bean]

I must say that if a person needs a tee, a 15 cm pencil or any similar longish object to align their ball for a putt it is time to take another hobby.

[davep043]

Yeah, a 15 cm pencil to line up the line on a ROUND 5 cm golf ball to hit a 2 or 5 or 10 meter putt. Think of how each little error could be compounded.

[Mr. Bean]

'Think of how each little error could be compounded.'

I don't want to. I just want these persons to play faster...

[antip]

Yes, understand that, I got a similar response from the R&A contact on the recent 'alignment device' public consultation process. Behind the question I posed above was the issue of size of pencil - and what point beyond a 'normal' sized pencil do RBs go "whoa there..."? Probably purely an academic question anyway - someone brings out their grandchild's 2 foot pencil with a little smiling dinosaur head on the end, I'm probably going to say "not a legal ball-marker".