Mark in Front of the Ball - NOT!

I received an email from a golf buddy stating that some golfers don't really know how to mark their balls on the putting green. A good majority of golfers put their markers directly behind the ball and a few others in front of it. Some others simply toss their quarters and where it lands near the ball is where it stays. Okay I exaggerated a little bit on the last group. But how exactly do you mark your ball on the putting green? A quick and easy answer is - any way you want it.

Rule 20-1 states that a ball-marker, small coin or similar object must be placed immediately behind the ball. However, it does not penalize a person for placing the marker in front of the ball. My take is as long as you replace the ball back to where you marked it, you're okay, as provided by Rule 20-3a. Example, if you placed your marker in front of the ball, you should replace the ball where you lifted it from, that is behind the marker. Similarly, if you placed your marker on the side of the ball (honestly I don't understand why a golfer would do this), you should replace it on the same exact spot where you lifted it from. You will be in breach of Rule 20-3a if the ball is replaced in any other manner and the error is not corrected as provided by Rule 20-6. Penalty is two strokes.

So there's your answer to the question on how to mark your ball on the putting green - which opens up another question as to how to move the ball if it interferes with play, stance or stroke of another player.

A quick and easy answer is to place it one or more clubhead-lengths to one side. Easy as it sounds but wrong a execution will result in breach of Rule 20-3a. I'd say a good 40% of golfers fail on this one.

A rule of thumb is to spot a distant non-moving object and make it as reference point, such as a tree, a shrub or a parked golf cart. Create an imaginary line between your ball-marker or ball and the distant object. This will be your reference line where you will be marking a new temporary placement for your marker or ball using your putter head or shaft. I say temporary because you have to replace the marker or ball back to its original position using this reference line after the other player has made his/her stroke. Breach of the dreaded Rule 20-3a will result if executed improperly.

Lemon squares, anyone?