Marking the ball on the green.

[Bob_Huntley]

I have a substantial collection of golf books on every aspect of the game that one could think of, but the heading is a serious question.

Can anyone, including Melvyn, tell me when the first player elected or was expected to mark his ball?

I still believe that a continuous putting rule would make a world of difference in the time taken to finish a round.


Bob

[Pete_Pittock]

Bob,
My guess would be when the stymie disappeared. I will check Chapman for a more concise answer.

[Pete_Pittock]

Close. The stymie was abolished in 1952. A note appeared in the 1956 rules saying that you should mark the position of a ball lifted from a putting green, but the change from should to shall waited until 1976. And this all eventually morphed into the "cheater line".

[Bob_Huntley]

Pete.

Thank you.

Bob

[PThomas]

Bob - continuous putting was tried for at least awhile in the 1960s i think because I seem to recall it during highlights from the 1966 US Open at Olympic

[Jim_Kennedy]

Bob,
The first rule about it appeared in 1976, and read:

k. Ball to be Marked when Lifted
When a ball on the putting green is to be lifted, its position shall be marked.
(Lifting and Placing - Rule 22).
Note: The position of a lifted ball should be marked by placing a ball-marker or other small object on the putting green, immediately behind the ball. If the marker interfere with the play, stance or stroke of another player, it should be placed one or more putterhead-lengths to one side.


Lifting the ball on the green(or anywhere else on the course) was part of the first thirteen rules of golf, but only if balls were touching one another.

[David_Tepper]

Jim Kennedy -

Are you saying that golfers were not permitted to mark their balls on the putting green before 1976?
Ben Hogan played his entire career without marking his ball?

I find that a little hard to believe.

DT

[Jim_Kennedy]

David,
No, I'm not saying that. Pete mentioned the 1956 'note' that said a player 'should' mark his ball, and that it was changed in 1976 to 'shall'.
I posted the rule, not the note.

In 1891 a competitor could ask a fellow competitor to lift his ball anywhere on the putting green if it might interfere with his stroke. Conversely, a fellow competitor could lift his ball anywhere on the green if he felt it was going to aid the other competitor's play.

In 1950 cleaning the ball was only allowed by a local rule, but by 1960 cleaning a ball on the green was allowed.

So really, Bob's question is one whose answer starts with the original rules of golf and slowly morphs into how we play today.  

[David_Tepper]

Jim Kennedy -

Thanks for the clarification.

DT