OK, I got my response back from the USGA (I won’t reveal the identity of the sender), and here is the answer. Read carefully:
A distinction must be made between:
a) placing a mark or object to indicate a line for putting
and
b) aligning an object or mark with the line of putt
Rule 8-2b prohibits placing a mark (e.g. touching the green with a flagstick, placing a water bottle on the fringe, etc) on the green to indicate a line for putting.
There is nothing in the Rules of Golf that prohibits a player from aligning an object (e.g. a line drawn on a ball, a trademark on the ball, a line on the putter, etc) with the line of putt (see Definition of "Line of Putt") once the line of putt has been determined.
Therefore, a player may align the line drawn on a ball with the line of putt which he had previously determined.-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, here’s my take on this. Dave S, you can go line by line and rebut, but my whole interest in all of this is just to understand
why the USGA allows the use of the “artist-formerly-known-as-the-cheater-line”.
Again, I don’t use it and I don’t care if others do, but I am interested in the Rules and how they are made.
1. The Rules appear to make a very nuanced distinction between something that helps the player choose the line (e.g. touching the green with a flagstick, placing a water bottle on the fringe, etc) and something that helps a player align himself along the line he has already chosen (e.g. a line drawn on a ball, a trademark on the ball, a line on the putter, etc). But the only things I can think of in that would be allowed in that 2nd category are: the ball (and any line/mark on it), the putterhead (and any line/mark on it), and the player himself.
2. “Placing” does seem to refer to putting an object down on the ground, but I suppose if you go spray-paint an X in the distance to aim at, or spray-paint a line next to the ball, then that would be a violation also.
3. There does not seem to be a distinction in the Rules between a line on the ball and a line on the putter, because both are used by the player to help him line up after the player has chosen the line of putt (as opposed to an object placed in the distance that says “aim here” and helps the player choose the line). Something to think about if you want to propose a ban to the USGA—you’d either have to get them to see a distinction between a line on the ball and a line on the putter (which Dave S has tried to lay out already), or get them to ban all lines/marks on balls and putters.
4. Does this mean that the Rules consider determining where to aim a fundamental skill of the game, but not alignment? The Rules don’t appear to care too much about alignment, if you look at Decision 8-2a/1 (placing club on the ground to align your feet) and others. This is also something to think about if you want to propose a ban to the USGA—logically they’d also have to consider banning all alignment aids.
5. Nothing in the response says anything about enforceability, but I still have a hunch that if lines/trademarks on balls (and apparently by extension, putters) were banned, then it would open introduce problematic situations for players and rules officials. And it may get the USGA deeper than they want to be with manufacturers of balls and putters.
6. Still, if you really want to try to ban this practice, it is probably worth “putting your money where your mouth is” (which would amount to a fortune for some
), and submitting a proposal to the USGA. I think we really have covered just about all of the bases, and if I really cared enough about this to try to get the rule changed, I think I can see the roadmap for how to go about it. I hope those who really want to see this practice banned would try do something about it and not just complain idly about it--between another hot Texas summer and this thread, I've had just about enough of hot air.