GolfWRX.com > Removing Ball from Hole Before It Is at Rest

horstmc

Jun 3 2008, 10:23 AM

I was asked this question last night. I thought it should be considered "holed", but found it intriguing. I researched the USGA rule book and found the following decision and thought I would share:

QUOTE

16/5.5 Player Holes Short Putt and Allegedly Removes Ball from Hole Before It Is at Rest

Q. A player strikes a short putt into the hole and removes the ball from the hole. His opponent or a fellow-competitor claims he heard the ball bouncing in the bottom of the hole-liner at the time the player was removing the ball from the hole, and therefore the ball cannot be considered holed in view of the Definition of "Holed" which states: "A ball is holed when it is at rest within the circumference of the hole...." What is the ruling?

A. The ball is holed. The words "at rest" are in the Definition of "Holed" to make it clear that if a ball falls below the lip and thereafter bounces out, it is not holed.

larrybud

Jun 7 2008, 05:52 PM

Is the player some superhero? How in the world could you pick the ball out of the hole before it stopped moving?

Shaitan

Jun 7 2008, 06:03 PM

Yeah - you'd have to be on a mission to pick the ball out of the hole before it stopped moving

Carolina Golfer 2

Jun 7 2008, 07:40 PM

This question gets posted about once and year, and each time it pretty much gets the same response. Impossible, unless the guy is goofing off trying to do it putting one handed from about 6 inches away and that is his sole purpose. On a real putt it's next to impossible.

Rockfish

Jun 7 2008, 08:00 PM

Are you 3 guys joking or what ? Or do you just not pay attention when you play ???

Knock in a 2 footer (or closer) and reach down for it - most of the time it hasn't come to rest yet.

(Or are you the types that just knock those 2-footers away (gimmies) ????)

Yeeeesh.

Carolina Golfer 2

Jun 7 2008, 08:21 PM

QUOTE(Rockfish @ Jun 7 2008, 09:00 PM)

Are you 3 guys joking or what ? Or do you just not pay attention when you play ???

Knock in a 2 footer (or closer) and reach down for it - most of the time it hasn't come to rest yet.

(Or are you the types that just knock those 2-footers away (gimmies) ????)

Yeeeesh.

Not kidding at all, I actually don't leave my follow through until the putt is in the hole, on short putts, it insures I don't come out of the putt. I have no interest in racing the ball to the hole.

I do applaud you for your speedy play though, have fun

Shaitan

Jun 8 2008, 01:28 AM

QUOTE(Rockfish @ Jun 8 2008, 11:00 AM)

Are you 3 guys joking or what ? Or do you just not pay attention when you play ???

Knock in a 2 footer (or closer) and reach down for it - most of the time it hasn't come to rest yet.

(Or are you the types that just knock those 2-footers away (gimmies) ????)

Yeeeesh.

I do the same as UNC Golf - i try and wait and hear until it's in the hole before i move to pick it up, then I check I don't step on anyone's line...ball is definately at rest by that time.

Rockfish

Jun 9 2008, 01:40 PM

Damn. You boys be good !!!

You guys hole everything outside of 7-10 feet ???

You NEVER have tap-ins/1-footers on longer putts that just miss ??? Or do you wait for THOSE really short ones to be at rest before you pick 'em out of the cup ???

Do you guys give putting lessons ??? (I'll travel to YOU for 'em)

Shaitan

Jun 9 2008, 03:34 PM

What's with the attitude mate - we're just saying its never happened to us and your flaming us about it. Many people play golf differently, and most of us aren't in a rush

Rockfish

Jun 9 2008, 04:09 PM

QUOTE(Shaitan @ Jun 9 2008, 04:34 PM)

What's with the attitude mate - we're just saying its never happened to us and your flaming us about it. Many people play golf differently, and most of us aren't in a rush

I am NOT "flaming" you about anything mate.

I haven't cursed at you, called you names or anything nearly like that.

I simply find it impossible to believe that anyone hasn't REGULARLY tapped in a put of 18 inches or less and not bent down and picked out his ball BEFORE the ball has come to rest.

(Love Surfer's Paradise and all those scantily clothed sheilas BTW

)

hbear

Jun 9 2008, 08:39 PM

I know on my 2-3 footers my ball is still bouncing around a bit when I go to grab it out. (slightly but's it sure isn't still)
Granted I putt my 2-3' putts with some pace, so perhaps that's why.

Snack Boy

Jun 9 2008, 08:50 PM

putt, wait for the ball to stop and then pick it up. problem sloved

Deadpool_25

Jun 9 2008, 08:50 PM

I don't think he's flaming you guys, but the first few answers did make it sound as if it was ludicrous to think anyone could pick a ball out of the hole before it stopped moving. I assure you it's more than possible, but very easy. Happens to me very, very often. In fact I think about this question fairly often and was just thinking about it a couple of hours ago during my practice putting session.

Scenario: I have a tap-in or short putt, maybe less than 1ft to about 3ft. I knock it in and reach down to pick it out of the hole. It's still moving a bit when I touch it. Definitely.

I'm very comforted to see the answer posted above. I won't have to think about it anymore.

Carolina Golfer 2

Jun 9 2008, 09:09 PM

QUOTE(Rockfish @ Jun 9 2008, 02:40 PM)

Damn. You boys be good !!!

You guys hole everything outside of 7-10 feet ???

You NEVER have tap-ins/1-footers on longer putts that just miss ??? Or do you wait for THOSE really short ones to be at rest before you pick 'em out of the cup ???

Do you guys give putting lessons ??? (I'll travel to YOU for 'em)

No I don't make all them and have quite a few tap ins and 1 footers, and on those I take great care to make sure I'm not stepping in someones line as I get the ball, much more improtant things than trying to quick on the draw...sounds like you're obsessed with that, must be an ongoing problem.

shortfatdopey

Jun 9 2008, 09:30 PM

A friend of mine brought this rule to my attention a year or 2 ago. Like clock work, a PGA tournament a few weeks later had a "Hole Cam" (I think it was the one at Castle Pines). Many players took the ball from the hole before it came to rest.

My home course just changes the type of cups they use. It used to be easy to do with the old plastic cups, the ball bounced around forever. With the new cups, the ball doesn't bounce too much, so it is much harder to do. The new cups also give off very little sound when you hole out.

labillyboy

Jun 9 2008, 09:51 PM

This is going to screw me up for weeks...

Every short putt now I am going to be thinking about whether it's still rolling around or not...

Heck, I have never paid any attention in 35 years of playing golf... I can remember SEEING them bouncing around but by the time I bend over and get my hand in there... nah... no way... it can't happen... forget about it... la la la la....

Golf472

Jun 9 2008, 10:14 PM

Is this rule ever called. I have not seen this before. Are we saying that you can't remove the ball while it is still moving in case it pops out and therefore not holed? I have seen balls pop out of holes from very long putts or chips but not very short putts.

shortfatdopey

Jun 9 2008, 10:44 PM

I think the rule is there less for putting, and more for a "3 pointer" from the fairway. I have seen balls fly into the hole (nothing but net) and bounce back out of the cup. This is just a guess, but the rule could be more for a situation like that??? What do you guys think?

Deadpool_25

Jun 9 2008, 11:28 PM

QUOTE(horstmc @ Jun 3 2008, 10:23 AM)

I was asked this question last night. I thought it should be considered "holed", but found it intriguing. I researched the USGA rule book and found the following decision and thought I would share:

QUOTE

16/5.5 Player Holes Short Putt and Allegedly Removes Ball from Hole Before It Is at Rest

Q. A player strikes a short putt into the hole and removes the ball from the hole. His opponent or a fellow-competitor claims he heard the ball bouncing in the bottom of the hole-liner at the time the player was removing the ball from the hole, and therefore the ball cannot be considered holed in view of the Definition of "Holed" which states: "A ball is holed when it is at rest within the circumference of the hole...." What is the ruling?

A. The ball is holed. The words "at rest" are in the Definition of "Holed" to make it clear that if a ball falls below the lip and thereafter bounces out, it is not holed.

QUOTE(shortfatdopey @ Jun 9 2008, 10:44 PM)

I think the rule is there less for putting, and more for a "3 pointer" from the fairway. I have seen balls fly into the hole (nothing but net) and bounce back out of the cup. This is just a guess, but the rule could be more for a situation like that??? What do you guys think?

The answer is in the original post here actually. The rule is to provide for when the ball bounces out of the hole. This can happen on a full or pitch shot, or on a putt like what happened to Joe Daley at PGA West during Q-School.

Shaitan

Jun 10 2008, 01:14 AM

QUOTE(Rockfish @ Jun 10 2008, 07:09 AM)

QUOTE(Shaitan @ Jun 9 2008, 04:34 PM)

What's with the attitude mate - we're just saying its never happened to us and your flaming us about it. Many people play golf differently, and most of us aren't in a rush

I am NOT "flaming" you about anything mate.

I haven't cursed at you, called you names or anything nearly like that.

I simply find it impossible to believe that anyone hasn't REGULARLY tapped in a put of 18 inches or less and not bent down and picked out his ball BEFORE the ball has come to rest.

(Love Surfer's Paradise and all those scantily clothed sheilas BTW

)

Its cool

, perhaps the difference could be in what the cup is made of like the poster above said.

Schoolies (end of high school week-long party) down on Surfer's is pretty awesome, I'm looking forward to it this year hahaha

Rockfish

Jun 10 2008, 02:46 PM

QUOTE(UNC Golf @ Jun 9 2008, 10:09 PM)

QUOTE(Rockfish @ Jun 9 2008, 02:40 PM)

Damn. You boys be good !!!

You guys hole everything outside of 7-10 feet ???

You NEVER have tap-ins/1-footers on longer putts that just miss ??? Or do you wait for THOSE really short ones to be at rest before you pick 'em out of the cup ???

Do you guys give putting lessons ??? (I'll travel to YOU for 'em)

No I don't make all them and have quite a few tap ins and 1 footers, and on those I take great care to make sure I'm not stepping in someones line as I get the ball, much more improtant things than trying to quick on the draw...sounds like you're obsessed with that, must be an ongoing problem.

So I guess you're never the last one in your group to finish up with a 2-footer then ? OK. Got it.

Frankly, even when I'm NOT the last one putting I always know where everybody's line is without much thinking about it. Perhaps I AM obsessed ? Or pehaps one should always know where the others are as a matter of course ?

Guess I'm guilty as charged. Of paying attention that is

Rockfish

Jun 10 2008, 02:48 PM

QUOTE(Shaitan @ Jun 10 2008, 02:14 AM)

QUOTE(Rockfish @ Jun 10 2008, 07:09 AM)

QUOTE(Shaitan @ Jun 9 2008, 04:34 PM)

What's with the attitude mate - we're just saying its never happened to us and your flaming us about it. Many people play golf differently, and most of us aren't in a rush

I am NOT "flaming" you about anything mate.

I haven't cursed at you, called you names or anything nearly like that.

I simply find it impossible to believe that anyone hasn't REGULARLY tapped in a put of 18 inches or less and not bent down and picked out his ball BEFORE the ball has come to rest.

(Love Surfer's Paradise and all those scantily clothed sheilas BTW

)

Its cool

, perhaps the difference could be in what the cup is made of like the poster above said.

Schoolies (end of high school week-long party) down on Surfer's is pretty awesome, I'm looking forward to it this year hahaha

Schoolies, eh ?

Hmmmmmmm. I think I have a ton of frequent flyer mileage saved up.

When is "schoolies" again ?!?!?!

Shaitan

Jun 10 2008, 03:55 PM

November

depan55

Jul 2 2008, 07:56 PM

I had this same thing happen to me today on the very first hole and wondered about the ruling, but i had convinced myself that there is no way that that ball is coming out when it is rolling around in the bottom of the cup, otherwise when somebody holes out with the flag stick in they would not be able to take the ball out without first removing the flagstick and letting the ball fall to rest at the bottom of the whole.