Goose Poop

[BC MIST]

My ball rolls to the fringe of the putting green and stops with an amount of goose poop on the side facing away from the hole. My fellow competitor requests that I mark and lift my ball as it is in his intended chipping line.

I know that I am not allowed to clean the ball and must replace it in the exact location from which it was originally lifted, however, can I rotate the ball so as to have the goose poop facing in a different direction?

[LobWedge]

Yes, providing you don't use the poop to "tee the ball up" when you replace it. (Decision 21/5)

[BC MIST]

Yes, providing you don't use the poop to "tee the ball up" when you replace it. (Decision 21/5)

Good to know. It is one of the few occasions where the rule can work in your favour.

Now, if I am playing in a "best" ball format, my ball is in the same position and with the same doo on the ball, and my partners ball might land in the vicinity of mine when he is chipping on, should he be allowed to ask me to have my ball lifted, without consulting our fellow competitors?

I hope you see what I am getting at. My partners ball will not likely land near mine unless he misses the shot, but it would be advantageous for me to have the goose poop facing the hole versus facing the club face, when the stroke is taken, so lifting it, and rotating it, is possible.

To me this would be tantamount to cheating, however, some golfers would try to pull this one off. I am assuming that the fellow competitors have a right to question this move, and request that my partner play two balls, and then get a ruling.

[Gary Hill]

should he be allowed to ask me to have my ball lifted, without consulting our fellow competitors?

He doesn't just "ask" you to lift your ball. It is his right to "require" you lift your ball (or play first).

The Rule has nothing to do with "partners" or "fellow-competitors".

22-2. Ball Interfering with Play
Except when a ball is in motion, if a player considers that the ball of another player might interfere with his play, he may have it lifted.
In stroke play, a player required to lift his ball may play first rather than lift the ball.

Also note, you cannot lift your ball without being "asked" to do so. It is not up to you to determine whether your ball is causing interference with the play of another player.

[Kiwi battler]

"require" ?? so you can be penalised for not lifting ?

i saw resently a case where a guy i know refused to mark the ball ........the ball was 10 feet short of the green and directly in the line of play ... flagstick was 20 yards from the front of the green ........the player asking for the ball to be lifted was 30 yards short of the green

i read a decision or rule a while back that more or less said that the ball shouldnt be lifted as this would cause undue delay ........
is there a black and white decription of where and when the ball isnt to be lifted ? ???
it seemed to leave it up to subjectivity ....

i read a rule or decision