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- You can mark, lift, and clean your ball on the green at any time — use a coin or small marker directly behind the ball
- Repair ball marks (pitch marks) and old hole plugs on the green, but you cannot repair spike marks that are in your line
- Since 2019, you can putt with the flagstick in the hole — no penalty either way
- Accidentally moving your ball on the green is no penalty — just replace it
The green has more rules than anywhere else on the course
The putting green is the most regulated area in golf. And honestly, that makes sense — it's where precision matters most. A footprint in your line, a ball sitting in someone's path, an unreplaced divot from a wedge shot — these things can turn a 2-putt into a 3-putt.
But the good news is that the rules on the green are mostly designed to help you, not penalize you. Let's walk through everything.
Marking and lifting your ball
You can mark, lift, and clean your ball on the putting green whenever you want. This is the only place on the course where you have this unconditional right (elsewhere, you need a specific reason to lift).
How to mark properly
Place a ball marker (coin, flat marker, or small object) directly behind the ball — on the side away from the hole.
Lift the ball. You can clean it — wipe off mud, grass, or debris.
When it's your turn to putt, place the ball back in front of the marker, in its original position.
Remove the marker before putting.
When you MUST mark
- When your ball is in another player's line (the path between their ball and the hole)
- When your ball might be distracting to another player
- When asked by a playing partner
Moving your marker
If your marker is in someone's putting line, you can move it to the side. Use a club head to measure: place the toe of your putter at the marker, then move the marker to the heel. Remember to reverse the process before putting.
Always move your marker back before putting. If you putt from the wrong spot (with your marker still moved to the side), it's a two-stroke penalty in competition.
What you can (and can't) repair
The 2019 rules update significantly expanded what you can fix on the green.
You CAN repair
| Damage Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Ball marks (pitch marks) | The dent left when a ball lands on the green from the air |
| Old hole plugs | Filled-in previous hole locations that have settled |
| Turf seams | Lines from sod installation or maintenance |
| Shoe damage from maintenance | Marks left by mowing or aerating equipment |
| Animal damage | Tracks or scratches from birds, insects, etc. |
You CANNOT repair
| Damage Type | Why |
|---|---|
| Natural imperfections | Aeration holes, uneven growth, and natural wear are part of the course |
| Spike marks in your line | These are considered normal wear and remain as they are |
| Damage from normal play (general wear) | The green's condition is part of the challenge |
How to repair a ball mark correctly
Use a ball-mark repair tool, tee, or the tip of a pencil:
- Insert the tool at the edges of the mark at a 45-degree angle, pointing toward the center
- Gently push the edges inward toward the center — don't lift up, as this tears the roots
- Work around the entire mark
- Tap the repaired area flat with the sole of your putter
- The entire process takes about 10 seconds
Properly repaired ball marks heal in 24-48 hours. Unrepaired or incorrectly repaired marks can take 2-3 weeks to heal.
The flagstick: in or out?
Before 2019, putting with the flagstick in the hole incurred a penalty. That rule is gone. Now you have three options:
| Option | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Leave it in | Putt with the flag in the hole. If the ball hits the flag and goes in, it counts. No penalty. |
| Take it out | Remove the flag before putting. Traditional approach. |
| Have it attended | A playing partner holds the flag and removes it after you putt. Useful for long putts where you can't see the hole. |
Should you leave it in or take it out?
This has been debated extensively since the rule change. The practical answer:
- Leave it in for longer putts — the flag provides a visual target and can act as a backstop
- Take it out for short putts — at close range, the flag can occasionally deflect a well-struck putt
- Personal preference matters — go with whatever feels comfortable
Most tour professionals take the flag out for most putts. Most recreational golfers leave it in for anything beyond 10 feet. Neither approach is wrong.
Touching your line
Your "line of putt" is the path you intend the ball to travel along to reach the hole. The rules around touching this line were significantly simplified in 2019.
Current rules
- You CAN touch your line of putt — this is allowed for any reason (pointing, placing the putter, etc.)
- You CAN brush away loose impediments (leaves, twigs, sand, insects) from your line with your hand, hat, towel, or club
- You CANNOT press down or scrape the surface to improve it
- You CANNOT test the surface by roughening or scraping the green to read the grain
The key principle: you can touch the green and your line freely, but you can't intentionally change the surface to improve it.
Accidentally moving your ball on the green
This happens to everyone. You're reading your putt, your shoe brushes the ball, and it rolls a few inches. Or a gust of wind moves it.
Current rule
If you or your equipment accidentally moves your ball on the green: no penalty. Just replace it.
| What Caused the Ball to Move | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Your foot or equipment | Replace the ball — no penalty |
| Wind or natural forces (ball was at rest) | Play from the new position — no penalty |
| Wind (after you marked, lifted, and replaced) | Replace the ball — it was already at rest in the marked spot |
This was a major change from the old rules, where accidentally moving your ball on the green was a one-stroke penalty. The new approach is much more fair and common-sense.
Putting out of turn
In stroke play, there's technically no penalty for putting out of turn. But etiquette says the player farthest from the hole putts first (unless you're playing ready golf, where anyone who's ready can go).
In match play, your opponent can ask you to replay the shot if you putt out of turn. This rarely happens in casual matches but is worth knowing.
Common green situations
Your ball is on the wrong green
You must take free relief. You cannot play from another hole's putting green. See our free drops guide for details.
Your ball is on the fringe (apron)
The fringe is not part of the putting green. You cannot mark and clean your ball on the fringe (unless there's another valid reason to lift it). You can still putt from the fringe — you just don't get the green-specific privileges.
Two balls on the green collide
If your putt hits another ball that's on the green, and this is stroke play: you get a two-stroke penalty. This is why it's essential to mark balls that might be in your path. In match play, there's no penalty — but the other ball is replaced.
NG Putting without asking your opponent to mark their ball, hitting it, and getting a 2-stroke penalty
OK Asking all players on the green to mark before you putt, avoiding any possibility of collision
Overhanging the hole
If your ball comes to rest on the lip of the hole, you get a reasonable time to reach the hole plus an additional 10 seconds to wait and see if it falls in. If it drops in within that time, it counts. If it drops after, it counts as a separate stroke.
Green etiquette (not rules, but important)
- Don't walk in someone's line — their putting path between ball and hole
- Don't stand in someone's peripheral vision while they putt
- Repair your ball marks — even the ones that aren't yours
- Don't drag your feet — lift your feet to avoid creating spike marks
- Leave bags and carts off the green — well off the green, ideally toward the next tee
- Replace the flagstick carefully when your group finishes the hole
The bottom line
The putting green gives you the most freedoms and the most specific rules in golf. You can mark, lift, and clean your ball at any time. You can repair ball marks and old hole plugs. You can leave the flagstick in while putting. And if you accidentally move your ball, there's no penalty — just put it back. Learn these rules, practice good green etiquette, and your time on the putting surface will be smoother for everyone.
References & Data Notes
Putting green rules are governed by Rule 13 of the Rules of Golf (R&A and USGA, 2023 edition, effective through 2026). Major changes to green rules (flagstick, accidental movement, touching the line) were introduced in the 2019 rules modernization. Ball mark repair guidance reflects best practices from golf course superintendent associations.