ON THE PUTTING GREEN

You may repair ball marks and old hole plugs on the line of your putt but not any other damage, including spike marks.

You may mark, lift and clean your ball on the putting gre·en. Always replace it on the exact spot.

Don't test the putting surface by scraping it or rolling a ball over it.

Ball played from putting green strikes flagstick - in match play you lose the hole; in stroke play you incur a two-stroke penalty.

BALL AT REST MOVED

If your ball is at rest and it is moved by you, your partner or your caddie, except as permitted by the Rules, or if it moves after you have addressed it, add a penalty stroke and replace your ball.

If your ball is at rest and is moved by someone else or another ball, replace it without penalty to you.

Golf Rules are not always there as a punishment ... if you really know how , some of them are actually in place to help you. We shall cover some of them in the next two updates starting with this week's given below :

Don't look for original ball

If you hit a great shot with a provisional ball, and/or you think your first ball might be in a truly awful place, you don't have to look for the original. The choice is completely upto you. Once you play the provisional from the area the original ball is likely to be (or nearer the hole), it becomes your ball in play, incurring a stroke-and-distance penalty. If somebody finds your original before your provisional ball becomes in play, however, you have to play the original.

Place ball after two drops

If, when you drop a ball, it rolls away twice to where a re-drop would be required, you get to place the ball on the spot where it hit the ground on the second drop. If you're proceeding under a Rule which gives you an area to drop into, and you think you will end up placing the ball after two drops, you should scout for an area of nice turf before dropping.

Rough to fairway 

In taking relief from an abnormal ground condition, such as casual water, the nearest point of relief is determined without regard for fairway or rough. So, if your ball is in the rough, you might be able to move it to the fairway (the one club length from the nearest point might help you). But this is a double-edged sword -- if your ball is in the fairway, the nearest point of relief might be in the rough, or even under a bush. There is only one "nearest point"; you can't go looking for the best option. So think before acting on this particular rule.

Out from Under a Tree

If your ball is under a tree, but also in a situation that allows free relief, you can take relief if you are physically able to swing at the ball. If your drop puts you in a position where you are able to play at the green instead of chipping out sideways, that's fine.

Play from the Previous Spot

If you somehow mess up an easy chip shot or hit a putt into a water hazard or an unplayable position, remember that one of your options is to return to the spot of your previous stroke, under penalty of one stroke. It could leave you in a better position.

Q: My ball is stuck in a tree - what are my options ?

Ans: There are three options for continuing play when your ball gets stuck in a tree: play the ball as it lies; declare the ball unplayable; or take a lost ball. 
Play It as It Lies
What this means, of course, is that you're willing to climb up into the tree and take a swing at the ball. And if you did, you wouldn't be the first. Nick Faldo famously played a ball from a tree once. But the odds of coming up with a decent shot in such a scenario are mighty slim. The odds of further messing up the hole are much greater
Unplayable
You can declare the ball unplayable under Rule 28, take a one-stroke penalty and, most likely, drop within two club-lengths of the ball (there are other options for continuing under the unplayable rule, but this is the most likely to be used in this scenario). The spot from which you measure the two club-lengths is that spot on the ground directly under where the ball rests in the tree. But in order to use the unplayable option, you must be able to identify your ball. You can't just assume that it's up there somewhere, and you can't just assume that a ball you see in the tree is yours. You must positively identify it as yours.
Lost Ball
Of course, you may not be able to find a ball that has lodged in a tree, even if you know it's there. The only option then is to declare a lost ball and proceed under Rule 27 (Ball Lost or Out of Bounds). The lost ball penalty is stroke-and-distance; that means assessing a one-stroke penalty and returning to the spot of the previous stroke, where you must replay the shot. Even if you see a ball up in the tree, you'll have to take a lost ball penalty unless you can positively identify it as yours

Q: Can a golfer place clubs on the ground to help align stance for a stroke ?

Ans: On the putting green, the answer is a quick "no." The player, his partner or either of their caddies are allowed to point out the putting line prior to - but not during - the stroke; however, they are not allowed to touch the green in so doing, and no marks or aids of any kind can be placed on the green (whether prior to the stroke or during the putting stroke).

The rules do allow some leeway when off the green , however. So, if a player is so inclined, he may, other than on the green, place golf clubs at his feet to align his stance for the stroke, so long as he removes those clubs before actually hitting the ball.

Q: What happens when a ball in motion strikes against a ball in rest ?

Ans: The player whose ball was at rest replaces it to its original position; the player whose ball was in motion plays it as it lies.

Q: What qualifies as Casual Water ?

Ans: Casual water is any temporary water on the course which is not in a water hazard and that is visible before or after a player takes his stance.

You do not get relief simply because your ball comes to rest on ground that is very wet or spongy. An accumulation of water must be visible above ground.

Dew and frost are not casual water; snow and natural ice (other than frost) can be casual water or loose impediments, at the player's option. Ice cubes or other manufactured ice is considered an obstruction.

Q: Is it ok to draw lines , arrows , etc on the golf ball ?

Ans: Yes. There is no prohibition in the Rules of drawing lines on a golf ball.

Many players mark their balls in some fashion to help with identification (in fact, the Rules require such markings for competitions). How you mark the ball is entirely up to you. There are no guidelines or prohibitions. If you want to draw arrows or lines - and use those arrows or lines on the putting green to help line up putts - go for it.

Q: For the sake of convenience, when you enter a bunker to play a shot you like to bring the rake with you. It makes it easier to tend to the sand after completing your stroke.Your partner says this is illegal. You say it's not. Who's right?

Ans:You are.

As long as the rake is not used to test the condition of the sand prior to playing your shot, there's nothing wrong with placing the rake in the bunker.Likewise, the rules do no prohibit placing other clubs in the bunker, as long as they are not used to test the sand conditions.The same applies to water hazards. Of course, the rake or clubs must not have any effect on your ball or the lie.

Q: So you concede a putt to your opponent. But the opponent jabs at the ball anyway, and the ball misses the cup. Has your opponent just cost himself a stroke?

Ans:The missed "putt" doesn't count. A conceded putt is a conceded putt. Once one player informs another that the putt is conceded, that player's play of the hole is over and his or her score is in the books

Q: Do Chippers Conform?

Ans: Yes, chippers are iron clubs not putters, and therefore must conform with the requirement for woods and irons. For example, chippers may not have a putter grip, two striking faces or appendages for aiming purposes. See Rules 1 through 5 in Appendix II.

Q: Is there a penalty for hitting a golf ball with the non striking surface of the club ie. the back side of an iron?

Ans: A player may play a stroke with any part of the clubhead, provided the ball is fairly struck at (Rule 14-1) and the club conforms with Rule 4-1.

Q: "My fellow competitor, on a par 3 hole hit his tee shot over water, a regular hazard. It landed over the pond but rolled several feet back into the water. Some claim that as long as it went over the water the ball could be dropped on that side of the hazard by moving it back & to the side & to the right of the lake as long as it was no nearer the hole--the reasoning being that the ball did land over the hazard before falling back in. I felt that this was not permitted; that the ball had to be dropped on the far side of the lake keeping that spot on a line between the ball & the hole. Or the tee shot had to be replayed with a one shot penalty in either case.

Ans: You are correct as one cannot play a shot from closer to the hole. On a regular water hazard Rule 26 only gives you 3 options:

1) You can play the ball from the hazard as it lies if it is playable, (being careful not to ground your club...or hitting the water on your backswing);

2) Play another ball from as close to where you played the original ball, in this case the tee, and this would be your third shot;

3) Keeping the point where the ball crossed the hazard between you and the flag, go back as far as you want to hit your third shot.

If your fellow competitor played his ball from the green side of the hazard two club lengths from the point of entry, he was using an option only available if it is a lateral water hazard, so he incurs a two stroke penalty.