Ever since the “stymie” rule was eliminated from the Rules of Golf in 1952, another player’s ball is considered something outside the realm of what a player should have to contend with in completing a hole. However, while the Rules permit the player to not be interfered with by a ball, the Rules also allow other players to ensure you don’t gain an advantage from another ball that might help your play.

Helping Ball – Putting Green Only

When a ball comes to rest in a position on the putting green that might be useful for another player, any other player present has the right to ask to have the helping ball lifted.

If it is your own ball, you may lift it yourself. In stroke play, you may play out of order to get your ball out of the way first, rather than mark and lift it.

However, in stroke play you may not make an agreement with any other player (including your own partner) to leave a helping ball in place. If a stroke is made with the agreement and helping ball in place, each player involved in the agreement incur a two-stroke penalty. A refusal to lift a helping ball would result in the general penalty.

Interfering Ball – Anywhere on Course

When a ball comes to rest in a position that interferes with your own play, you may ask to have it lifted. Interference in this case can mean either physically or mentally.

However, you may not lift your own ball simply because you think it might interfere with another player, that player must ask you to do so first (except on the putting green).  In stroke play, a player may play out of order to get the interfering ball out of the way. A refusal to lift an interfering ball would result in the general penalty.

Helping or Interfering Ball-Marker

If a ball-marker is in a position to either help or interfere with play, you may move the marker if it is your own, or require the owner to move the marker out of the way for the same reasons as you would have a helping or interfering ball lifted.

What To Do When Ball or Ball-Marker Helps or Interferes

To lift a ball that is helping or interfering with play, there are a few dos and don’ts a player must follow:

• • DO Mark the ball prior to lifting it
  • Do NOT clean the ball (unless it was on the putting green)
  • DO make sure to replace the ball on the same spot

To Move a Ball-marker that is Helping or Interfering:

• Move the ball-marker by measuring to a new spot, traditionally by using one or more club-head lengths.
• Make sure to replace the ball back on the correct original spot or the ball-marker back in the correct spot.