Linda,
There are some members of our club that like to walk the
line of their putt to feel the breaks in the green with their feet. However,
they sometimes walk their exact line, but I thought you couldn't touch the line
of your putt - I think this would include walking on it. I would think walking
beside it would be ok. And if this isn't permitted, is it a one- or two-stroke
penalty?
Thank you for your easy-to-understand and interesting
articles!
Lulu from Minnesota
Dear Lulu,
The player may not walk on her line of putt [Rule 16-1a].
The penalty is two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play for
touching the line of putt.
Walking carefully beside the line of putt is not a problem
as long as the player is not walking on someone else’s line.
I sincerely hope this unusual (and, quite possibly,
unproductive) procedure does not take an excessive amount of time. I wouldn’t
want to be the player standing on the tee watching player after player tiptoe
along her line of putt!
Linda
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