Can a caddie line up a putt?

New Rule: Under Rule 10.2b(4): The previous prohibition is extended so that, once the player begins taking a stance for the stroke, and until the stroke is made, the player's caddie must not deliberately stand on or close to an extension of the line of play behind the ball for any reason.
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Are caddies allowed to line up putts?

Under the clarifications, caddies can line up their players for the purpose of making sure their club won't hit a tree, or their feet are not on a cart path. The new rule was effectively immediately.
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Can a caddie line up the ball on the green?

The player's caddie is allowed to mark and lift the player's ball on the putting green any time the player is allowed to do so, without needing authorization.
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Can a caddie align the ball?

The caddie can replace the ball only if they were the one who lifted or moved it. When it comes to aligning, the rules are only concerned about location when replacing a lifted ball on a spot.
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What are caddies allowed to do?

10.3 Caddies. Purpose of Rule: The player may have a caddie to carry the player's clubs and give advice and other help during the round, but there are limits to what the caddie is allowed to do. The player is responsible for the caddie's actions during the round and will get a penalty if the caddie breaches the Rules.
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Golf's New Rules (2019): Caddies Standing Behind Player to Help Lining Up



Can a caddie indicate the line of play by touching the putting surface?

Reasons for Change: No advantage is gained if a player or his or her caddie merely touches the surface of the putting green on the line where the ball will be played.
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Can you line up your playing partner in golf?

It's also OK to help your partner line up before he or she makes a stroke, but it's important to take two or three big steps away from the extension of the line of play behind the ball. Otherwise, your partner will incur a penalty because you positioned yourself behind the ball during the stroke ( Rule 14-2b).
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Can you stand behind your partner when he is putting?

When it comes to reading a putt's break, members of a four-ball team may stand nearly anywhere on the green to watch a partner putt, with one exception: They're not allowed to stand on or close to an extension of the player's line of putt behind the ball (Rule 14-2b).
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What is the penalty for giving advice in golf?

There is no penalty when an authorized party gives advice, but "the player should take action to stop this irregular procedure." He would incur a two-stroke penalty in stroke play if he allowed such advice to be given again.
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Can you legally stand behind the ball to putt?

The USGA and the R&A took notice and, effective January 1, 1968, introduced Rule 35-1L (now Rule16-1e) that stated “The player shall not make a stroke on the putting green from a stance astride, or with either foot touching, the line of the putt or an extension of that line behind the ball.”
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Can caddies fix ball marks?

The New Rule: Caddies can mark a player's ball, and do so without needing authorization. Caddies can even go so far as to replace the ball on the green IF they were the one who marked it.
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Can your coach be your caddy?

Coaches perform the same job as caddies. Neither is playing, but both can influence the performance of their players, their main responsibility being to put their players in the best positions to succeed.
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Are caddies allowed in bunkers?

A player can't "deliberately touch sand in the bunker with his or her hand, a club or rake or any other object in an effort to test the condition of the surface to obtain information for the next stroke." In addition, USGA's Rule 10.3c also states that the golfer is responsible for his caddie's actions even though the ...
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Can you hold an umbrella while putting?

Question: In the rain, a player holds an umbrella over his or her head with one hand while holing a short putt with his or her putter held in the other hand; there is no penalty.
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Where should a caddy stand?

Stand so that your feet are at least two feet from the hole and your shadow does not cover the hole or cross the line of putt. If you can reach the cloth at the top of the flagstick, hold it so that it does not flap in the wind.
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Who can replace a marked ball on the green?

Under Rule 14.2b, only the player, the player's partner (if there is one) or the person who originally lifted the ball or caused it to move is allowed to replace it, so, unless that final situation is the case, the player would get one penalty stroke if his looper did the honors.
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Can you ask what club they hit?

Giving advice

On the weekend, you may ask your friend what iron they just hit, or, while on the green, point to a spot and say, "I think this is the line." While such behavior is standard in a normal round, it's deemed illegal in competitive play. The penalty is two strokes.
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Can you ask for yardage in golf?

May I ask someone for a yardage? A. Yes. Matters of public information, such as yardages or the location of things on the course, are not advice (see Definition of Advice).
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Do pro golfers use a new ball on each hole?

Professional golfers will change golf balls every five to six holes. The modern golf ball technology can last for quite some time as the materials used to make these golf balls are more durable and resistant to cuts.
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Can you walk on your own putting line?

The only way to tell for sure is to use your sense of touch, through your feet. "For long putts, don't walk on your line but walk alongside of it, where you think it's going to go," Day said. "If it's a left-to-right putt from 20 feet, you can walk from the ball all the way to the hole.
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Can I practice putting after holing out?

In a word: yes. Whether you're playing match play or stroke play, according to the Rules, a player is allowed to use a practice putting green during a round as long as it is positioned between two holes and the player doesn't unreasonably delay play by doing so.
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Does hitting the flag in golf count?

If the golf ball hits the flagstick being tended, the golfer incurs a penalty. If the ball ends up pinned, when the flagstick is removed, if the ball falls into the hole, it counts as in. If it does not, then it is placed on the lip of the hole and they must take another putt.
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Can you step behind your golf ball?

Also, you cannot step behind your ball to improve your lie, except on the teeing ground. On the putting green, you are not permitted to repair everything on the line between your ball and the hole. You may repair ball marks and move loose impediments, but you cannot repair spike marks.
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Can you lay down on the putting green?

Q. May I kneel or lie on the green to read a putt? A. Although not recommended, yes.
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Can you stand behind a golfer when he is putting 2019?

At the moment the player begins to take his stance, the caddie must not deliberately stand directly behind the player. The penalty is two strokes in stroke play. There is one exception which applies only on the Putting Green.
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