Rules Review
Rules of Golf Review: I keep watching this guy sole his club in front of his ball. Is that legal?
Capelle.r
One of golf's oldest cheats tricks is to sole a club behind the ball in the rough and then "decide" to use another club to hit the shot. The initial club's weight makes the grass sit down giving the replacement club a cleaner path into the ball.
Not to mention any names unfairly, but one Hall of Fame golfer was famously rumored to do this with a fairway wood and was called out for it by another Hall of Fame golfer. To be fair, no penalties were ever handed out under Rule 8.1 to said golfer for improving the conditions affecting his next stroke. Please don't get any bright ideas and try this move when your ball is in deep grass. If you're caught, it's a two-stroke penalty or loss of hole in match play. It could even result in disqualification if your actions are thought to be a serious misconduct under Rule 1.2.
Whether or not you knew the rule, you might wonder how it applies to putting your club down in front of your ball. Some golfers might want to do it as a means of getting aligned with their target. Setting the putter down in front of the ball, for example, might help get the alignment aid on the top of the clubhead in better position. A short wedge shot also might benefit from setting the club down in front of the ball.
Still, could that act improve conditions affecting your next stroke? Seems like it would, but here's what the Rules of Golf says about it. Rule 8.1b(4) explains that an action that is allowed is to ground the club lightly right in front of or right behind the ball.
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You might wonder how the rules-makers define "lightly." And they do discuss it. “Ground the club lightly” means allowing the weight of the club to be supported by the grass, soil, sand or other material on or above the ground surface. Supported is the key word here, as opposed to pressing the club down on the ground. So as long as the golfer is lightly setting the club down in front of the ball, there is no penalty for improving conditions.
This rule came into focus at the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational. TV cameras closely watched as Wyndham Clark settled his club down into the rough to play an approach into the 18th hole during Saturday's third round at the Bay Hill Club in Orlando. The broadcast team and TV analysts wondered if he pushed down a little too hard and should have been penalized.
One other thing to remember about this rule is that if you do improve the conditions affecting your next stroke, but then decide to play a different type of shot that would not have been improved by your actions—such as chipping instead of putting—you would still be penalized under Rule 8.1 unless you can restore the conditions. See 8.1c to get the full details on what is allowed in terms of restoration.