Is it a penalty if your ball moves when you address it?
By The Fairway Labs TeamReviewed
General play
Penalty: None
Is it a penalty if your ball moves when you address it?
PenaltyNone· under Rule 9.4b
What to do
- 1Check whether you caused the movement (grounding your club, your stance, etc.).
- 2If you caused it, add one penalty stroke and replace the ball.
- 3If something else caused it (wind, gravity), no penalty — play it from its new spot.
Based on the modern Rules of Golf (Rule 9.4b), as published by the USGA and The R&A and effective from the 2019 revision. Local rules can modify some situations — check the scorecard or with the committee when in doubt.
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