My opponent’s ball is in my peripheral vision. Can I ask him to move it?

You probably know that if a ball is on you line of putt, you can not only ask the owner to mark the ball, you also can have the marker moved off your line. It happens all the time. The last thing you want is a poker chip deflecting your ball away from the only birdie of the summer.

You also might know that if someone’s ball is on your line of play, and there is a reasonable chance your ball might collide with it when it’s your turn to hit, you can have it marked. It doesn’t matter where the ball is on the course.

You also might know that if another ball interferes with your stance or swing, you can make its owner mark and remove it. Or if it’s stroke play, that golfer can play first.

But what happens when you and another player in your group hit shots that end up near each other, but neither are on the other’s line of play or interfere with taking a stance or making a swing? When you go to address your ball and you look down, you catch a fairly distracting glimpse of the other ball in the corner of your eye. Worse, it’s flourescent yellow. What do the Rules of Golf have to say if you want that ball marked and removed?

You have to consult Rule 15.3b to find out. The answer is, you can make that player mark and remove the ball if, and this is important, the ball is “close enough to distract” you in making the stroke. What constitutes “close enough?” That’s somewhat subjective, but you’re likely not going to get what you want if it’s not reasonable to assume the other ball is bothersome. And in stroke play, the other player has the option of playing before you rather than marking.

There are a few more things to remember about Rule 15.3b. The first is that if a player is requested to lift his or her ball, it first must be marked and it cannot be cleaned (except on the putting green). It’s a one-stroke penalty for failing to mark a ball or cleaning a lifted ball under this rule. Also, it’s a penalty if you are trying to be a good samaritan and lift your own ball assuming it might be distracting to another player or possibly be on his or her line of play. If you mark and lift without being required to do so, you get a one-stroke penalty.

It’s a good idea to wait to see what the other player wants to do, if anything.

Main image: Santeri Viinamäki