20-1. Lifting and Marking
A ball to be lifted under the Rules may be lifted by the player,
his partner or another person authorised by the player. In any
such case, the player is responsible for any breach of
the Rules.
The position of the ball must be marked before it is lifted
under a Rule that requires it to be replaced. If it is not marked,
the player incurs a penalty of one stroke and the ball must be
replaced. If it is not replaced, the player incurs the general
penalty for breach of this Rule but there is no additional
penalty under Rule 20-1.
If a ball or ball-marker is accidentally moved in the process of
lifting the ball under a Rule or marking its position, the ball or
ball-marker must be replaced. There is no penalty provided the
movement of the ball or ball-marker is directly attributable to
the specific act of marking the position of or lifting the ball.
Otherwise, the player incurs a penalty of one stroke under this
Rule or Rule 18-2a.
Exception: If a player incurs a penalty for failing to act in
accordance with Rule 5-3 or 12-2, there is no additional
penalty under Rule 20-1.
Note: The position of a ball to be lifted should be marked by
placing a ball-marker, a small coin or other similar object
immediately behind the ball. If the ball-marker interferes with
the play, stance or stroke of another player, it should be placed
one or more clubhead-lengths to one side.

20-2. Dropping and Re-Dropping
a. By Whom and How
A ball to be dropped under the Rules must be dropped by the
player himself. He must stand erect, hold the ball at shoulder
height and arm’s length and drop it. If a ball is dropped by any
other person or in any other manner and the error is not
corrected as provided in Rule 20-6, the player incurs a penalty
of one stroke.
If the ball touches the player, his partner, either of their caddies
or their equipment before or after it strikes a part of the
course, the ball must be re-dropped, without penalty. There is
no limit to the number of times a ball must be re-dropped in
these circumstances.
(Taking action to influence position or movement of ball – see
Rule 1-2)
b. Where to Drop
When a ball is to be dropped as near as possible to a specific
spot, it must be dropped not nearer the hole than the specific
spot which, if it is not precisely known to the player, must
be estimated.
A ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course
where the applicable Rule requires it to be dropped. If it is not
so dropped, Rules 20-6 and -7 apply.
c. When to Re-Drop
A dropped ball must be re-dropped without penalty if it:
(i) rolls into and comes to rest in a hazard;
(ii) rolls out of and comes to rest outside a hazard;
(iii) rolls onto and comes to rest on a putting green;
(iv) rolls and comes to rest out of bounds;
(v) rolls to and comes to rest in a position where there is
interference by the condition from which relief was taken
under Rule 24-2b (immovable obstruction), Rule 25-1
(abnormal ground conditions), Rule 25-3 (wrong putting
green) or a Local Rule (Rule 33-8a), or rolls back into the
pitch-mark from which it was lifted under Rule 25-2
(embedded ball);
(vi) rolls and comes to rest more than two club-lengths from
where it first struck a part of the course; or
(vii)rolls and comes to rest nearer the hole than:
(a) its original position or estimated position (see Rule
20-2b) unless otherwise permitted by the Rules; or
(b) the nearest point of relief or maximum available relief
(Rule 24-2, 25-1 or 25-3); or (c) the point where the original ball last crossed the
margin of the water hazard or lateral water hazard
(Rule 26-1).
If the ball when re-dropped rolls into any position listed above,
it must be placed as near as possible to the spot where it first
struck a part of the course when re-dropped.
If a ball to be re-dropped or placed under this Rule is not
immediately recoverable, another ball may be substituted.
Note: If a ball when dropped or re-dropped comes to rest and
subsequently moves, the ball must be played as it lies, unless
the provisions of any other Rule apply.

20-3. Placing and Replacing
a. By Whom and Where
A ball to be placed under the Rules must be placed by the
player or his partner. If a ball is to be replaced, the player, his
partner or the person who lifted or moved it must place it on
the spot from which it was lifted or moved. In any such case,
the player is responsible for any breach of the Rules.
If a ball or ball-marker is accidentally moved in the process of
placing or replacing the ball, the ball or ball-marker must be
replaced. There is no penalty provided the movement of the
ball or ball-marker is directly attributable to the specific act of
placing or replacing the ball or removing the ball-marker.
Otherwise, the player incurs a penalty stroke under Rule
18-2a or 20-1.
b. Lie of Ball to be Placed or Replaced Altered
If the original lie of a ball to be placed or replaced has
been altered:
(i) except in a hazard, the ball must be placed in the nearest
lie most similar to the original lie that is not more than one
club-length from the original lie, not nearer the hole and
not in a hazard;
(ii) in a water hazard, the ball must be placed in accordance
with Clause (i) above, except that the ball must be placed
in the water hazard;
(iii) in a bunker, the original lie must be re-created as nearly as
possible and the ball must be placed in that lie.
c. Spot Not Determinable
If it is impossible to determine the spot where the ball is to be
placed or replaced:
(i) through the green, the ball must be dropped as near as
possible to the place where it lay but not in a hazard or on
a putting green;
(ii) in a hazard, the ball must be dropped in the hazard as near
as possible to the place where it lay;
(iii) on the putting green, the ball must be placed as near as
possible to the place where it lay but not in a hazard.
Exception: When resuming play (Rule 6-8d), if the spot where
the ball is to be placed is impossible to determine, it must be
estimated and the ball placed on the estimated spot.
d. Ball Fails to Come to Rest on Spot
If a ball when placed fails to come to rest on the spot on which
it was placed, there is no penalty and the ball must
be replaced. If it still fails to come to rest on that spot:
(i) except in a hazard, it must be placed at the nearest spot
where it can be placed at rest that is not nearer the hole
and not in a hazard;
(ii) in a hazard, it must be placed in the hazard at the nearest
spot where it can be placed at rest that is not nearer
the hole.
If a ball when placed comes to rest on the spot on which it is
placed, and it subsequently moves, there is no penalty and the
ball must be played as it lies, unless the provisions of any other
Rule apply.

20-4. When Ball Dropped or Placed is in Play
If the player’s ball in play has been lifted, it is again in play
when dropped or placed.
A substituted ball becomes the ball in play when it has been
dropped or placed.
(Ball incorrectly substituted – see Rule 15-2)
(Lifting ball incorrectly substituted, dropped or placed – see
Rule 20-6)

20-5. Making Next Stroke from Where Previous Stroke Made
When a player elects or is required to make his next stroke
from where a previous stroke was made, he must proceed
as follows:
a. On the Teeing Ground: The ball to be played must be
played from within the teeing ground. It may be played
from anywhere within the teeing ground and may be teed.
b. Through the Green and in a Hazard: The ball to be played
must be dropped.
c. On the Putting Green: The ball to be played must
be placed.

20-6. Lifting Ball Incorrectly Substituted, Dropped or Placed
A ball incorrectly substituted, dropped or placed in a wrong
place or otherwise not in accordance with the Rules but not
played may be lifted, without penalty, and the player must
then proceed correctly.

20-7. Playing from Wrong Place
a. General
A player has played from a wrong place if he makes a stroke
with his ball in play:
(i) on a part of the course where the Rules do not permit a
stroke to be played or a ball to be dropped or placed; or
(ii) when the Rules require a dropped ball to be re-dropped or
a moved ball to be replaced.
Note: For a ball played from outside the teeing ground or from
a wrong teeing ground – see Rule 11-4.
b. Match Play
If a player makes a stroke from a wrong place, he loses
the hole.
c. Stroke Play
If a competitor makes a stroke from a wrong place, he incurs
a penalty of two strokes under the applicable Rule. He must
play out the hole with the ball played from the wrong place,
without correcting his error, provided he has not committed a
serious breach (see Note 1).
If a competitor becomes aware that he has played from a
wrong place and believes that he may have committed a
serious breach, he must, before making a stroke on the next
teeing ground, play out the hole with a second ball dropped
or placed in accordance with the Rules. If the hole being
played is the last hole of the round, he must declare, before
leaving the putting green, that he will play out the hole with
a second ball dropped or placed in accordance with the Rules.
The competitor must report the facts to the Committee before
returning his score card; if he fails to do so, he is disqualified.
The Committee must determine whether the competitor has
committed a serious breach of the applicable Rule. If he has,
the score with the second ball counts and the competitor must
add two penalty strokes to his score with that ball. If the
competitor has committed a serious breach and has failed to
correct it as outlined above, he is disqualified.
Note 1: A competitor is deemed to have committed a serious
breach of the applicable Rule if the Committee considers he
has gained a significant advantage as a result of playing from
a wrong place.
Note 2: If a competitor plays a second ball under Rule 20-7c
and it is ruled not to count, strokes made with that ball and
penalty strokes incurred solely by playing that ball are
disregarded. If the second ball is ruled to count, the stroke
made from the wrong place and any strokes subsequently
taken with the original ball including penalty strokes incurred
solely by playing that ball are disregarded.