The golf ball
Given the durability of the modern golf ball, any time you see one become unfit for play, particularly during an event or competition, lots of questions and opinions circulate as to how damaged a ball has to be before it can correctly be switched out. In this article, Chris Wallace, Rules manager at The R&A, looks at the different times when players are entitled to substitute their ball during play.
Once a player has started their round, there are only specific times when they are entitled to change the ball they are playing with. It goes without saying that you can always use a new ball when starting play of a new hole, but what about substituting a ball while playing a hole?
Generally, the Rules require you to hole out with the same ball you play from the teeing area, but obviously doing so isn’t always possible, particularly when you run into some trouble on the course, be it a lost ball in the rough, a ball hit out of bounds, or
