NCG's Golf Glossary: What is a marker?

Here at NCG we pride ourselves on being the publication for the everyday player, so we’ve taken it upon ourselves to delve into the wonderful world of the golfing lexicon.

Sometimes the most obvious terms have the most interesting story, so you might find yourself an interesting conversation starter…

What is a marker?

A marker is an object used to mark the position of your ball, usually on the putting green using a coin of some form.

How do I use it in a sentence?

“My ball landed on the green and while I was waiting for my playing partner I used a ball marker to mark my ball”

What are the origins?

The first set of golf rules stated that a player could only lift their ball if it was touching another persons ball and then the rule was changed to when it’s with in six inches of another ball a year later.

It wasn’t till 1908 that players were allowed to mark their ball on the putting surface and they could only do so if they were closer to the hole and obstructing another players line.

By 1956 the rules changed to the ball should be marked and lifted on the green by a small coin or similar recommended object.