It’s been a bit brittle, hasn’t it? I saw someone sat in the clubhouse last week with a handwarmer glued to their face. Yes, we’re very definitely in winter.
Handwarmers are, well, very handy, aren’t they? But they can also provoke some unexpected rules questions as this email reveals:
“I put handwarmers in my pocket with my tees. When I finish a hole I put my golf ball in the same pocket. Is that allowed as sometimes the ball can be warm?”
Sounds like a crafty way of getting two-for-one – nice warm hands and a toasty golf ball to rip down an icy fairway.
But is it legal? Let’s take off the gloves…
Golf handwarmer rules: Can I put my ball in the same pocket?
There is a whole section of the rule book about balls – not surprising given their obvious importance to the game – and Rule 4.2a (2), try saying that in a hurry, puts out the flames on this enterprise.
It says a player, during a round, must “not make a stroke at a ball whose performance characteristics have been deliberately altered, such by scuffing or heating the ball or by applying any substance (other than cleaning it)”.
This rule applies to balls “allowed in play of round” – sorry for the grammar but it’s the title of the rule.
What does “deliberately altered” stretch to? Could you absent-mindedly pop your ball right next to your handwarmer? It’s possible, but good luck arguing your case.
It’s best just to keep golf ball and handwarmers as far away from each other as possible.
That’s because the sanction for breaking this rule is very severe – early bath stuff, in fact. Make a stroke that breaches the rule and the penalty is disqualification.
But if you’ve put the ball and handwarmer together between holes, as our emailer suggests, you can change that altered ball before you make your next stroke and no harm will come to you.
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That’s because the penalty is only activated when you hit the altered ball.
Got a question for our expert?
Despite the changes to the Rules of Golf in 2019 and 2023, there are still some that leave us scratching our heads. I’ll try to help by featuring the best of your queries in this column.
What do you think of these golf handwarmer rules? Let me know by leaving a comment below, email me at s.carroll@nationalclubgolfer.com or get in touch on X.
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