“Preventing dew is not feasible in an outdoor environment like a golf course”. Anyone who has played early on an otherwise lovely autumn morning will probably agree with greenkeeping experts at the USGA.
Those drops of water that collect and create a thin film on the course, and swish as a trolley or your footprints go through them, aren’t temporary water – they’re just part and parcel of living in a temperate climate.
But dew can still be annoying. When you’re on the green, you know it’s going to slow your ball down considerably as it makes its way to the hole. And it’s going to affect your game in ways that might not hurt the later starters as the weather warms.
Do you just have to put up with it? Can you mop it up if it’s interfering and give yourself a better chance of bagging an early birdie?
Can you remove dew on the green?
It’s not just on the green. You can’t remove dew, frost or water anywhere on the golf course – except for the teeing area – if they could improve conditions affecting the stroke.
It’s prohibited under Rule 8.1a, so you’ve got to be very careful if you’re messing about with dew around the lie of your ball, your area of intended stance or swing, your line of play, or your relief area if you’re dropping a ball.
The price of making a mistake here is steep. It’s a two-shot penalty in stroke play and loss of hole in match play.
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 this rule about dew on the green? Let me know by leaving a comment below, email me at s.carroll@nationalclubgolfer.com or get in touch on X.
Advertisement
NOW READ: The three winter rules for golf everyone in charge at your club needs to know
