What happens if my putt hits the nearest the pin marker?

Who doesn’t love a nearest the pin competition? You can be having a stinking round (guilty as charged) but still collect a little prize with one shot out of the centre. God, I need those golf balls.

Clubs have their own ways of marking out who’s closest. Some will have a little yellow ball, some will leave a tape measure at the side of the green and get you to do the donkey work.

Others, and this is the case at nearly all the clubs I’ve played at, can have a medal card on a spike. Go closer than anyone else and the proud owner of the shot is allowed to scratch their name into a space that’s been rubbed out hundreds of times before.

Sometimes, though, when you’re putting, these things can get in the way. This led Bob to email me and ask: “Our vets use a ball on a spike to mark the NTP, rather than use a tape measure to determine the nearest the pin.

“So, when a spike is stuck in the green, is there a penalty should a player’s ball on the green hit the spike?”

Ball hits movable obstruction on the putting green

Let’s get the most common scenario – the one that most of you will encounter – out of the way first. The nearest the pin marker is a movable obstruction.

Shift it, taking care to note its position, putt out and then stick it back where it belongs when you’re done. All good.

But, of course, that not the end of it. Let’s say you’ve accidentally moved your own ball when getting the marker of the way.

No problem, there is no penalty here. Just make sure you replace the ball on its original spot as directed by Rule 15.2a.

If you don’t and then make a stroke, then you’ll pick up the general penalty (two shots or loss of hole in match play) for playing from a wrong place. Ouch

Now, let’s turn our attention to Bob’s main question: if the ball hits the nearest the pin marker from a putt. What you’ve got to think about here is intent.

Rule 11.1b says when a ball in motion played from a putting green accidentally hits a movable obstruction on the putting green, the player must replay the stroke from the original spot.

Before you all start shouting hooray, thinking you’re going to get another go, hold your horses.

If you left that nearest the pin marker in place, knowing there was a chance it could assist you by hitting it, then you must play the ball as it lies.

Great if it’s deflected into the hole, not so great if it’s been brought to a clattering halt six feet from home.

The contact MUST be accidental. You’re going to have a hard time convincing a rules official like me, or your playing partners for that matter, if you’ve left a big pole in a place where it could be struck by a putt.

Now, there are some reasons you might keep it where it is. Say, for example, you had a tricky downhill putt and the marker was sitting behind the flag.

The rules do allow you to essentially use it as a backstop and you would not be penalised. You can even order someone to put it back if they move it without your approval.

But don’t go and move it into position yourself. That’s a breach of Rule 11.2 and comes with another of those two-shot sanctions.   

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 about this movable obstruction rule? Have you hit the nearest the pin marker by mistake? Let me know how you got on by leaving a comment on X.

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