will be playing a fairly important foursomes match soon and i need a couple of things cleared up,

1st - obviously you need to play the same ball throughout the hole but do you need to use the same type ball throughout the round? (my partner plays with a yellow titleist so-lo and i use a maxfli revoloution) i don't mind using his ball and vice-versa but i wouldn't mind hitting a softer ball on my designated par 3's.

2nd - when on the green, does the person who marked the ball have to replace it or does the person whos turn it is to play replace the ball?

hope this makes sense, done a google search and can't find anything at all. might get time to ask our pro, but don't want to turn up at our opponents course and look like a muppet asking questions.(don't know what they're like;))

any advice would be much appreciated,

ta

I would think it would be ok to swap balls for different holes. After all, pro's often throw their ball into the crowd after a hole in 1 for a souvenir, and they're only half way through a round.

Andy.

I would think it would be ok to swap balls for different holes. After all, pro's often throw their ball into the crowd after a hole in 1 for a souvenir, and they're only half way through a round.

Andy.

trouble with that is andy, on the next hole they're replacing it with exactly the same make and type ball. you can change a ball throughout the round if it is cut for example, i'm just not sure how stringent the rules are when it comes to using different balls in this comp:confused:

i'd go along with what you're saying completely though and i'm sure it doesn't matter a toss, i just don't want to slip up.

cheers mate:)

The pros used to have special rules which stopped them changing the type of ball during a round (so they didn't use a high spin ball on a par three and a low spin one on a par 5. No reason why you shouldn't use a different type of ball on different holes if you're a mere mortal.

Either of you can replace the ball after it has been marked.

As long as you complete a hole with the ball you started with you're not breaking any rules. Changing to a softer ball on your designated par 3 would be OK as long as your partner putted with it (or chipped on when you've missed :D). I believe that pro's can change balls during a round as long as they don't change the 'make and model'. They can change them once on the green too if the ball they are using on that hole is suitably damaged....

It might be considered good etiquette to mention this to your opponents at the start of the game to see if they interpret it the same tho...

As far as replacing a marked ball on the green goes, as long as it's you or your partner that puts it back it doesn't matter who does it. If an opponent marks it he must put it back (standard rules).

Enjoy the game !

Steve

cheers for the replies guys:) i've since been told by my partner (who's also my boss) that we are playing with his yellow so-lo for the whole round, that's sorted that one then:rolleyes:

apparently coz i'm the lower handicaper i should be able to play with anything:eek:, i'm playing so bad at the mo i don't think it's gonna matter too much:D

thanks again

most of the pro's seem to use the titleist pro-v1, whatever the hole. you can use a different ball for each hole if you like but you can only swap a ball mid-hole if it is damaged and your opponent agrees that it would be detrimental to your game.

Ernie Els swaps balls everytime he gets a birdie - reckons a ball only has 1 birdie in it, so he might have only hit the thing twice before ditching it!

There are rules on marking a ball before it is lifted, but I'm not sure that there is anything about who lifts or replaces - to be on the safe side, whoever lifts it should replace it, regardless of whether it's your turn or not. Only you can't touch your oppenants ball - or you'll forfeit.

anything else for me to check in my rulebook? :D

The So-Lo isn't a bad ball anyway, try one out before you play the comp and see what you think, I don't think you'll be disappointed with it as an alternative to your usual ball.

In this format and as you are both part of the same team either one of you can mark and replace the ball on the green.

Oh, and most pro's will change their ball after every hole. Faldo used to change his glove after every hole too!!!

Faldo used to change his glove after every hole too!!!

I'll remind the fiancee of this - she's moaning cos I just bought a new one for this year! It's 9.99 FFS - doesnt say owt when I go for a round at £20!!

yeah i find the so-lo an ok ball, used to use it myself before moving to the revolution or callaway or proV for better spin rate.

and yep either me or my partner can mark/replace the ball on the putting surface no worries.

the game was played today to a miserable 4+3 loss to us:( i played like a gimp and my boss/partner played even worse! and we were 2 up at one point.

what as poxy game this is;) roll on the weekend so i can have another go:D

lol - didn't follow the golden rule of letting your boss win then? good man :D

lol - didn't follow the golden rule of letting your boss win then? good man :D

nah mate, we were playing together as a pair against another club, we both lost!:(

but no, when i'm playing against him any time it's war:) we played out the last 3 holes of the course where we got beat for a round of drinks on each hole (on our own coz the miserable bstards we played with buggered off once they'd won!) i hit driver/8 iron to 3 feet on 16th (a 419 yard hole) and still lost to him 2+1:mad: it was the only time he played well all day FFS!

by the way mate, have a look on ebay for gloves, i got 3 precept(?) gloves for £10, good feeling glove aswell and it's lasting well.
well worth a look if only to keep the other half happy;)