Is there a penalty for changing a golf ball during a hole if you burst or cut it?

Question

Is there a penalty for changing a golf ball during a hole if you burst or cut it?

Answer 1

If it's damaged then yes, you can change it. If it isn't damaged then you must play out the hole with the same ball.

Answer 2

Haydon is mostly correct.

The one point to add is that your playing partner (the rule book calls them "fellow competitor" in the stroke play or "opponent" in match play) must inspect the ball, and agree that the ball is damaged.

You can't just tell them you are changing the ball. They must also approve of it.

Answer 3

If your ball is damage in a bad way, you can change the ball as long as you have your playing partners permission.

Have a good one...

Answer 4

You may change a ball during the play of a hole if it is cut, gone out of round, burst or any other event which has made the ball unfit for play. You must get confirmation from your fellow competitor or opponent before you may substitute. A blemish caused by a cart path, bunker sand or road gravel is not  a reasonable cause for substitution. There is no penalty for the substitution.

Answer 5

You can change your ball if it damaged but only after you get to the golf green and before you make your initial putt. The USGA inforces a one ball rule meaning you must play only one type of ball during the entire round, so you couldnt play a distance ball off the tee and change to a spin ball around the green.

Answer 6

You must finish te hole with the ball that you started the hole with or incur a penalty. You can however change your ball between holes.

Answer 7

If your ball is clearly unusable, because of visible damage such as a cracked cover or it has gone out of shape, it may be replaced/substituted without penalty (rule 5-3).

The key fact here is the ball must be VISIBLY damaged, and you must inform your playing partner before either lifting to inspect, or replacing the ball.

Answer 8

u have to finish out

Answer 9

if ball is damaged you can change it without penalty.