Different ball for putting.

So I am wondering if I have been breaking a rule for years now, but this is what I do. Once I am on the green I mark my ball, lift it, place it in my pocket. I then grab a different ball that I have used for years for just putting. Its a Detroit Tigers logo ball that has just brought me luck, especially now this year. A buddy of mine has told me that it is illegal for me to do this. I remember reading that this was no violation of any rules. Seems like it should not matter which ball you use since you are allowed to lift and clean your ball.

Thanks for any info you can give me on this subject...

You stay classy....

Yes, you are breaking a rule. You have to hole out with the ball you teed off with (barring losing it in a hazard or OB, of course). From the USGA rules:

15-1. General

A player must hole out with the ball played from the teeing ground unless the ball is lost or out of bounds or the player substitutes another ball, whether or not substitution is permitted (see 15-2). If a player plays a wrong ball, see Rule 15-3.


15-2. Substituted Ball

A player may substitute a ball when proceeding under a Rule that permits the player to play, drop or place another ball in completing the play of a hole. The substituted ball becomes the ball in play.
If a player substitutes a ball when not permitted to do so under the Rules, that substituted ball is not a wrong ball; it becomes the ball in play. If the mistake is not corrected as provided in Rule 20-6 and the player makes a stroke at a wrongly substituted ball, he loses the hole in match play or incurs a penalty of two strokes in stroke play under the applicable Rule and, in stroke play, must play out the hole with the substituted ball.
Exception: If a player incurs a penalty for making a stroke from a wrong place, there is no additional penalty for substituting a ball when not permitted.
(Playing from wrong place - see Rule 20-7.)


15-3. Wrong Ball

a. Match Play
If a player makes a stroke at a wrong ball, he loses the hole.
If the wrong ball belongs to another player, its owner must place a ball on the spot from which the wrong ball was first played.
If the player and opponent exchange balls during the play of a hole, the first to make a stroke at a wrong ball loses the hole; when this cannot be determined, the hole must be played out with the balls exchanged.
Exception: There is no penalty if a player makes a stroke at a wrong ball that is moving in water in a water hazard. Any strokes made at a wrong ball moving in water in a water hazard do not count in the player's score. The player must correct his mistake by playing the correct ball or by proceeding under the Rules.
b. Stroke Play
If a competitor makes a stroke or strokes at a wrong ball, he incurs a penalty of two strokes.
The competitor must correct his mistake by playing the correct ball or by proceeding under the Rules. If he fails to correct his mistake before making a stroke on the next teeing ground or, in the case of the last hole of the round, fails to declare his intention to correct his mistake before leaving the putting green, he is disqualified.
strokes made by a competitor with a wrong ball do not count in his score. If the wrong ball belongs to another competitor, its owner must place a ball on the spot from which the wrong ball was first played.
Exception: There is no penalty if a competitor makes a stroke at a wrong ball that is moving in water in a water hazard. Any strokes made at a wrong ball moving in water in a water hazard do not count in the competitor's score.
(Lie of ball to be placed or replaced altered - see Rule 20-3b.)
(Spot not determinable - see Rule 20-3c.)

__________________
Driver: TM Burner 9.5° w/Grafalloy Pro Launch Red
Woods: TM Burner 3W
Irons: Cobra FP
Wedges: Ping Tour-W 56° and 60°
Putter: Odyssey White Hot Tour #1

"I like to drive, I'm skillful at it and I do it aggressively. I don't mean I scream at people or flash them the finger. I simply go about my passage swiftly and silently with a certain, deliberate, dark efficiency. In the land of the unassertive, the aggressive man is king." - George Carlin

http://www.laymon-family.com/road_to_the_tour

Thanks for the speedy reply. Very informative. I guess the rule wasn't as vague as I thought it was. I have a rules book on my way from ebay to keep in my bag, for just this type of thing.

Now, not only do I have to stop doing what I have done for so long, but I also have to admit to my buddy he is right. I may hear the end of that some time in 2013 or so.

Thanks again.

You stay classy....

Also, don't forget to add 36 to your current adjusted handicap. When you start to play the same ball for the next 20 rounds, you should clean up on all your bets

wow, thanks klaymon. I did not realize how important that little ball really is...