Have to use putter?

Hi all, just a quick question. Do you have to use a putter on a green? Obviously you're not going to take a full swing with a pitching wedge and take an enormous divot, but say after a mis-guided tee shot you land on the wrong green and you just want to hit back onto the fairway. Could you use a 5 wood or something?

No you do not have to use a putter. But over here if you land on the wrong green you take a free drop backwards in the line of flight.

If I saw someone hit a 5 wood off the green I would want to punch them.

Fair enough, I probably would too. I just mean like a little rescue shot, not a full blooded whack... Or say you're on the green, but you'd have to put around/over the fringe or bunker to get to the hole. What then? 2 or 3 putt or a chip over said obstruction... thanks for your help

The pros can use any club in your bag on the green, alot of pros have played a little chip and run with a 3 wood and sometimes while on the green the edge of the bunker can be between them and the hole and they may play a little chip or pitch. At the end of the day its only a game for us and would one or two shots off your total change anything? but the damage to greens could take weeks to recover.Imagine the greens if well all chip onto the top tear

Check with your local course as they may well have a ruling of putters only and it is their call.
Personally I'll settle for an incredible 2 putt and wear a 3 putt if thats what happens

Where abouts in Aussie are you?

If you are on the wrong green with a wayward tee shot, you can use any club. Courtesey would tell the others in your group to give you a free drop, no closer to the pin (on the hole you are SUPPOSED to be playing)

Fair enough. Thanks all for your help. I can imagine the sort of damage i'd do to the green with a wedge!

I'm in Armidale in NSW in the northern tablelands.

Your course should have a local rule about playing from wrong greens. On our course any hole which has a green from another hole running really close has a drop zone marked out at the furthest point from the target green. Check with your greens committee or your Pro, they will know the score.

And yes you can play any club from any point on the course. Mark Calcavecchia caused a little bit of consternation when he played at St Andrews in the Open as defending champ and said he was going to play lob shots on some of the big greens. The greens committee had a few sleepless nights about that. Fortunately Calcavecchia was just shooting his mouth off (how unlike him!) and didnt actually do it (dont think he needed to as I recall he was rarely on the greens that year).

D.

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Rule 25-3 b. states "If a player's ball lies on a wrong putting green, he must not play the ball as it lies. He must take relief, without penalty, as follows:" ......within one club length of the nearest point of relief no nearer the hole - not in a hazard or on a putting green.

There are no restrictions on which club you can use on any part of the course.

You should be able to get a copy of the rules from your local pro for free. Let me know if you can't. I live just down on the coast and can probably arrange something.

D

I read that at St. Andrews which has many shared greens that it is perfectly permissible to use any club on the green. In particular, it is not unheard of for a player to chip or pitch a ball from one end of the green to the other, even if a divot is taken.

I have a similar question: what if a wayward shot lands on a teeing ground? Same "drop rule"? Thanks.

Rule 25-3. is headed "WRONG PUTTING GREEN". To the best of my knowledge here is no similar rule for teeing grounds and at my club you play the ball as it lies.

While Rule 25 - 3 b. states "he must not play the ball as it lies", frankly I don't know about shared greens. I don't believe there is any rule saying you must use a specific club, eg. putter, on any part of the course.

I agree, but I'd hate to face the grounds superintendent after taking a divot on a green!

Even on the proper green, you don't have to use a putter.

In a fixed club challenge, I'll drop the putter and take an extra wedge (and putt with it.) Outside 8 feet is a 2 putt, but that's a pretty good rule even when I use a putter.