Ball moved by natural forces on green after I marked and replaced it

No penalty. If you already marked, lifted, and replaced your ball on the green and it later moves due to wind, water, or gravity, you must put it back on the exact spot where you marked it (Rule 13.1d).

What the rule says

Once a ball has been marked, lifted, and replaced on the putting green, it owns that spot. If natural forces — wind, rain, gravity — move it after that, the ball must be replaced on its original spot. You don't play it from the new location, and there's no penalty. This is different from a ball that hasn't been marked and replaced yet; that one you play from where it stops.

Why the "marked and replaced" distinction matters

The rule protects you from bad luck after you've done everything right. You marked the ball, cleaned it, put it back — now the spot is fixed. If a gust rolls it three feet down the slope, you simply replace it. No stroke added, no drop, no debate. The key is that the ball had been lifted and replaced; if you never lifted it, you'd play it from the new spot. This "ownership" of the spot only attaches once the ball has been lifted and replaced on the green — not before, and not on the fairway or in a bunker.

Common mistake to avoid

Don't play the ball from where the wind stopped it. That's a two-stroke penalty for playing from a wrong place. Also, don't re-mark it and then replace it — the original mark (or the spot where the ball was replaced) is the reference point. If the marker moved, estimate the original spot as best you can and replace the ball there.

Exceptions that change the answer

• The ball had not yet been marked, lifted, and replaced → You play the ball from its new spot after natural forces move it — no penalty, no replacement (Rule 13.1d(1)). See what happens if your ball moves on the green before you mark it.
• The ball moves while you are marking, lifting, or replacing it → No penalty — just replace it on the original spot (Rule 13.1d, Exception 1).

Frequently asked questions

My ball moved after I marked and replaced it — do I put it back?

Yes. Replace the ball on the exact spot where you had marked it. No penalty.

What if the ball-marker moved too?

Estimate the original spot as best you can and replace the ball there. The marker's movement doesn't change your reference point.

Does it matter if the wind was strong or the green was fast?

No. Any movement by natural forces (wind, water, gravity) after the ball was replaced triggers the same rule — replace it on the original spot.

What if I accidentally kicked the ball while marking it?

No penalty. Replace it on the original spot. Accidental movement during marking, lifting, or replacing is always free on the green.

I didn't mark the ball — it just moved on its own. What now?

Play it from the new spot. The 'replace on original spot' rule only applies after the ball has been marked, lifted, and replaced.