Can a blind golfer authorize someone to drop, place, or replace their ball?

Yes, if you are blind you may authorize your aide or caddie to lift, drop, place, or replace your ball. Rule 25.2 expressly permits help with all of those actions, so you don't have to do it yourself.

Who can help you with the ball

Rule 25.2 allows a blind player to have both an aide and a caddie at the same time. Either one — or both — can lift, drop, place, or replace your ball. The aide has the same status as a caddie under the Rules, so anything a caddie can do with your ball, your aide can do too.

What counts as "blind" under the Rule

The Rule covers players who are blind or have certain levels of visual impairment as defined by the applicable governing body. If you qualify, you get the full package: an aide, aiming help, the bunker-touching exception, and the ball-handling help all together.

Limits you still need to know

You can only have one aide at a time. If the aide also acts as your caddie, they must not carry or handle your clubs except when guiding you, helping with stance or aim, or as a courtesy. If they break that, you have two caddies and get the general penalty for each hole where it happens.

Exceptions that change the answer

• Your aide carries or handles your clubs beyond guiding, stance, or aim help → You are treated as having two caddies and get the general penalty (two strokes in stroke play, loss of hole in match play) for each hole where the breach occurs.
• You have more than one aide at the same time → You get the general penalty for each hole where the breach happened, just like having more than one caddie.

Frequently asked questions

Can my aide drop my ball in a penalty area or bunker?

Yes. Your aide can drop, place, or replace your ball anywhere on the course — penalty areas, bunkers, putting green, general area — exactly as a caddie could.

Do I have to tell the Committee who my aide is before the round?

The Rules don't require pre-registration, but the Committee may set a local rule or condition of competition asking you to identify your aide. Check the tournament notice or ask the Committee before you tee off.

Can my aide also read the line of putt for me?

Yes. Helping with aiming before the stroke is explicitly allowed under Rule 25.2a, so your aide can indicate the line of play on the green or anywhere else.

What if my aide accidentally moves my ball while helping?

The same Rules apply as if a caddie moved it: no penalty, and the ball must be replaced on its original spot (Rule 9.4b, Exception 3).

Can I switch aides during the round?

Yes, but you can only have one aide at a time. You may swap aides between holes or even during a hole, provided the old aide stops acting as aide before the new one starts.