Can my caddie lift my ball on the green without asking?
Yes, your caddie can lift your ball on the putting green without asking you first. That's a specific exception in Rule 14.1b — but only on the green, and only if they don't lift it when you're not taking relief elsewhere.
The green exception
Rule 14.1b says your caddie may lift your ball without authorization when it's on the putting green. No need to say "go ahead" each time — the rule builds that permission in. It's practical: you're reading the putt, they're tending the flag or cleaning the ball, and the game keeps moving. The same exception applies if it's reasonable to think you'll take relief under a Rule — say, your ball sits in casual water and you've already said "I'm taking a drop." Your caddie can pick it up without a fresh okay.
When it's not allowed
Off the green, your caddie needs your explicit authorization every single time. If they lift your ball in the fairway, rough, or a bunker without you saying "please lift it," you get one penalty stroke under Rule 9.4. That authorization can't be a blanket "for the round" — it has to be given right before that specific lift. Also, if your caddie lifts the ball on the green but you weren't going to mark and replace it — say, you were going to putt it as it lies — that's still an unauthorized lift and the penalty applies.
Don't forget to mark it
Even when the caddie is allowed to lift, the ball's spot must be marked before it comes up. A ball-marker right behind or next to the ball, or a club held on the ground. If the caddie lifts without marking, or marks it the wrong way, that's one penalty stroke on you. And the marker has to come off before you make your next stroke.
Exceptions that change the answer
- Ball is on the putting green → Caddie may lift without authorization
- Reasonable to conclude player will take relief under a Rule → Caddie may lift without authorization
Frequently asked questions
Does my caddie need to mark the ball before lifting it on the green?
Yes. Even with the green exception, the spot must be marked — ball-marker right behind or next to the ball, or a club on the ground — before the ball is lifted. No mark means one penalty stroke.
What if my caddie lifts my ball off the green without asking?
You get one penalty stroke under Rule 9.4. Off the green, your caddie needs your explicit authorization for that specific lift every time — a general okay for the round doesn't count.
Can my caddie clean my ball after lifting it on the green?
Yes. A ball lifted from the putting green may always be cleaned (Rule 13.1b). That's true whether you lifted it or your caddie did under the exception.
Do I have to authorize my caddie for every lift on the green?
No. On the putting green, the exception in Rule 14.1b lets your caddie lift without authorization each time. You don't need to say "go ahead" for every mark-and-clean.
What if my caddie lifts my ball thinking I'll take relief but I don't?
If it wasn't reasonable to conclude you'd take relief, that's an unauthorized lift — one penalty stroke. The exception only covers lifts where relief is genuinely expected, not guesses.