Can I fix spike marks and ball marks on the green?

Yes, you can repair most damage on the putting green without penalty, including ball marks, spike marks, and old hole plugs. Just use your hand, a repair tool, tee, or club — don't create a path to the hole or use anything unusual.

Quick answer for the situation you're in right now: If you're standing over a putt and see a ball mark, spike mark, or flagstick scrape on your line, you may fix it before you stroke — no penalty, no need to ask anyone. The only catch: you must restore the surface to its original condition, not improve it beyond that.

What counts as damage you can fix

Damage on the putting green means any damage caused by a person or outside influence. That covers ball marks, shoe damage like spike marks, scrapes from equipment or the flagstick, old hole plugs, turf plugs, seams of cut turf, animal tracks or hoof indentations, and embedded objects like stones, acorns, or tees plus the dents they leave. You can fix all of this without penalty as long as you're reasonable about it.

What you can't fix — the exclusions

Not everything imperfect on the green counts as damage. You can't touch aeration holes, grooves from vertical mowing, or any marks from normal maintenance practices. Irrigation, rain, or other natural forces don't count either. Natural surface imperfections — weeds, bare patches, diseased or uneven growth — are off limits. And you can't fix natural wear of the hole itself. These are just the green being the green.

Tools, technique, and the penalty for going too far

Use your hand, foot, or other body part, a normal ball-mark repair tool, a tee, a club, or similar normal equipment. Anything else — a towel, a hat, a rangefinder, your putter head dragged backwards — isn't allowed. Don't unreasonably delay play while you're at it. If you go beyond reasonable restoration — like creating a pathway to the hole or using a non-allowed object — you get the general penalty: two strokes in stroke play, loss of hole in match play.

Exceptions that change the answer

• You accidentally move your ball or ball-marker while repairing damage on the green → There's no penalty — just replace it on its original spot (Rule 13.1d). This is specific to the putting green; off the green, different rules apply.
• You deliberately test the green by roughening or scraping the grass to check grain → That's a breach of Rule 13.1e and costs you the general penalty (two strokes / loss of hole). Testing the green on purpose isn't allowed.

Sand, loose soil, and a damaged hole — what else you can fix

Rule 13.1c lets you do two things on the putting green without penalty: remove sand and loose soil, and repair damage. Sand and loose soil can be brushed away anywhere on the green — even on your line — using your hand, a towel, a hat, or anything else. No restriction on tools here, unlike damage repair. A damaged hole counts as damage too. If the hole is messed up from pulling the flagstick, you may repair it even if the shape has changed. But natural wear of the hole — the lip crumbling from normal play — is not damage and you can't touch it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I fix spike marks on my line of putt?

Yes. Spike marks are explicitly listed as damage you can repair under Rule 13.1c, no matter where they are on the green — including on your line.

Can I fix aeration holes on the green?

No. Aeration holes are normal maintenance practices, not damage. You can't touch them, even if they're right on your line.

What if I use my putter to fix a ball mark?

A club is allowed equipment for repairs. Just don't drag the putter head backwards or do anything that improves the surface beyond restoring it — that crosses the line into a penalty.

Can I fix a bare patch or weed on my line?

No. Bare patches, weeds, and uneven growth are natural surface imperfections, not damage. You play the ball as it lies.

What happens if I create a smooth path to the hole while repairing?

That's improving beyond reasonable restoration. You get the general penalty: two strokes in stroke play, loss of hole in match play.

Can I brush away sand or loose soil on my line of putt?

Yes. Rule 13.1c(1) allows you to remove sand and loose soil anywhere on the putting green without penalty, using any method — hand, towel, hat, club — and there's no restriction on tools like there is for damage repair.

The hole looks oval after someone pulled the flagstick. Can I fix it?

Yes. A hole damaged by flagstick removal is 'damage on the putting green' under Rule 13.1c(2)/1. You may repair it to make it round again, even if the dimensions have changed. Natural wear from play is the only hole damage you can't fix.

Is it a penalty if I tap down my line with my putter to check the grain?

Yes. Roughening or scraping the grass to test grain is a breach of Rule 13.1e — general penalty (two strokes / loss of hole). But simply repairing a ball mark or spike mark on your line, even if it incidentally tells you something about the grain, is allowed.

Can I use a towel or my hat to fix a ball mark?

No. For damage repair, Rule 13.1c(2) limits you to hand, foot, body part, normal repair tool, tee, club, or similar normal equipment. A towel, hat, rangefinder, or dragging the putter head backwards are not allowed — using them draws the general penalty.