What happens if I rub the green to test the surface?

Yes, there's a penalty. If you deliberately rub the putting green or roll a ball to test how it rolls, you get the general penalty — two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play (Rule 13.1e). Accidental contact is not penalized.

What Rule 13.1e actually forbids

Rule 13.1e prohibits two specific deliberate actions on any putting green or wrong green: rubbing the surface and rolling a ball. The purpose must be to learn how a ball might roll — checking grain, speed, or break. Doing either on purpose draws the general penalty immediately. The rule does not ban every touch. You may still mark, lift, clean, repair damage, remove sand or loose soil, and even place your putter down. Those are normal actions on the green and carry no penalty even if you happen to learn something from them.

What's allowed (and what isn't testing)

Walking on your line, tapping the grass with your putter while reading the putt, or brushing away a leaf are all fine — they are not the prohibited actions. The interpretation 13.1e/1 makes it clear: only deliberate rubbing or rolling a ball to test the surface is banned. Inadvertent contact, like your shoe scuffing the green as you walk, is never a breach. If you roughen or scrape the grass to see which way the grain grows, that is a textbook breach. Rolling a spare ball along your intended line to check the break is equally a breach. Both are deliberate tests using the prohibited methods.

Penalty and how it's applied

The penalty for breaching Rule 13.1e is the general penalty: two strokes in stroke play, loss of hole in match play. It applies per breach, not per stroke. If you rub the green twice on the same hole to test different spots, you could incur multiple penalties. There is no option to undo the action or avoid the penalty once the deliberate test is made. The rule is strict because testing the surface undermines the challenge of reading the green — a core skill in putting.

Exceptions that change the answer

• You touch the green inadvertently while walking, marking your ball, repairing damage, or removing loose impediments → No penalty — the rule only targets deliberate testing actions
• You take an allowed action (like repairing a ball mark) and incidentally learn something about the surface → No penalty — learning from a permitted action is not testing

Frequently asked questions

Can I tap my putter on the green to feel the firmness?

Tapping the putter head lightly while reading a putt is not rubbing the surface to test it, so it's allowed. But if you deliberately drag the putter back and forth to gauge grain or speed, that's a breach of Rule 13.1e.

What if I roll my ball back to myself after marking it — is that testing?

Rolling your ball a short distance to return it to your hand after marking is not testing the green; it's part of lifting and replacing. Rule 13.1e only targets deliberate rolls made to learn how the ball will roll on a future putt.

Does the penalty apply on a wrong green too?

Yes. Rule 13.1e applies on any putting green — including a wrong green — and even on the practice green during a round. Deliberate testing anywhere on a putting surface draws the general penalty.

Can I use my hand to feel the grain direction?

Running your hand over the grass to feel grain is considered rubbing the surface. If done deliberately to test the green, it breaches Rule 13.1e and incurs the general penalty.

What if my playing partner tests the green — do I get penalized?

No. You are only penalized for your own deliberate testing. Another player's breach does not affect you, though they incur the general penalty for their own action.