Once a ball comes to rest on the putting green, the rules let you lift it, clean it and put it back. The procedure is simple, but skipping a step can cost a stroke.
Mark it before you pick it up
If the ball will return to the same place, identify that place first. A small marker belongs just behind or beside the ball. You may also rest a club on the turf in that same position. After the ball is back, take the marker away before the putt. Skipping the mark, doing it incorrectly, or leaving the marker in place when you stroke the ball is a one-stroke penalty.
You may lift the ball yourself, or give someone else permission to lift it that one time. On the green, a caddie may lift it without being asked.
Return the same ball to the same place
When the ball is coming back to its original place, use that same ball and set it on that spot. If you are uncertain, estimate as honestly as you can. A reliable method is to place it with your hand and release it so it stays put. Playing after a clumsy replace, even on the correct spot, can still bring a one-stroke penalty.
If you notice a mistake in how the ball was marked, swapped, replaced or dropped, you may fix it before the next stroke without a penalty. Playing from the wrong place is a different matter and does draw a penalty.
Relief is a different situation
When you pick the ball up to take relief under a rule, rather than to put it back on the same blade of grass, a mark is not required first.
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