Rule 13.1c

Repairing damage on the green — yes, spike marks included

Since 2019 you may repair almost any damage on the putting green, including spike marks, scrapes and animal tracks — using your hand, foot, a ball-mark tool, a tee or similar normal equipment. What you may not do is aeration holes, natural imperfections or natural wear of the hole.

The short answer

You can repair spike marks now — that changed in 2019.
Use your hand, foot, ball-mark tool, tee or similar normal equipment, without unreasonably delaying play.
No repairing aeration holes, natural surface imperfections or natural wear of the hole.
Anyone may repair — including damage on another player's line.
Exceeding what's reasonable — like building a pathway to the hole — is a general penalty.

What you can repair on the green

Rule 13.1c(2) allows you to repair almost any damage on the putting green, using your hand, your foot, a normal ball-mark repair tool, a tee, a club or similar normal equipment — as long as you do not unreasonably delay play.

"Damage on the putting green" is defined broadly. It includes damage caused by any person, or by an outside influence, such as:

Ball marks, shoe damage such as spike marks, and scrapes or indentations caused by equipment or a flagstick.
Old hole plugs, turf plugs, seams of cut turf and indentations from maintenance tools or vehicles.
Animal tracks or hoof indentations.
Embedded objects — a stone, acorn, hail or tee — and the indentations they leave.

Before 2019, spike marks were off-limits and golfers fumed about it. That debate is over: if you can see the damage and fix it reasonably, you may.

What you may NOT repair

You may repair	You may not repair
Ball marks and pitch marks	Aeration holes
Spike marks and shoe damage	Natural surface imperfections
Scrapes from clubs, flagsticks or equipment	Natural wear of the hole
Old hole plugs, turf seams	Anything requiring more than reasonable action
Animal tracks and hoof indentations	—
Embedded objects and their indentations	—

If the damage is such that you cannot reasonably restore it — an old hole plug that has sunk below the surface, for example — you may ask the committee to repair it. If the committee cannot, and your ball lies on the green, the committee may declare the area ground under repair so you get relief.

The "pathway to the hole" trap

The permission is to restore the green "as nearly as possible to its original condition." Go beyond that and you get the general penalty for improving conditions affecting your stroke:

Don't create a pathway to the hole. Repairing damage is fine; smoothing an entire route toward the cup is not.
Don't use prohibited objects or take actions that go beyond reasonable repair.
Don't unreasonably delay play — you still have to keep up.

Who may do the repair?

Rule 13.1c(2) applies to actions taken by the player. But players are also allowed to repair damage on other parts of the green, including another player's line of play — a useful point of etiquette when you notice a fresh spike mark sitting in someone else's line. Just don't rush it or delay the group.

Related green rules worth knowing

Sand and loose soil on the green may be removed without penalty — Rule 13.1c(1).
You may mark, lift and clean your ball on the green at any time.
Accidentally moving your ball or ball-marker on the green is free — it must simply be replaced (Rule 13.1d).
Testing the putting green by scraping or roughening the surface to learn about the grain is prohibited under Rule 13.1e.
Standing astride or on your line to learn information about the green is also prohibited.

Frequently asked questions

Can you repair spike marks on the putting green?

Yes. Since the 2019 Rules change, Rule 13.1c(2) allows you to repair almost any damage on the putting green, and spike marks are explicitly included as damage caused by shoe damage. You may use your hand, foot, a ball-mark tool, tee, club or similar normal equipment.

What damage can you not repair on the green?

You may not repair aeration holes, natural surface imperfections, or natural wear of the hole. You also cannot take actions that exceed what is reasonable to restore the green to its original condition — such as creating a pathway to the hole — which would be a general penalty.

Can you repair damage on another player's line of play?

Yes. Players are permitted to repair damage on the putting green, including damage on another player's line of play. It is good etiquette — and there is no penalty for doing it.

Is there a penalty for improving your line on the green?

Yes, if you go beyond reasonable repair. Creating a pathway to the hole or using objects that are not allowed to improve the putting green is a breach of Rule 8.1a and carries the general penalty — two strokes in stroke play, loss of hole in match play.

What if the damage cannot be repaired?

You may ask the committee to repair it. If the committee cannot repair it and your ball lies on the putting green, the committee may define the damaged area as ground under repair, which gives you free relief under Rule 16.1.

Small rules, real strokes

The green is where rounds are won — and lost

Repairing damage, marking, loose impediments, ball moved on the green — these tiny calls add up. The Save Strokes card puts every green-side and penalty rule in one place, and the Yardage Book mug keeps your coffee hot while you read it.

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