Playing your ball from a bad green, is that accepting?

A rule whose solution is not obvious especially when two greens are close as in the photo above. By discovering his ball on the green adjoining the one we were aiming for, it seems natural to take out the putter even with a small strip of pre-green to cross. This is a case that can arise and which, admittedly, is confusing!

Yet, in doing so, we incur a penalty of two strokes in strokeplay or loss of the hole in matchplay.

Indeed, golfers must make a drop within one club length of the nearest point of relief. This must be determined by checking that the green in question no longer interferes with the ball’s movement.

When there is interference from a bad green, you must not play the ball as it lies. Instead, you must take free relief by “dropping” the original ball, or another ball, in the relief area.