Can I practice my putting during a round?

You have just missed a four footer for par and you tap in for bogey. Are you allowed to practice the four footer before moving on to the next tee?

Yes, you can practice the putt. It is a golfing myth that seems to come up all too often, so let’s get it right.

In any form of competition, matchplay, stableford and even stroke play you are allowed to practice your putting and chipping on or around the green you previously played. The rules of golf deal with this in Rule 7-2;

7-2. During RoundA player must not make a practice stroke during play of a hole. Between the play of two holes, a player must not make a practice stroke, except that he may practice putting or chipping on or near:a. the putting green of the hole last played,b. any practice putting green, orc. the teeing ground of the next hole to be played in the round,provided a practice stroke is not made from a hazard and does not unduly delay play (Rule 6-7).Strokes made in continuing the play of a hole, the result of which has been decided, are not practice strokes.

So in fact you can also practice your putting and chipping on the next tee too.

It is only against the rules when certain golfing bodies disallow it. The PGA Tour for example, disallows putting and chipping practice around the previous green to speed up play and ensure players aren’t practising to the next day’s hole positions.

The recent Ryder Cup permitted players to only continue playing out the hole – even if the hole was already decided.