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Do the Rules of Golf Prohibit Changing Balls During a Round?

From Brent Kelley,
Your Guide to Golf.
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What is the 'One Ball Condition'?

There is nothing in the Rules of Golf that prevents a golfer from changing to a different golf ball (i.e., from a Titleist to a Maxfli) on every hole on the course - so long as the change is made between the play of holes.

However, there is something in the Rules of Golf that says a tournament committee can impose such a rule.

It's called the "one ball condition" (in the rulebook, it's in Appendix 1, Part C). As you probably know, all Tour events are played under the "one ball condition." And any rules committee may adopt the "one ball condition" for its competitions.

The "one ball condition" requires the player to use the exact same brand and type of ball throughout the round. For example, if you tee off No. 1 with a Titleist Pro V1x, then that's what you must play throughout the round.

If the "one ball condition" is not in effect, however, golfers may swap out different types of golf balls at any point in a round of golf, so long as the change is made between holes rather than during the play of a hole.

Rule 15-1 states: "A player must hole out with the ball played from the teeing ground ..."

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