The famous Scottish golfer and legendary character Brian Barnes once marked his ball with a can of beer during a professional tournament. That was at the 1981 Scottish Championship at Dalmahoy. Although these days he would probably receive a fine for drinking alcohol on the course – most tours don’t allow that, he wouldn’t face penalty shots. Rule 14.1a says you must mark your ball before lifting it but the definitions of ball marker are vague – “an artificial object when used to mark the spot of a ball to be lifted, such as a tee, a coin, an object made to be a ball-marker or another small piece of equipment”. A beer can would be ok!
But what if Brian had replaced his ball, picked up his beer can and proceeded to putt with one hand while holding his drink in the other? Would he have been penalised then?
Well, the answer to that is – no he wouldn’t. You are allowed to putt while holding a drink in one hand.
It’s not exactly advisable and it surely wouldn’t help your chances of holing the putt, but it’s not against the Rules. Perhaps if you were just walking up to tap in a six incher whilst enjoying a refreshing lager, you might take your putter out and just tap in with one hand. If you were to do so, there would be no penalty.
A golfer taking a drink
You’re allowed to pretty much hold anything then in one hand while holing a putt – You are even allowed to hold an umbrella over your head if it’s raining and putt out using the other hand. You wouldn’t be allowed to have your caddie, or another player hold an umbrella over your head as you putt but you can hold the umbrella yourself. Rule 10.2b(5) clarifies that.
You could hold a hot dog in one hand and putt with the other. You could watch a documentary on sharks on your phone in one hand and putt out with the other.
You wouldn’t be allowed to use a device in one hand that in any way aided aiming or establishing the line of your putt. Nor would you be able to hold something intended to affect the roll of your putt after it was struck – like a curler with a sweeping brush!... Not allowed.
But can you putt holding a drink in one hand? Yes.
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