What penalty will a golfer incur after hitting a golfer 's ball during a putt ?
There is a one - stroke penalty for moving the ball in general while searching for it , except that there is no penalty in any of the following ( though the ball must be replaced ) : :* When searching for a ball believed to be buried in loose sand , the player may uncover the ball to identify it , but must then replace the sand that was removed to recreate the original lie .