How long are you allowed to wait to see if your ball will drop into the hole?

You are allowed a reasonable time to reach the hole and then a further 10 seconds to wait and see.

More about the rule a golf ball overhanging the hole

  • Specifically, this is rule 13.3
  • If the ball drops into the hole but the 10 seconds of waiting has passed you are required to add one penalty stroke to your score.
  • The video below is a great example of how the rule can be bent by a slow walk, a stare, a slow process of taking a stance. Note, in our eyes Zach J. was not intentionally bending the rules but his actions may have broken them. The commentators talk of applying a penalty but we're not clear on the final outcome.