Rules Guy: Can I spray a grip with water and dry it to make it sticky before a stroke?

The Rules of Golf are tricky! Thankfully, we’ve got the guru. Our Rules Guy knows the book front to back. Got a question? He’s got all the answers.

Do the rules permit me to carry a spray bottle with water for the purpose of spraying the club’s grip prior to making a stroke? After spraying, I vigorously towel-dry the grip to make it feel sticky. It’s a “tacky” thing to do, I know…but is it legal? —Bruce Elwell, via email

Good news! Spraying water to clean your club’s grip during play is perfectly permissible. Indeed, under Rule 4.3a, even resin powders and other drying agents are hunky-dory for this purpose. Rules Guy only asks that you perform your drying act in a timely fashion, perhaps while others are making their strokes, because a pre-shot routine that involves toweling rivals watching paint dry for excitement.

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