Golf balls do occasionally collide. It doesn’t happen too often but it does occur occasionally. If a shot is played from off the putting surface and your ball hits another ball, what should you do?
First of all, there’s no penalty and the player whose ball was in motion should be played from where it has come to rest. For the player whose ball has been moved, they should follow Rule 9.6 — Ball lifted or moved by an outside influence. If it is known or certain that your ball at rest has been moved by an outside influence again, there is no penalty, and you must replace the ball where it originally sat. And if that spot is not known, it must be estimated.
If your ball knocked another player’s ball into the hole and as long as your shot has been played from off the putting surface, the rules say that you will play the ball as it lies and the person whose ball has been knocked into the cup must replace their ball on its original spot. If you didn’t play your ball from where it had come to rest after knocking another golfer’s ball into the hole, you would receive a general penalty for playing from a wrong place.
Out of Bounds: Annoying playing partners have some terrible habits. Breathing is one of them.