"There's nothing in golf that doesn't exist"

Question from a player:
My ball is on the green I putt and my ball comes to rest close to the hole. I go to my ball and want to play the tap in. It was windy that day and while I was walking to my ball a small branch was blown towards my ball and my ball went into the hole.

After consulting with my fellow competitors, I retrieved the ball from the hole, put it back in its original place and played my ball again without penalty.

Was this the right thing to do?

Yes, this procedure was absolutely correct.

Rule 9.6 or 13.3b apply here
Rule 9.6 Ball picked up or moved by external influence

If it is known or virtually certain that an outside influence (including another player in counting play or another ball) has picked up or moved the player's ball,
- there is no penalty and
- the ball must be returned to its original position (which, if not known, must be estimated) (see Rule 14.2).

This applies regardless of whether the player's ball has been found or not.

However, if it is not known or virtually certain that the ball has been picked up or moved by an outside influence and the ball is lost, the player must claim relief with penalty of stroke and loss of distance under Rule 18.2.

If the player's ball is played by another player as a bad ball, this is dealt with by Rule 6.3c(2) and not by this Rule.

Penalty for playing an incorrectly replaced ball or for
playing a ball from the wrong place in violation of Rule 9.6:
Basic penalty according to Rule 6.3b or 14.7a.

If multiple offences result from a single action or actions that are connected, see Rule 1.3c(4).

In the meantime, if you would like to know more about the Rules of Golf, please contact me directly at hans.kienesberger@golf.at.