I had a serious mud ball after missing the fairway on the third hole. I know I'm allowed to lift it to identify it, and I think I'm allowed to clean it to identify it, but do I need to "re-mud" it after that?
This is covered by Rule #7.3. You are allowed to lift the ball to identify it. And you are allowed to clean it but the ball "must not be cleaned more than needed to identify it."
Lifting the ball to identify it is one of the few scenarios where you are not allowed to clean it. The others are when you are moving it because it interferes with someone else's shot, lifting it to see if it is cut or cracked, and lifting it to see if you are in a position where you could get relief. This last one is usually when you're checking to see if your ball is embedded. If it's embedded, then you get relief, and you can clean it. If it's not embedded, then you have to replace it, and you can't clean it.
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