Do you carry the Rules of Golf with you when you play?

[DaveP043]

Its a simple question.  A great deal of what I know about the rules has been learned by looking up the answers when the question arises.  I've been a USGA member for 20 years or more, and when the fine people there send me a new rule book every spring, it goes directly in my bag.  If you're more electronics-friendly than I am, I know you can get the rules and decisions on an app for your phone.  So do you have the Rules with you when you play?  Do you look up rulings when a question comes up?

I want to be clear, I'm not suggesting that anyone stop play to look up a rule.  Unless its a tournament, I try to make my best judgement, and then look up the rule while I'm walking, or sitting in the cart on the next tee.  Please keep this thread about the rules, and not about pace of play, there are more than enough threads there.

[saevel25]

No, but I probably should :)

[dkolo]

Its a simple question.  A great deal of what I know about the rules has been learned by looking up the answers when the question arises.  I've been a USGA member for 20 years or more, and when the fine people there send me a new rule book every spring, it goes directly in my bag.  If you're more electronics-friendly than I am, I know you can get the rules and decisions on an app for your phone.  So do you have the Rules with you when you play?  Do you look up rulings when a question comes up?   I want to be clear, I'm not suggesting that anyone stop play to look up a rule.  Unless its a tournament, I try to make my best judgement, and then look up the rule while I'm walking, or sitting in the cart on the next tee.  Please keep this thread about the rules, and not about pace of play, there are more than enough threads there.

Technically I have the app with me wherever I go because it's on my phone but I've never used it because the decisions are a premium add on, and it's frankly easier to just google it and get the rule and decisions that way instead of flipping through the app. Truth be told, I've never felt compelled to look up a rule on the course. I haven't gotten into any situations. Only time I had an issue was when a guy I was paired with one day told me to be careful because bringing the rake with me into a bunker was a penalty (nope) and then when I asked him whether he wanted me to pull or attend the flag for his off-green putt and he told me you could only pull it when the ball was on the green (nope). I'm not in the convincing people they're wrong business when it doesn't affect me on the golf course. I save that for the Internet, haha.

[garush34]

Have a pocket size rule book in the bag. Had to use it a couple of times in comes this year. Just use it to look up rules when going between shots. Not holding up play in anyway, we have just kept a track of the shots played and then adjust score when finding the ruling.

[David in FL]

Both app and book.

[Golfingdad]

I voted no.  That said, I do have these tags on my bag that I got for a member review a few years ago.  They only cover the basics, but they have been referenced a few times during play. :)

[Patch]

I have an out of date pocket size book I keep in the bag. I should update it I suppose. I don't have any recollection the last time I used it for needed info to play on.  I know enough of the basic stuff to get in 18 holes without needing the book..

[Asheville]

This is a genius product and is available from the USGA shop:

[DrvFrShow]

I keep one around for competition play when I need to exploit something.

[sjduffers]

I have both the booklet "Common Golf Rules" shown above, which my Associate Club provided at the start of the season (last year?), and the app on my phone, including the in-app purchase for the Decisions.  So, I have the quick-reference thing with the pictures and all, as well as the "bible", just in case.  But I don't recall using either one of them recently. I did use the booklet once to show a fellow competitor that he was wrong in his understanding of his options to deal with a ball in a water hazard (yellow).

[mvmac]

Yep, the book.

[boogielicious]

I carry the book.

[jsgolfer]

I use the App since I can expand the text and make it easier to read, the rules book lettering is too small and I can't read it without a magnifying glass or reading glasses (sucks getting old).

[iacas]

I usually have both. Sometimes when I switch bags my book is left in the old bag, but… then I have the app with the purchased Decisions too.

[RussUK]

I have a pocket size copy of the R&A; rulebook in my bag that i didnt even know id put there!

[Pretzel]

I always carry the latest version of the book with me in my bag. It's very helpful in tournaments not just for me, but for my playing partners as well who - inevitably - never have one of their own.

[The Bogey Guy]

Its a simple question.  A great deal of what I know about the rules has been learned by looking up the answers when the question arises.  I've been a USGA member for 20 years or more, and when the fine people there send me a new rule book every spring, it goes directly in my bag.  If you're more electronics-friendly than I am, I know you can get the rules and decisions on an app for your phone.  So do you have the Rules with you when you play?  Do you look up rulings when a question comes up?

I want to be clear, I'm not suggesting that anyone stop play to look up a rule.  Unless its a tournament, I try to make my best judgement, and then look up the rule while I'm walking, or sitting in the cart on the next tee.  Please keep this thread about the rules, and not about pace of play, there are more than enough threads there.

I personally do not play by the book unless there is money involved or unless I am out there playing in a tournament. Most of the time I play with friends or family casually and the USGA Rule book stays in my bag.

[RickK]

I have both the book and the app.  I am on the Rules Committee for the tournament league I play in.  I learned a long time ago to never render a ruling without having the rule in question at my fingertips so I can present it to whomever is asking for a ruling.

I also play in a fair number of tournaments outside of my league and too often I run into someone who wants to question something I have done or tell me I have done something wrong.  Latest one was "you cannot set your putter down in front of the ball as you are lining it up".