SortaGolf - Good or Bad for the Game

**HytrewQasdfg** · July 16, 2008

http://sortagolf.manilasites.com/

I noticed a reference to this on the main page. It is basicly a relaxed rules version of golf. Is this a good or bad thing for the game in general?

**ITgolfHack** · July 16, 2008

I would say it's good if it gets people out playing, but bad if they are playing this way and think their scores mean anything.

I played with a guy the other day who told me he had finally broken 100 and was very excited to see if he could do it again. I haven't broken 100 yet, but I could have probably broken 90 given this guys rules. I couldn't even count how many times he just picked his ball up and tossed it back on the fairway when it was in deep rough or behind or under a tree.

**FlopShotArtist** · July 16, 2008

I voted good. Look at it this way.

A guy goes out and shoots 120 consistently w/ REAL rules. He's ready to quit the game, but he takes up these rules. He drops his score and is starting to get close to breaking 100, then does and breaks 90.

Sure, those scores mean nothing, but at this point, he's probably pretty good at the game and if it wasn't for those rules, he would've quit 3 years ago.

Of course, once you break 100 - you need to play real rules. ;)

**HytrewQasdfg** · July 16, 2008

My take on it was after a few holes (or beers, whichever comes first) at least one person is playing a relaxed version of the rules, so it's better to have a relaxed version of the rules everyone can play than each person playing slightly different rules.

I also thing the USGA seems to have gone out of its way to make golf harder so it frustrates beginning players and makes them quit the sport. Sometimes I wonder if their goal is to have fewer people actually play the game.

**Gummi Bear** · July 16, 2008

I say it's OK.

If folks want to play, let 'em. It's all about having fun anyhow.

So long as they're not tearing up the course, or holding up other golfers, I see no harm in it.

**dkinser86** · July 16, 2008

I voted that its occasionally good. I think it is good when teaching a person the game. I have begun teaching a few of my friends the game. If they would it one OB or in a hazard or something like that, I would just have them drop a ball near me and play on. But, I guess the qualifier for me is that I made sure to explain the actual rules of what they are suppose to do. When they got good enough to start actually hitting good shots, I made them play by the rules.

I guess it depends on what you think makes people comeback. Is it the fun of being with friends? Is it hitting an incredible shot? For me, I am proudest when I have to punch out and scramble to make a par. That is an absolute incredible feeling to do that.

**Lemay427** · July 16, 2008

HAHA.

I say let the casual players that dont care about score and want to have a good time to tee it up in the fairway too. I personally do not care at all that the weekend warriors that drink more cans of beers than holes, bend the rules. I encourage it 100%. Hell I wish they came out with auto hitting clubs to for them. Obviously, I am talking about the people that are there just to hang and drink. People that are wanting to get better will respect the rules and try to follow them as close as possible.

**m11** · July 16, 2008

i definitely think its a good thing for the right golfers. The majority of us take some sort of pride in putting up real scores. But for golfers that know they arent going to shoot low numbers, they lose all enjoyment in the game when they take 4 shots to hack it out of the thick rough simply to find themselves in a greenside bunker. I dont think there is anything wrong with beginners fudging with the rules a little bit. Its actually a testiment to how great the game is. You change the rules a bit in other games...you dont dribble the basketball or you catch a soccer ball and run with it....the game becomes ridiculous. But, as mentioned on the website, even hitting a good shot from a good lie is difficult enough as it is. Beginning golfers know they cant pull that kind of stuff in a tournament or something...but when they are out hacking...i dont think it would be a big issue to mess with the rules a bit to have more fun. Hopefully, as they improve, they'll have the desire to play properly.

**rjfan91** · July 16, 2008

I agree with Gummi. Fun is the most important thing to this game. Some lose sight of that.

I say it's OK.

**$2 Nassau** · July 16, 2008

I say it's good for certain people. Knowing myself and my anal-retentive tendencies, I wouldn't like it. But hey, have at it if that's your thing.

***iacas*** · July 16, 2008

I also thing the USGA seems to have gone out of its way to make golf harder so it frustrates beginning players and makes them quit the sport.

How has the USGA done that? C'mon.

If you have an actual answer, please start a new thread. I don't want this one to go off-topic. I voted that I don't play by SortaGolf rules, but for my wife who is just learning and who rarely plays a hole (yet) start to finish, we follow loose rules. Not the SG rules, but not USGA rules either.

**Cody** · July 16, 2008

The only thing im guilty of is pulling balls from behind trees

Black_Death · July 16, 2008

I voted "good for the game." My wife is in the process of learning the game, and, although I teach her the rules, she rarely plays by them. It is just too frustrating for someone starting out. I'm not sure everything that sortagolf entails, but I have absolutely no problem with her improving her lie anywhere on the course, grounding the club inappropriately or moving the ball out from behind a tree to give herself a full swing.

I don't take it quite as far as she does, but when I am playing a practice round I will improve my lie in the fairway only. Other than that I pretty much play by the book regardless of if I am playing a round to post or not except the rare time when someone gives me incorrect yardage to a hazard and my shot finds it. That really pisses me off and I will usually drop another ball where I hit from for free.

**PLAYHOUSE** · July 16, 2008

its great for the game, having fun with your peers is what it all comes down to. How you have fun is up to you either by playing SGA or USGA. have fun fun fun.

but USGA & Grey Poupon for me all the way haha.

**pjsnyc** · July 16, 2008

I voted 'occasionally...' because sometimes the rules just ought not to apply (under certain circumstances) and other times they definitely do need to apply.

One example would be to just drop a new ball if you lost your ball in thick rough. I mean cummon - no one is spotting your ball when you hit your drive to a blind spot on the course. Look for a few minutes and if it can't be found (and you're absolutely certain it didn't go OB), just drop without penalty in the area you and your golf partner agree upon.

Other reasons I think 'occaisionally' should hold true in general is this (and this is just a basic example of how certain circumstances can give one golfer a benefit and another golfer absolutely no benefit). On tour earlier this year (it may have actually been the U.S. Open), Tiger went for the green in two on a par 5. He absolutely nailed it....but it went left and long. Instead of possibly going OB or getting lost in thick bushes or whatever, it hit a spectator and stayed relatively close to the green. He got up and down from there for birdie and kindly tossed his ball to that spectator that kept his ball in play. If that were to happen to me, I'd be looking for my ball...looking...looking...oh yeah - I'm not on tour...DROP! What's that you say? Oh - I shouldn't have gone for the green in two because it carries with it certain risks...but wait, how many tour players have actually aimed at a crowd in this fashion...but wait there's no crowd/backstop to help me...ugh - does anyone ever think of these things?

**whip_it_out** · July 16, 2008

Yes, but having spectators is not an advantage. So if he hit a guy and the ball stayed in, have you never hit a tree and the ball bounced back into play? I dont see why people think its unfair that pros have galleries.

***iacas*** · July 17, 2008

Yes, but having spectators is not an advantage. So if he hit a guy and the ball stayed in, have you never hit a tree and the ball bounced back into play? I dont see why people think its unfair that pros have galleries.

People aren't trees. They're not part of the golf course, so the argument that they're like trees is pretty specious. People can also help you find a ball that you might have otherwise lost. People can also trample down otherwise normally long, thick grass.

Let's stay on topic eh?

**Stacey_E** · July 17, 2008

I voted I never color outside the lines. I'll admit there are rules I'm fuzzy on, but I always try my best to stay in the lines. But I have come to the conclusion that I don't care how anyone else plays. It's their greens fees.

The only time I care about sorta golf is if I'm playing someone for money. But It really sucks to get paired with a partner who normally plays sorta golf and has a vanity handicap. On the other hand those are my absolute favorite opponents.

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