How many of you "fluff" your ball or play 6"/winter rules all the time?

This is a great topic to post.  I just had this same conversation with my wife, telling her how my brother in law always "fluffs" the ball before a shot and how it drives me crazy that he'll take a "par" or bogey on a hole.  I personally don't care if a person I'm playing with does this unless theres a little wager on the line.  Old saying, "cheat in golf, cheat in life."  In the middle of summer, as you mentioned, unless your ball is really on a rock or bare spot I wouldnt touch it.  I guess it depends on the situation.  

Pet peeve of mine.  Not to change the topic... but.... why is it that the rules of golf get "bent" more than any other sport?

I could list a ton of examples but here is my favorite.  Player A hits his/her tee ball into the woods on the left side of the hole.  After a search, no ball is found.  Player A then proceeds to drop a ball (and takes a penalty stroke) where he thinks it entered the woods.  Ummmm... wrong.  Hit a provisional off the tee if you think there is any chance of not finding the ball.  Saves the time and embarrassment of having to drive or walk back to the tee box to play your 3rd shot.  For the life of me I can't figure out why some people don't take a stroke & distance penalty in this scenario.

The list goes on and on as far as golf rules being bent by players.  How about the guy who tees off... wacks a duck hook into the woods and then says "I'm taking a mulligan".  Why??????  Imagine if we were bowling and I really messed up and threw my first ball in the gutter.  Ever hear of anyone taking a mulligan in bowling???  It just doesn't happen.  Or the people who give putts that are in the proximity of 4 feet or so.  "That's good".  Ummmm.. no it's not.  People miss them all the time.

Doesn't happen in other sports, yet in golf the rules are being bent or broken all the time. 

I also live in Ohio.  And play by the rules.
 

When I play on a $20 course, I absolutely play with a ground under repair mentality. If it is sitting on a spot of rock hard clay, I move it off of it. I don't think damaging a club is worth it. I never really fluff the ball. I do better with it sitting down than up. 

Guilty, one of my first leagues I was on had a rule that you can fluff the ball and i did. I was golfing in the mid 50's then and still dont see much problem with high handycappers doing it. If you playing for money or have to follow league rules then play it as it lays. 

I know I will get some flack for this but we are pushing "tee it foward" and 12" cups why not make it easier for  beginners by allowing some fluffing.

That said I have backed away from the practice since my game has drastically improved.

I don't touch the ball unless it's in ground under repair or someplace like on a defined path where I'm allowed a free drop.

If I make a par or a rare birdie, I want it to be legitimate whether I'm actually competing against another player or not. If I'd fluffed the ball, I wouldn't get that sense of personal satisfaction.

One of the reasons I quit golf for more than a decade was because of sandbaggers and other cheaters. I can't stand it.

I never fluff the ball unless it is in GUR, in which case it is allowed by the rule.

I have a (former) friend who did that all the time.  After a few rounds of that crap, I never played with him again.

not only do i not touch the ball, i get real pissed (though i keep my cool when it happens) when people pick up a ball to check who's it is.  goddamn just thinking about the situations where i've walked up towards my ball, only for some a-hole i'm partnered with drive up and feel the need to 'check' it for me by picking it up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by formula428 

Question:  How many of you fluff your ball or play 6"/winter rules all year around?

Not me.  I play golf.

My older brother used to do that and being the younger sibling I followed along, this was when it was casual rounds cause he played high school golf and was a really good player and I knew he couldn't do that during matches.Anyways he said playing it "down" really didn't effect your score all that much so I told him lets do it then, he wound up shoting 73 to my 85 lol, that was 20 years ago and I have never bumped a lie since.

Quote:

Originally Posted by David in FL 

I couldn't vote because there's no option for playing by the rules, without a qualifier....

ditto.....

if you're on the course to practice, then by all means.. go for it. but if you want to legitimately keep score, etc.. then no way should you do this. don't get too excited when you land a birdie/par when you made sure you had the ideal lie each time without earning it.

I rarely do it, but if I'm out with friends to have a good time, I might fluff the lie a bit.  Yes, rules are rules, but in most sports, if you are out to have fun, rules don't matter. I'll travel all I want in basketball if I'm messing around having fun.  However, when I play a course that doesn't even mark water hazards and I come in ground that should be labeled as ground under repair, I'll take a drop.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paradox 

If I'm spending more time helping someone else work through something, I do it from time to time because I'm not really worried about what I shoot..just hitting shots...other times I'll leave it on a crappy lie to work on that kind of shot, too.  It does suck to hit off of bare dirt, lol.  If I'm able to be focused on my game, I don't touch my ball unless its meant to be touched.  

I do believe though if that bare dirt is caused by a burrowing animal you actually do get relief.

The only time I will "fluff" is either: some kind of standing water, or a time when I may break a club. Sorry, but it's not worth it to me. Although I did hit my PW on Sunday from right behind a root above ground and put it to 5 feet for a birdie.

Awesome shot I say.