Quote:
Originally Posted by
David in FL 
I just don't understand why so few people can't have fun, enjoy the course and time away from everything while playing golf properly at the same time.
I just don't get that. To each his own though.
This is exactly why this thread even exists and why you will probably never understand someone who does "fluff". I've played for over 40 years, and in every round I've posted for handicap purposes or during tournament play I've never "fluffed" a lie unless moving the ball is within the rules. However, sometimes I play to work on a certain aspect of my game, or try different strategies on holes, or maybe trying to hone a draw played to hold or ride the wind. At those times, I may hit more than one shot from the same position.
Do I count these scores? Absolutely not. I've had many opportunities to pad a handicap by counting these rounds, but that's not fair when it comes time to "play for real" (i.e. money or a tournament). In fact, this can actually have the opposite effect because I miss out on at least a half dozen rounds each year that would end up raising my handicap (at least to some extent).
Go to a professional tournament early in the week and watch a few practice rounds and you'll see the best players in the game do exactly that (and "fluff" lies when doing so). Does that make them less of a player because they're not playing by the rules? Nope, not at all. Same goes for the average player, as long as they don't count the scores for handicap calculations or in a tournament.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Fourputt
This puzzles me too. I reiterate that I don't really care what others do when they aren't in competition with me, but I can't understand the attitude that golf can't be fun when played by the rules. To me, playing any other way is just wasting time, since I can't count anything I do as being part of a meaningful round.
Have a great round and shoot a lifetime low score? Nope didn't happen since I was giving myself improved lies. Holed out from the fairway for an eagle? Can't really count it since I rolled the ball off that dry patch of fairway grass. I'm left with only one memory, and that is that I didn't play the game as it was meant to be played, thus anything I accomplished is irrelevant. To me, for my own play, that approach is unacceptable.
I often wonder when reading the accomplishments of others on this forum how many times those great holes or outstanding rounds were truly played by the rules, especially after reading this thread and seeing how many players really don't seem to think that the rules have any bearing on the game. If you have only broken 90 once in your life, but played by some of the modified rules seen here, then I'm really sorry, but you haven't broken 90 - you may not even have broken 100. 
For me, I enjoy golf in both situations. It's a different enjoyment for each - posting a good score when you have a run on bad lies is a great feeling, but so is using the course for practice and getting that cut shot just right so it holds it's line into a right-to-left wind. As noted above, I don't count the scores when I'm playing that way (the ONLY exception would be if I ever got a hole-in-one, but that's a single hole not a full round score - and no, I wouldn't call it a hole-in-one if it wasn't my original tee shot).
When I was in High School, the pro at the local course once told me one of the fastest ways to improve was to hit two shots off the tee, then play the worst one. Repeat with your second shot, and every shot/putt for the whole round. In his words, "do that 2 or 3 times and you'll be amazed at how quickly the difference narrows, because you'll get REALLY tired of having to play from the worst position after a lousy shot." Definitely not playing by the rules, but if your goal is to improve your score (not necessarily your swing) you should try it - I've seen a lot of players knock 8-10 shots off their scores after just 3 rounds playing that way.
For 99% of us the goal is to have fun. For each person that definition is different, and no one should put anyone else down or criticize them because it's not the way they have fun. As long as you don't do it when it "counts", or when you're posting for a handicap, it really doesn't matter one way or another.
(BTW - best score ever = 69, no fluffs, including a left-handed shot because of a tree. Had a blast! But - same could be said for the 85 I shot with a great friend just goofin' around and fluffing a couple lies)
