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Is "ready" golf against the rules?


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Let me start by saying I do not keep a handicap but I am considering doing so next year.

My friends and I play ready golf. By ready golf I mean whoever is ready to hit their ball first does so with no regard to who is farthest from the hole or who has honors.

Am I right that this is against the rules and I will need to change if I am keeping an official handicap?

Respectfully,

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Let me start by saying I do not keep a handicap but I am considering doing so next year.

My friends and I play ready golf. By ready golf I mean whoever is ready to hit their ball first does so with no regard to who is farthest from the hole or who has honors.

Am I right that this is against the rules and I will need to change if I am keeping an official handicap?

The first thing is to tee it forward, the other things are in this site.

http://www.usga.org/MicroSite.aspx?id=21474856307

I do not think that playing by USGA rules excludes ready golf practices.

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Quote:
Originally Posted by 18rounds View Post

Let me start by saying I do not keep a handicap but I am considering doing so next year.

My friends and I play ready golf. By ready golf I mean whoever is ready to hit their ball first does so with no regard to who is farthest from the hole or who has honors.

Am I right that this is against the rules and I will need to change if I am keeping an official handicap?

In Match Play,

Quote:

c . Playing Out of Turn

If a player plays when his opponent should have played, there is no penalty, but the opponent may immediately require the player to cancel the stroke so made and, in correct order, play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5 ).

In Stroke Play

Quote:

c . Playing Out of Turn

If a competitor plays out of turn, there is no penalty and the ball is played as it lies. If, however, the Committee determines that competitors have agreed to play out of turn to give one of them an advantage, they are disqualified .

(Making stroke while another ball in motion after stroke from putting green – see Rule 16-1f )

(Incorrect order of play in foursome stroke play – see Rule 29-3 )

So I guess there is no penalty or replay for stroke play when a ball is played out of turn, except for disqualification. Still, I though the replay the stroke was in both match and stroke play. So really it doesn't matter and doesn't effect handicap.

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So I guess there is no penalty or replay for stroke play when a ball is played out of turn, except for disqualification. Still, I though the replay the stroke was in both match and stroke play. So really it doesn't matter and doesn't effect handicap.

I think it is grounds for disqualification only if they are purposely cheating (e.g., giving one of the players an advantage).

If, however, the Committee determines that competitors have agreed to play out of turn to give one of them an advantage, they are disqualified.

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I think it is grounds for disqualification only if they are purposely cheating (e.g., giving one of the players an advantage).


I have seen this done in an alternate shot format where say the second ball is well past the number of strokes but lies within and on the same line as the first ball with less strokes and gets played in order to get a good read.

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I have seen this done in an alternate shot format where say the second ball is well past the number of strokes but lies within and on the same line as the first ball with less strokes and gets played in order to get a good read.


You'll have to explain that for me - in alternate shot there is only one ball in play for two partners.  In better ball games, where each partner has a ball in play, the balls may be played in the order the side (partners) consider best for their result(s).

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To sum up the posts from @saevel25 and @Lihu : [LIST] [*] in match play, if you play out of turn, your opponent can elect to have you replay the shot. [*] in stroke play, if the committee determines your group collectively made an agreement to play out of turn to give someone an unfair advantage, they can disqualify you. [/LIST]

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Let me start by saying I do not keep a handicap but I am considering doing so next year.

My friends and I play ready golf. By ready golf I mean whoever is ready to hit their ball first does so with no regard to who is farthest from the hole or who has honors.

Am I right that this is against the rules and I will need to change if I am keeping an official handicap?

To answer your question in simple language, no, there is no actual penalty for playing out of turn in normal play for handicap.  In stroke play it's more of an etiquette issue than anything, despite the rule.  When there is no penalty associated with a breach, I don't know how you call it a "rule".  In the opinion of most players these days, pace of play trumps order of play.  We even play ready golf in our men's club tournaments.  Go ahead and do as you have been and don't worry about it.

Rick

"He who has the fastest cart will never have a bad lie."

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To answer your question in simple language, no, there is no actual penalty for playing out of turn in normal play for handicap.  In stroke play it's more of an etiquette issue than anything, despite the rule.  When there is no penalty associated with a breach, I don't know how you call it a "rule".  In the opinion of most players these days, pace of play trumps order of play.  We even play ready golf in our men's club tournaments.  Go ahead and do as you have been and don't worry about it.

I guess in stroke play it is fair to say it isn't a rule because there isn't a penalty (as long as you don't agree to play out of turn to give one of the players an advantage, like seeing the line of a putt) for breach of the rule.  But of course, and I know you of all people know this, there is a penalty in match play for playing out of turn.  But my foursome almost always plays "ready golf" and I think it help keep up the pace of play and recommend it as long as you stay safe.

Butch

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

To answer your question in simple language, no, there is no actual penalty for playing out of turn in normal play for handicap.  In stroke play it's more of an etiquette issue than anything, despite the rule.  When there is no penalty associated with a breach, I don't know how you call it a "rule".  In the opinion of most players these days, pace of play trumps order of play.  We even play ready golf in our men's club tournaments.  Go ahead and do as you have been and don't worry about it.

I guess in stroke play it is fair to say it isn't a rule because there isn't a penalty (as long as you don't agree to play out of turn to give one of the players an advantage, like seeing the line of a putt) for breach of the rule.  But of course, and I know you of all people know this, there is a penalty in match play for playing out of turn.  But my foursome almost always plays "ready golf" and I think it help keep up the pace of play and recommend it as long as you stay safe.

That's why I specified "normal play for handicap".  At least 95% of the players in the US playing for handicap play stroke play almost 100% of the time.  And it IS still a rule, just a rule without any punch.  It irks me no end to be behind a group of bogey golfers who assiduously wait for each member to play each shot in order, even when they are spread out 50 yards from side to side the entire width of the hole.

Rick

"He who has the fastest cart will never have a bad lie."

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That's why I specified "normal play for handicap".  At least 95% of the players in the US playing for handicap play stroke play almost 100% of the time.  And it IS still a rule, just a rule without any punch.  It irks me no end to be behind a group of bogey golfers who assiduously wait for each member to play each shot in order, even when they are spread out 50 yards from side to side the entire width of the hole.

I'm not sure what you mean by this, do you meant that they are just standing there and not scoping out their own shot and selecting their irons?

Almost every round I have played is in distance and time order. No one hits at the same time. We do setup and scope out the shot and are ready to go by the time the last person hits. This does not appear to take that much time.

I agree that if they are just waiting around watching their partners, that's a time waster.

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I'm not sure what you mean by this, do you meant that they are just standing there and not scoping out their own shot and selecting their irons?

Yes, instead of going to their ball and getting ready to play their shot (or actually hitting their shot), they watch each others shots and then figure out their yardage, select their club, etc.

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Yes, instead of going to their ball and getting ready to play their shot (or actually hitting their shot), they watch each others shots and then figure out their yardage, select their club, etc.

It is even worse when you are on the tee waiting for someone in the fairway to hit to the green, but they are waiting for the green to clear.  Then the green clears and THEN the guy gets out of the cart, shoots the flag with his rangefinder, take 30 seconds selecting a club, re-checks his yardage, and then finally gets into his pre-shot routine.

But then again, what the hell do I know?

Rich - in name only

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It is even worse when you are on the tee waiting for someone in the fairway to hit to the green, but they are waiting for the green to clear.  Then the green clears and THEN the guy gets out of the cart, shoots the flag with his rangefinder, take 30 seconds selecting a club, re-checks his yardage, and then finally gets into his pre-shot routine.


It's called the TV camera effect - watch the PGATour, no one starts getting ready until the camera is on them.  I suppose it's so that their sponsors get maximum time exposure?  But it's amazing that no one starts putting on their glove or determining yardage until they are on camera.  It's as if they are in a play, and don't start until the curtain goes up.

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It's called the TV camera effect - watch the PGATour, no one starts getting ready until the camera is on them.  I suppose it's so that their sponsors get maximum time exposure?  But it's amazing that no one starts putting on their glove or determining yardage until they are on camera.  It's as if they are in a play, and don't start until the curtain goes up.


Obviously you don't mean "no one" but even if you mean 30% of the people I think you're vastly over-estimating. They don't know when the cameras are on them. They don't look toward the cameras (many, if they see them nearby, will actively avoid looking at them). The stationary cameras don't have lights that signal when they're the "on camera" like they do in studio shows.

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It's called the TV camera effect - watch the PGATour, no one starts getting ready until the camera is on them.  I suppose it's so that their sponsors get maximum time exposure?  But it's amazing that no one starts putting on their glove or determining yardage until they are on camera.  It's as if they are in a play, and don't start until the curtain goes up.

Disagree with that. Here's a screen shot of this round from earlier in the year. You can see that McIlroy has just hit and two players are already at their ball. Adam Scott (middle) is taking a practice swing. I'm not saying the pros play 100% ready golf but their preparation for hitting the shot has nothing to do with TV cameras.

Agree with Erik saying they don't know when the cameras are on them. Just because a camera is pointing at them doesn't mean it's making the broadcast ;-)

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It's called the TV camera effect - watch the PGATour, no one starts getting ready until the camera is on them.  I suppose it's so that their sponsors get maximum time exposure?  But it's amazing that no one starts putting on their glove or determining yardage until they are on camera.  It's as if they are in a play, and don't start until the curtain goes up.

If you've ever been to an actual event as a spectator you'd know that isn't true.

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It's called the TV camera effect - watch the PGATour, no one starts getting ready until the camera is on them.  I suppose it's so that their sponsors get maximum time exposure?  But it's amazing that no one starts putting on their glove or determining yardage until they are on camera.  It's as if they are in a play, and don't start until the curtain goes up.

As you must have noticed by now, satire is not effective here. ;-)

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