Has COVID-19 Affected Your Golf?

[Bonvivant]

7 hours ago, No Mulligans said:

Gov. Newsome just closed all businesses with few exceptions such as grocery stores, pharmacies etc. He also made it a law that everyone stay home. So it looks like every golf course in Ca is now closed.

This is confusing. If it is law to stay home then why is aything open?

[CarlSpackler]

18 hours ago, topoftheline89 said:

I played 9 holes today in sopping wet conditions from overnight rain. At this municiple course (Madden Hills) in Dayton OH they left the cup coming out of the ground 2-3 inches. I am assuming that this is in response to corona virus to prevent people from putting their hands in the cup or on the flag stick.  It could also be weather related but I had not seen that ever before.It really bothered me at first but once I accepted it as intentional and not odd mistake after seeing the same on whole two, it wasn't so bad.

That is exactly what they are doing along with other things posted on their website.

18 hours ago, billchao said:

I can’t wait for the internet to come up with a picture of an embedded ball touching the cup liner, “Is this an Ace?” 😉

I could see myself finally getting an "ace" this way. 😭

[iacas]

20 minutes ago, Bonvivant said:

This is confusing. If it is law to stay home then why is aything open?

People need essential items. Medication. Food.

[CarlSpackler]

20 minutes ago, Bonvivant said:

This is confusing. If it is law to stay home then why is aything open?

It's probably similar to a Level III snow emergency here. If you don't have a valid reason for being out, you could get arrested or fined.

[DaveP043]

10 hours ago, David in FL said:

In effect you’d be increasing the size of the hole.  Just as with any other large hole tournament, I can’t envision any scenario where you could actually post a score.

This is why I suggested using some judgement and Most Likely Score (for posting purposes only).  A putt that just barely grazes the cup liner would almost certainly not have been holed.  The Handicap Rules allow the use of Most Likely Score for an unlimited number of holes in each round, so it's probably the only option if it is determined that scores made this way must be posted.  

I've seen a couple of other ways to minimize contact with the cup when removing balls.  A short piece of pool noodle (say 3 inches or so) can be threaded on the flagstick, allowing the ball to settle into the hole, but only a bit below the surface.  Alternatively, the cup liner can be installed upside down.  Either way, a "holed" ball can be removed without contacting either the flagstick or the cup liner.

[David in FL]

49 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

This is why I suggested using some judgement and Most Likely Score (for posting purposes only).  A putt that just barely grazes the cup liner would almost certainly not have been holed.  The Handicap Rules allow the use of Most Likely Score for an unlimited number of holes in each round, so it's probably the only option if it is determined that scores made this way must be posted.  

I've seen a couple of other ways to minimize contact with the cup when removing balls.  A short piece of pool noodle (say 3 inches or so) can be threaded on the flagstick, allowing the ball to settle into the hole, but only a bit below the surface.  Alternatively, the cup liner can be installed upside down.  Either way, a "holed" ball can be removed without contacting either the flagstick or the cup liner.

 

50 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

This is why I suggested using some judgement and Most Likely Score (for posting purposes only).  A putt that just barely grazes the cup liner would almost certainly not have been holed.  The Handicap Rules allow the use of Most Likely Score for an unlimited number of holes in each round, so it's probably the only option if it is determined that scores made this way must be posted.  

I've seen a couple of other ways to minimize contact with the cup when removing balls.  A short piece of pool noodle (say 3 inches or so) can be threaded on the flagstick, allowing the ball to settle into the hole, but only a bit below the surface.  Alternatively, the cup liner can be installed upside down.  Either way, a "holed" ball can be removed without contacting either the flagstick or the cup liner.

The “most likely score” post still requires that the hole be payed under the rules of golf...

[FlyingAce]

My golf club just announced they are closing, effective immediately. I wonder if other courses in town will follow.

There was just an article about an increase in business at the local golf courses here and I was just thinking more people will come out thinking it is safe. I have not played recently and wasn’t planning to anyway so this is not a surprise. I will be setting up my net today in my backyard to continue swinging. Stay safe out there!

[FlyingAce]

@NM Golf Are your courses still open? I got an email from Sandia Golf yesterday saying they will continue to stay open. I wonder if that will change.

[DaveP043]

30 minutes ago, David in FL said:

The “most likely score” post still requires that the hole be payed under the rules of golf...

David, I don't care what you do at your club.  I am assuming that you have played in accordance with the rules of golf up to your (almost) final putt.  MLS applies for a hole not completed.  If the ball isn't holed, the hole has not been completed, so its completely legitimate to record Most Likely Score.  That is the ONLY possible way to record these scores for handicap purposes.  I wouldn't argue if a Committee or Association directs players not to post these scores, but it shouldn't be left to individual players to decide.  

The USGA in general has shown that they would prefer to have as many scores as reasonably possible included in Handicap evaluation.  I am merely looking for a method that is generally consistent with the Handicap Rules to allow these scores to be posted, while allowing courses to decrease the risk of surface contamination to the players.

[p1n9183]

Since last night Argentina entered in a 2 week quarantine for everyone. You can only go out to buy food or medicine. No golf for me for at least 2 more weeks. 

[David in FL]

5 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

David, I don't care what you do at your club.  I am assuming that you have played in accordance with the rules of golf up to your (almost) final putt.  MLS applies for a hole not completed.  If the ball isn't holed, the hole has not been completed, so its completely legitimate to record Most Likely Score.  That is the ONLY possible way to record these scores for handicap purposes.  I wouldn't argue if a Committee or Association directs players not to post these scores, but it shouldn't be left to individual players to decide.  

The USGA in general has shown that they would prefer to have as many scores as reasonably possible included in Handicap evaluation.  I am merely looking for a method that is generally consistent with the Handicap Rules to allow these scores to be posted, while allowing courses to decrease the risk of surface contamination to the players.

I guess it’s a question for the USGA, but the intent of “most likely score” Is to cover match play concessions and perhaps the very occasional “out of the hole” pick-up.  Not an entire round played outside the rules.

Holes not played by the rules are generally scored as par +,  but an entire round intentionally not played under the rules generally wouldn't be posted, regardless of the reason.
 

Again, maybe a good question for the USGA...

[iacas]

59 minutes ago, David in FL said:

 

The “most likely score” post still requires that the hole be payed under the rules of golf...

And the hole is played under the Rules, it's just not completed.

20 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

David, I don't care what you do at your club.  I am assuming that you have played in accordance with the rules of golf up to your (almost) final putt.  MLS applies for a hole not completed.  If the ball isn't holed, the hole has not been completed, so its completely legitimate to record Most Likely Score.  That is the ONLY possible way to record these scores for handicap purposes.  I wouldn't argue if a Committee or Association directs players not to post these scores, but it shouldn't be left to individual players to decide.

This is all true.

Now, to be clear, the Rules don't really support playing a tournament with raised cups, but do support "most likely score" for handicap rounds.

[David in FL]

32 minutes ago, iacas said:

And the hole is played under the Rules, it's just not completed.

This is all true.

Now, to be clear, the Rules don't really support playing a tournament with raised cups, but do support "most likely score" for handicap rounds.

I still don’t think most likely score would be any more appropriate there, than in any other large cup round.  There are just too many variables and subjectivities that go far beyond, “I’m most likely to 2 putt from 20 feet away”...  

Let me ask it this way.  If we were to play a large cup event/round with 6” cups, would you post a score?  I wouldn’t.  

Again, I’d like to hear what the USGA says.

Edited March 20, 2020 by David in FL

[tehuti]

Due to the governor's latest advisory yesterday it looks like all of our local courses will be closed effective today. At this point I am not sure I want to go out there even if they are not. It is really getting weird now.

[nevets88]

I bought a net like ages ago but never used it. I will install it this weekend.

 

[Big C]

2 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

David, I don't care what you do at your club.  I am assuming that you have played in accordance with the rules of golf up to your (almost) final putt.  MLS applies for a hole not completed.  If the ball isn't holed, the hole has not been completed, so its completely legitimate to record Most Likely Score.  That is the ONLY possible way to record these scores for handicap purposes.  I wouldn't argue if a Committee or Association directs players not to post these scores, but it shouldn't be left to individual players to decide.  

The USGA in general has shown that they would prefer to have as many scores as reasonably possible included in Handicap evaluation.  I am merely looking for a method that is generally consistent with the Handicap Rules to allow these scores to be posted, while allowing courses to decrease the risk of surface contamination to the players.

Dave, in your opinion, where would "most likely score" begin?

It's easy to say that if you lag it to 2 feet, you are most likely to have made that putt and record your score accordingly. 

But what if you strike a putt from 12 feet that hit the raised cup dead center at perfect speed? Do you record a 1 putt? Or say that it was most likely you would have 2 putted from there?

Maybe it could begin once you reach the green - but then what if I am facing an 80 footer, where I would be most likely to 3 putt? If I lag it to 1 foot, do I still take that 3 putt? And if I do the same from just off the fringe, does it then become a 1 putt? 

Thinking it through, I can't think of a logical starting point for "most likely" - which leads me to conclude these rounds cannot be recorded at all. 

But I'm interested in your comments.

Edited to add: Maybe the starting point, is the point from where your next putt hits the liner? In other words, if you hit the liner from 12 feet, you still record a 2 putt. If you hit the 80 footer to 1 foot and tap into the liner, you also record a 2 putt. Seems to make the most sense, but it would definitely inflate scores, IMO. In other words, a pulled 5 footer that is statistically likely to be made, but misses the entire cup would be recorded as a 2 putt. But any great putts that would have been made outside of 7-8 feet also go down at 2 putts. I'm not sure that is an ideal solution either...

 

Edited March 20, 2020 by Big C

[Papa Steve 55]

[Missouri Swede]

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