Do You Count It as a Hole-Out if Your Approach Hits a Raised Cup?

[bones75]

I read that the USGA considers scores under the covid-19 rules of play valid, including putting with raised cups.  So even if the ball was screaming across the green, does that count as holed?

[Vinsk]

13 minutes ago, bones75 said:

I read that the USGA considers scores under the covid-19 rules of play valid, including putting with raised cups.  So even if the ball was screaming across the green, does that count as holed?

Of course not.

[David in FL]

[snapfade]

Its a judgement call. If there was a reasonable chance that it would have went it sure. Honor system is the phrase I would use.

[iacas]

The USGA extended the "most likely score" thing to include playing to raised cups. So no, a ball that wouldn't go in normally doesn't count as in.

[dagolfer18]

58 minutes ago, bones75 said:

I read that the USGA considers scores under the covid-19 rules of play valid, including putting with raised cups.  So even if the ball was screaming across the green, does that count as holed?

My brother and I were discussing this after our round last week. We came to an agreement beforehand that on the green, or anywhere for that matter, if it hit the raised cup and we agreed that it had a realistic chance of dropping, we counted it. Obviously, if you just bladed the heck out of a shot and your ball hit the cup full-force, then no, it wouldn’t count.

Edited March 27, 2020 by dagolfer18

[billchao]

So of course it had to happen to me my first time out...

The course stuck 3” pvc pipe in the hole instead of raising the cup liner which worked well enough. I played a hole today where I pitched a ball and it hit the pipe dead center, right in the center of the cup. If it wasn’t there, it would have hit the flagstick. I was left with less than 2’, so I’m counting it as holed 😎

[Patch]

Everyone I know are counting them as hole outs,  per our league secretary, and his interpretation of the current, adjusted rules. 

Personally, I hope they leave the fillers in permanently. That tend to create lower scores. Lower scores make golfers happy, and promote a more positive pace of play.  

[David in FL]

2 minutes ago, Patch said:

Everyone I know are counting them as hole outs,  per our league secretary, and his interpretation of the current, adjusted rules. 

Personally, I hope they leave the fillers in permanently. That tend to create lower scores. Lower scores make golfers happy, and promote a more positive pace of play.  

And artificially lower handicaps.  I may need to take a trip out there to play some of you guys!  

Well, except that I don’t want to get on a plane for awhile yet.  Damn!   😑

[Vinsk]

1 minute ago, Patch said:

Everyone I know are counting them as hole outs,  per our league secretary, and his interpretation of the current, adjusted rules. 

Personally, I hope they leave the fillers in permanently. That tend to create lower scores. Lower scores make golfers happy, and promote a more positive pace of play.  

There has to be some judgement here. Simply ‘hitting’ the liner shouldn’t indicate a holed shot/stroke. Just like not every ball that hits the flagstick drops. The rules have never said if you hit the flagstick it’s holed. Same goes for the liner. Obviously a skulled bunker shot that slams into the liner and ricochets 10’ wouldn’t have gone in. I don’t see any confusion with this.

[David in FL]

I’m really surprised that some clubs/courses are still doing that. The pool noodle thing really works well, as does anything that allows the ball to go into the cup but limits how far down it goes.

I’ve played 20 rounds in the last five weeks. All as either a foursome or fivesome.  That means that I’ve seen somewhere in the neighborhood of 1500 balls holed in the last month.  In that entire time I don’t think there have been more than 8 - 10 for which we had any question whatsoever as to whether or not the ball was actually holed.

 

Edited May 2, 2020 by David in FL

[WillieT]

6 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

There has to be some judgement here. Simply ‘hitting’ the liner shouldn’t indicate a holed shot/stroke. Just like not every ball that hits the flagstick drops. The rules have never said if you hit the flagstick it’s holed. Same goes for the liner. Obviously a skulled bunker shot that slams into the liner and ricochets 10’ wouldn’t have gone in. I don’t see any confusion with this.

I tend to see this as @Vinsk does.   This year was the first time I've ever played with liner extensions/pool noodles.  My first time seeing this was early on in the pandemic protocols and the course had inverted the cups, leaving you about a 3/4-1" dip.  Putts were just as if not more difficult to sink as the ball could catch the rim and lip out easily.  The next course was 2" liner extensions - I looked at the putts as anything close to center and minimal ricochets (less than 1') as good.  Glancing blows no way.  Most recently the course I frequent most had implemented pool noodles - first round they were above the rim and we treated them like the pvc extenders.  Now they are down below the rim of the hole, about 1-1/2" and it forces you to make calculated putts.  I like that much better as it doesn't artificially lower scores and forces you to make good putts.  I agree that it really comes down to common sense - in the center, minimal ricochet = good, glancing blow, 2-3' run out = putt again.  

Funny thing is that I actually seem to focus better on a hole with the pvc extenders in place - maybe its seeing the hole "above" the rim thing - more putts were dead center than not when I played such.  Maybe its something I need to use as a practice tool for "seeing" the hole....

[billchao]

7 minutes ago, WillieT said:

I agree that it really comes down to common sense - in the center, minimal ricochet = good, glancing blow, 2-3' run out = putt again.

You can also have a glancing blow that can be considered a hole out, too. I saw a couple today, it just has to be going slowly enough. It's pretty easy to judge.

[WillieT]

1 minute ago, billchao said:

You can also have a glancing blow that can be considered a hole out, too. I saw a couple today, it just has to be going slowly enough. It's pretty easy to judge.

Agree @billchao  - In my mind I was thinking about the one in particular that I hit - "barely" skimmed the side of the noodle....no way was that a hole out.  I can seen where one that glances off and would what I call a "circling the drain" putt  but rolls out a couple of feet would be considered good.  Like you said, "pretty easy to judge".  

[billchao]

5 minutes ago, WillieT said:

Agree @billchao  - In my mind I was thinking about the one in particular that I hit - "barely" skimmed the side of the noodle....no way was that a hole out.  I can seen where one that glances off and would what I call a "circling the drain" putt  but rolls out a couple of feet would be considered good.  Like you said, "pretty easy to judge".  

Yea, anyone with some experience putting knows exactly what a putt that falls in from the side looks like.

I can’t see an issue in figuring out whether a putt was holed or not. I kind of feel like the people trying to make a big deal out of it are trying to con themselves into thinking they’re putting better than they actually are.

[WillieT]

1 minute ago, billchao said:

Yea, anyone with some experience putting knows exactly what a putt that falls in from the side looks like.

I can’t see an issue in figuring out whether a putt was holed or not. I kind of feel like the people trying to make a big deal out of it are trying to con themselves into thinking they’re putting better than they actually are.

Yup....goes back to @iacas thread on stop conning yourself.

[onthehunt526]

I think if it hits the raised cup and doesn't bounce too far away. Sure. Screamers oh hell no. Why don't they just flip the cups upside down? At least you still have a "hole" to putt into.

[Double Mocha Man]

7 minutes ago, onthehunt526 said:

I think if it hits the raised cup and doesn't bounce too far away. Sure. Screamers oh hell no. Why don't they just flip the cups upside down? At least you still have a "hole" to putt into.

No "ticks" of the side of the cup though.  Those cannot count.