Which Rules Need to Go? [Golf Digest]

[dennyjones]

7 hours ago, iacas said:

By "property" I mean the area defined as the golf course. OB might still be "on" club property. I could have better said "off the course."

There's not much "internal OB."

Davison Country Club as an internal OB between 9 and 10.   

[Piz]

I'd get rid of the scorecard and replace it with style points...awarded for general deportment, joviality, interesting remarks, clothing, grace, and charity...in any order that is deemed appropriate.  After all...everybody already knows about what they are going to shoot before arrive at the course.  Let's forget the score and focus on the important stuff...like who, and who isn't, a pleasure to be around.  If golf is to grow...we need to groan less and take joy in what we are doing.  And teach others to do the same.  

[Double Mocha Man]

8 minutes ago, Piz said:

I'd get rid of the scorecard and replace it with style points...awarded for general deportment, joviality, interesting remarks, clothing, grace, and charity...in any order that is deemed appropriate.  After all...everybody already knows about what they are going to shoot before arrive at the course.  Let's forget the score and focus on the important stuff...like who, and who isn't, a pleasure to be around.  If golf is to grow...we need to groan less and take joy in what we are doing.  And teach others to do the same.  

I'm on board with that! Especially if Grace and Charity are in our foursome.

[Piz]

27 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

I'm on board with that! Especially if Grace and Charity are in our foursome.

Grace is awfully nice, and really funny, but Charity was a runner back in the day...IYGMD.

[Rulesman]

9 hours ago, iacas said:

It's not that common. I don't really know what @Rulesman was saying. I don't think it's all that common in the UK where he is, either, and it's really not all that frequently used in the U.S.

My course has one internal OB to protect players on the next fairway (dogleg). Royal Liverpool (Hoylake) has one.

But although not uncommon they certainly don't appear on most courses.

[Papa Steve 55]

I go back and forth on the divots. Fully acknowledging Iacas point of defining when is a divot no longer a divot, it just does not check my internal fair box. The player who created it played from a good lie, the next player hit an equally good drive but has a poor lie. I guess we either say roll it a card length everywhere or play it as it lies, and i don't like rolling it so...I continue to go back and forth.

[iacas]

1 hour ago, Papa Steve 55 said:

I go back and forth on the divots. Fully acknowledging Iacas point of defining when is a divot no longer a divot, it just does not check my internal fair box. The player who created it played from a good lie, the next player hit an equally good drive but has a poor lie. I guess we either say roll it a card length everywhere or play it as it lies, and i don't like rolling it so...I continue to go back and forth.

Have you ever hit a bad drive that ended up in a good lie in the rough?

It's perfectly "fair" because everyone plays under the same Rules.

[Double Mocha Man]

2 hours ago, Papa Steve 55 said:

I go back and forth on the divots. Fully acknowledging Iacas point of defining when is a divot no longer a divot, it just does not check my internal fair box. The player who created it played from a good lie, the next player hit an equally good drive but has a poor lie. I guess we either say roll it a card length everywhere or play it as it lies, and i don't like rolling it so...I continue to go back and forth.

Golf rules are about fairness. What is fair about a long hitter or a short hitter generally not ending up in a divot? The poor and much more common mid-range hitter ends up in a minefield of divots.

[David in FL]

6 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Golf rules are about fairness. What is fair about a long hitter or a short hitter generally not ending up in a divot? The poor and much more common mid-range hitter ends up in a minefield of divots.

The rules of golf have nothing to do with “fairness”.  
 

They only tell us how to play the game so as to ensure that all players have the same options and treat like situations in the same manner.

1 hour ago, iacas said:

Have you ever hit a bad drive that ended up in a good lie in the rough?

It's perfectly "fair" because everyone plays under the same Rules.

I’ve yet to see someone throw their ball back into the woods because they didn’t deserve the good break they got when it hit a tree and rebounded back into the fairway!  

[iacas]

20 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Golf rules are about fairness. What is fair about a long hitter or a short hitter generally not ending up in a divot? The poor and much more common mid-range hitter ends up in a minefield of divots.

To re-iterate what David said, golf ain't about "fairness." Not the way people typically define it.

Let go of the idea that what's "fair" (bad definition) is what the Rules should be, and you'll have a much easier time.

The Rules of Golf are incredibly fair (good definition).

[CarlSpackler]

To me, the rules actually ensure fairness. That's their whole purpose. It may not seem fair that your ball rolled into a divot, just like it doesn't seem fair that my ball lands on a sprinkler head and bounces over the green and OB. Bad things happen in golf just like life, but better players learn how to deal with it. I practiced hitting out of divots at the driving range, so when my ball rolled into one, I was able to deal with it.

[Double Mocha Man]

32 minutes ago, CarlSpackler said:

To me, the rules actually ensure fairness. That's their whole purpose. It may not seem fair that your ball rolled into a divot, just like it doesn't seem fair that my ball lands on a sprinkler head and bounces over the green and OB. Bad things happen in golf just like life, but better players learn how to deal with it. I practiced hitting out of divots at the driving range, so when my ball rolled into one, I was able to deal with it.

A few years ago on the last hole my ball ended up in a bush. I took a swing at it with branches hitting my club and wiffed the ball.  totally embarrassing and I had my partner swear to never reveal that that ever happened. But the next day I was on the far side of the range standing in a bush practicing that shot.

[Papa Steve 55]

I don't remember the last time I had to play out of a divot so the situation is not a personal one for me. Because of that, I'm not going to spend time practicing divot shots, especially in light of my short chips........ 

[CarlSpackler]

5 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

A few years ago on the last hole my ball ended up in a bush. I took a swing at it with branches hitting my club and wiffed the ball.  totally embarrassing and I had my partner swear to never reveal that that ever happened. But the next day I was on the far side of the range standing in a bush practicing that shot.

Nice! The key is to practice these things before they are needed. Have you ever practiced punching out swinging lefty (righty if you are already lefty) with a mid iron turned backwards? That can also be a handy shot to have if you are blocked by a tree. If you have a practice bunker, throw a ball down in the sand to create a fried egg and try a few of those. sorry if this seems off topic, but learning how to deal with these situations can alleviate the need to adjust the rules.

2 minutes ago, Papa Steve 55 said:

I don't remember the last time I had to play out of a divot so the situation is not a personal one for me. Because of that, I'm not going to spend time practicing divot shots, especially in light of my short chips........ 

I have a few times. My friend acted like I was stymied one time when I was down in a deep one. He wasn't happy when I dug it out of there and put it on the green and made par.

[Double Mocha Man]

6 minutes ago, CarlSpackler said:

Nice! The key is to practice these things before they are needed. Have you ever practiced punching out swinging lefty (righty if you are already lefty) with a mid iron turned backwards? That can also be a handy shot to have if you are blocked by a tree. If you have a practice bunker, throw a ball down in the sand to create a fried egg and try a few of those. sorry if this seems off topic, but learning how to deal with these situations can alleviate the need to adjust the rules.

I once learned how to drink a glass of wine left handed when my right hand and arm were in a cast.

[fredf]

2 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

I once learned how to drink a glass of wine left handed when my right hand and arm were in a cast.

And keep a straw handy in case both arms are in casts.

[Papa Steve 55]

46 minutes ago, CarlSpackler said:

Nice! The key is to practice these things before they are needed. Have you ever practiced punching out swinging lefty (righty if you are already lefty) with a mid iron turned backwards? That can also be a handy shot to have if you are blocked by a tree. If you have a practice bunker, throw a ball down in the sand to create a fried egg and try a few of those. sorry if this seems off topic, but learning how to deal with these situations can alleviate the need to adjust the rules.

I have a few times. My friend acted like I was stymied one time when I was down in a deep one. He wasn't happy when I dug it out of there and put it on the green and made par.

I get it, those shots and making a 25' putt set a tone.

Edited April 17, 2020 by Papa Steve 55

[billchao]

2 hours ago, David in FL said:

I’ve yet to see someone throw their ball back into the woods because they didn’t deserve the good break they got when it hit a tree and rebounded back into the fairway!  

Well why the hell would I? I wouldn’t want to get penalized for multiple breaches 😉