Playing the lie

[Jeepthrills]

I play it as it lies, even when it can be to my detriment. We allow guys to improve their lie within reason on our Sunday round. I chose not to as I post the majority of my scores. Even on our league we don't call it too close on that stuff. Since no money changes hands, I don't worry too much, but it is tough to get nipped by a guy that may have moved a ball or two when I played it straight up.

[Wisco-Kid]

Aside from Winter Rules I will play the ball as it lies 99% of the time. I like to keep an accurate score for myself. I feel like if I move the ball around then my score is not accurate.

[klaymon]

Lately, I've been playing "practice rounds". I going through lessons and I have so many things to work on right now, that I'm focusing on getting my mechanics straightened out. So, I've been fluffing my lie just so I can focus on my swing basics. When I play a normal round, I play it as it lies even if it plugs.

[DirtCheap]

It would be cheating otherwise.

"Cheating" is a relative concept.

Are you cheating the rules? Are you cheating the game? (That particular game) Are you cheating your buddies? Are you cheating yourself? Could be one, could be all, but could also be none.. (following me so far?) If your buddies play gentlemans rules (as mine always do) then improving the lie isn't cheating, its expected. Like I posted before, the course I play most often has house rules of always improving the lie due to hard ground and sparse grass conditions. Is that cheating? If your buddies are improving their lie(s), and you're not, then you are cheating yourself. So "cheating" is both situational and relative.

[DirtCheap]

When I play a normal round, I play it as it lies even if it plugs.

Forgive my ignorance, but I'm not sure what a "plug" is.. I am assuming tha means it's buried in the mud.

I can't imagine the PGA allowing someone to try and hit a ball that is underground. Surely there is a rule that allows for the removal and cleaning of a ball buried in the fairway. It just hard to picture someone leaving a 8 inch deep divot in a championship course while trying to scoop up a "pluged" ball. (assuming I am right about what the word "plug" means.)

[klaymon]

Correct, plugged means essentially buried (or at least not really sitting "on" the ground). If there's a USGA rule that allows lift, clean and place anywhere but the green, then I've missed it.

[Leek]

Forgive my ignorance, but I'm not sure what a "plug" is.. I am assuming tha means it's buried in the mud.

Remove yes, clean no.

[DirtCheap]

Correct, plugged means essentially buried (or at least not really sitting "on" the ground). If there's a USGA rule that allows lift, clean and place anywhere but the green, then I've missed it.

Once, I hit a ball that went "astray" and landed near a water hazzard 3/4 deep in the mud..

I just stepped on it and mashed it all the way down and dropped a fresh ball on that spot. I just didn't want to deal with a muddy ball..

[klaymon]

I stand corrected:

A ball embedded in its own pitch-mark in the ground in any closely mown area through the green may be lifted, cleaned and dropped, without penalty, as near as possible to the spot where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course through the green. "Closely mown area" means any area of the course, including paths through the rough, cut to fairway height or less.

[Three Putt]

I though it was lift, clean, and place on an embedded ball in any closely mown area (to fairway height or less) area through the green..ie fairway most of the time. If it is embedded in the rough you play it as it lies, or declare the ball unplayable and proceed under penalty stroke and relief.

Obvioulsy relief from casual water, etc.. can be an option.

[klaymon]

See my previous post. It's lift, clean and drop .

[iacas]

I though it was lift, clean, and place on an embedded ball in any closely mown area (to fairway height or less) area through the green..ie fairway most of the time. If it is embedded in the rough you play it as it lies, or declare the ball unplayable and proceed under penalty stroke and relief.

The only time it's "place" is when they put the rule in effect, say, on the PGA Tour when it's super wet, etc.

Tees, fringes... and fairway, yeah, that's about the only time you'll run into that rule. If it embeds in the rough, tough beans.

[niblick]

The only time it's "place" is when they put the rule in effect, say, on the PGA Tour when it's super wet, etc.

Up here in the Northwest conditions are so soft most of the time that the local embedded ball rule applies to all areas through the green.

http://www.usga.org/playing/rules/bo...ppendix_I.html

[gasfreak]

Man you guys are alot of help.I have been playing in really wet and sloppy conditions and have been lifting and cleaning the ball and just dropping it back down back from green as close to the divot as possible without it going back in it.I never advance the ball towards the green as it would not make any difference anyway

[Trevor07Silvy]

For me it depends on the type of game im playing... If i'm by myself i usually play the ball as it lies because when i golf alone im working on getting better. If im out with friends and we;re just playing for fun ill improve my lie a bit if i dont think i can hit it well from where its at. Its supposed to be fun so why give your self a harder time than you need to is my $.02

Exactly how I play.

[Three Putt]

The only time it's "place" is when they put the rule in effect, say, on the PGA Tour when it's super wet, etc.

My bad on not clarifying my post...my local "club" is a 6200 yard cypress swamp...when it rains it's wet, and like a muddy sponge on at least 7 of the 18 holes. Local LEAGUE rule is lift clean and place on any embedded ball, I had a problem with this as I started.... it should only be the fairway...but I have come around, 3 holes could be considered GUR if it rains more than 1 hour. On the good courses I play I rarely have an embedded ball.

[noxnasdaq]

If you don't play by the rules, then you aren't truly what your handicap is showing, period.

[Ben]

Unless I'm in a tournament and "winter rules" are in place (which is quite rare in SoCal) I play the ball down. It is part of the rules after all. When it comes to playing a ball from a divot, I've often found that I get a "good golf karma" birdie from doing so.