Do you play it down in casual rounds?

[SirMilton]

At my club the course isn't extremely well-maintained and areas that would give you a free drop in a well-marked course simply are not marked. If I get a bad lie in a place that's obviously not as it should be, I'll move my ball.

There is one other rule I ignore, if I get a clump of mud on my ball when in the fairway, I clean it. There should not be mud on any fairway. The rough and any hazard is another matter entirely.

I rarely play for millions of dollars like the pros, and don't expect to ever do so; thus, I'm not so anal retentive about the pros' rules.

[niblick]

if it's winter rules at the course (and up here it generally is until may) i'll play it down unless it's plugged or has mud on it. then i mark, lift, clean, place. i never touch it with my club.

drives me crazy when i see guys rolling the ball around with their club in the rough. it's the rough - you're not supposed to have a good lie.

[nykfan4life]

Personally, I'll never put my hand on the ball, unless rules permit. Sure, my handicap might suffer, But I sleep better at night

[x-forged]

in casual rounds, like a couple holes after class with a couple buddies, sure ill move it around a little to improve a lie or something of that nature.

Other then that, im either playing straight up or playing an intense skins game, so in those situations definately playing it down

[JerseyThursday]

I always play it down. It just looks too pedestrian to stand there rolling the ball on a tuft of grass while the rest of the group is playing real golf. Plus, I think improving the lie is mostly physiological. Some people don’t think they can hit it while it’s sitting down, when 9 times out of 10 it comes out the same way.

[golfunit]

I am always posting my score, so I do play it down, except in the winter when we don't post. There's always a lot of iffy lies in the rough in the spring, but that's the rub of the green.

I would not trust anyone who doesn't and posts scores.

[PuterPutter]

In our foursome when we start a round we will declare if it is for score (handicap) or not.

If it is for score then everything is played down. If we are just having fun or just out for practice them we do roll the ball off rocks.

Our fairways are usually played winter rules until middle to end of May.

I really think playing everything down is the only way to play and I usually do that whether the other guys do or not.

[Doctorfro]

I generally play it "as is" unless I might damage a club or some of the course is just in crappy condition. I would encourage everyone to play it down. I learned this several years ago and my handicap has come down ever since.

[Serenity Now]

Only touch it when they are punching fairways and then just make sure its not in a hole. As the rules & handicap chairman of our club, I have to set the example. Our club is pretty liberal on winter rules (and always play through the greens) after rain & such so we get plenty of opportunity to bump it although it never rains in California

[Mats++]

Always play it as it lies - If you don't want to damage your clubs - declare the ball unplayable and take the penalty.

[sandtrap]

Always play it down unless it's going to hurt the club. Rocks,cart paths, trees etc. Anyone can play from a good lie.

[Crafty]

Unless it is an absolutely horrible lie, I play it down. If it is in a huge hole or something, I will move it. Then again, most of the time I am playing a mtach with my dad so I play it down anyways.

[CG031]

95% of the time I'm playing for a score and thus, follow all the rules.

Yep, that's exactly the scienario for me. It depends if I'm out playing serious or just trying to work on some stuff.

[gortyl]

I try to play every single round by all the rules (at least to my knowledge) without question. I say "try" because there are a few that I do fudge. If me or my buddies don't get range time, we always take two off the first. If I can't find a ball that I know is somewhere in the rough and there's a group behind us, I won't go back and re-hit, I'll just take a stroke and drop where I think I lost it. And finally, if I'm on a lesser maintained course, there are times in the fairway where you might have some odd lie where there's a clump of random grass or the grass is dead and the ball's lying on dirt. In those instances, I bump it to a clean lie (but again, only in the fairway). But as far as playing it down, I always play it down unless I'm in a situation as described above.

[swingsmooth]

I depends on the situation. We play match play alot and will only roll the ball if we all agree. Some of the courses we play here have areas with a lot of rocks and roots. On those courses we play the "rock and root rule" which is, if it's gonna damage your club, move it.

[iWALK18]

No I do not always play it down...

The courses I play are not always in the best condition, so if i hit the fairway and find myself with a really bad lie, I will fix it. I will not move a ball which is not on the fairway though, and I don't consider a ball which is not sitting perfectly to be a "bad lie"...

So "It Depends"

[Undr Par]

playing with partners I always play it as it lies, but I do play alot during mid-afternoon weekdays by myself and I will fluff up a ball or hit another ball should I not like the 1st shot....(I don't keep score when I play by myself) I'm only looking to improve and hit quality shots....

[MrKadash]

The only time I roll is in my own fairway during league play which is approved as a local rule, and even at that it may be once or twice in a round. A vast majority of the time I leave it alone. Any other time I play according to the rules.