Dave's Journey With the Rules of Golf

[saevel25]

6 hours ago, Rulesman said:

Have you ever played woodland courses in the UK?

No, but I think this comment holds for this. 

20 hours ago, saevel25 said:

so under majority of situations, your typical public course the rough isn't that penal versus the fairway. In some instances, it could be a benefit if the fairway is burnt out, and the rough tees the ball up a bit. 

I understand it does matter there. Still, majority of the time rough is not that penal. 

I already said in my previous post, this...

20 hours ago, saevel25 said:

I totally understand and should have been more specific. Rough at Oakmont is not the rough at a normal country club. 

I don't get why you are jumping all over this when I clarified it. 

googling some non-links courses in the UK, they don't look that bad. Unless you have a specific example that is typical, I don't think claiming all woodland courses in the UK have rough that is 2+ stroke penal if you get into it. 

 

[Rulesman]

17 hours ago, saevel25 said:

 

I don't get why you are jumping all over this when I clarified it. 

googling some non-links courses in the UK, they don't look that bad. Unless you have a specific example that is typical, I don't think claiming all woodland courses in the UK have rough that is 2+ stroke penal if you get into it. 

 

I wasn't 'jumping all over' it and didn't claim 'all' but there are many woodland/parkland courses in England (particularly) where it is the case.

Edited August 2 by Rulesman

[iacas]

5 hours ago, Rulesman said:

I wasn't 'jumping all over' it and didn't claim 'all' but there are many woodland/parkland courses in England (particularly) where it is the case.

You're both arguing semantics/pedantic stuff. He said "nearly all" and you replied "not all" (essentially — and if either of you argue that you've gone yet another step down that road).

[Rulesman]

9 minutes ago, iacas said:

You're both arguing semantics/pedantic stuff. He said "nearly all" and you replied "not all" (essentially — and if either of you argue that you've gone yet another step down that road).

I don't see where saeval25 wrote that.  🤔

[iacas]

45 minutes ago, Rulesman said:

I don't see where saeval25 wrote that.  🤔

I mean…

On 7/31/2025 at 12:46 PM, saevel25 said:

Nearly all golf courses do not have rough so terrible it will cost you close to 2 stroke penalty. 

[Rulesman]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

I mean…

Different courses. Those in the USA vs parkland in England.

[saevel25]

45 minutes ago, Rulesman said:

Different courses. Those in the USA vs parkland in England.

I did say that I googled courses in the UK. I wasn’t talking about US courses. I just don’t see the 2+ stroke penalty for being in the rough. Now, if you wanna talk about how close the trees are and you end up behind a tree or getting a bad bounce, that’s not the rough. 

[DaveP043]

6 hours ago, saevel25 said:

I did say that I googled courses in the UK. I wasn’t talking about US courses. I just don’t see the 2+ stroke penalty for being in the rough. Now, if you wanna talk about how close the trees are and you end up behind a tree or getting a bad bounce, that’s not the rough. 

OK, this is MY thread about MY experiences with being a rules official.  While I value both your input and @Rulesman's, it might be time for you to take this argument elsewhere.  Its gone a bit far afield from the discussion of a Serious Breach.

[saevel25]

18 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

OK, this is MY thread about MY experiences with being a rules official.  While I value both your input and @Rulesman's, it might be time for you to take this argument elsewhere.  Its gone a bit far afield from the discussion of a Serious Breach.

Agreed, and apologies. 🫡

[DaveP043]

2 hours ago, saevel25 said:

Agreed, and apologies. 🫡

no worries at all, we're all friends.  it's been a long week for me, post retirement.  Tuesday Wednesday Thursday a VSGA junior match play event, 2 days of stroke play qualifying,  Thursday, 2 18 hole matches, with the second being stopped at 9 due to lightning.  so I returned Friday at 7 AM to do 9 holes in a steady rain, then drive to Annapolis for a MD-VA junior match play.  today  fourball and foursomes for 18 holes each, tomorrow singles matches, then home, laundry, and Monday morning 730 for a pro-junior event.  I love it, but I'm about done!

[Rulesman]

9 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

OK, this is MY thread about MY experiences with being a rules official.  While I value both your input and @Rulesman's, it might be time for you to take this argument elsewhere.  Its gone a bit far afield from the discussion of a Serious Breach.

Point taken. 🍺

As it happens, I have just done my last officiating job, 25+ years since I qualified. Really enjoyed it but I'll enjoy not having to get up at 5am even more. 

I am sure you will enjoy your time Dave and hopefully not have to award too many penalties. Good fortune. 👍

[GolfLug]

9 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

no worries at all, we're all friends.  it's been a long week for me, post retirement.  Tuesday Wednesday Thursday a VSGA junior match play event, 2 days of stroke play qualifying,  Thursday, 2 18 hole matches, with the second being stopped at 9 due to lightning.  so I returned Friday at 7 AM to do 9 holes in a steady rain, then drive to Annapolis for a MD-VA junior match play.  today  fourball and foursomes for 18 holes each, tomorrow singles matches, then home, laundry, and Monday morning 730 for a pro-junior event.  I love it, but I'm about done!

Holy crap! What retirement?? 😲

[DaveP043]

9 hours ago, GolfLug said:

Holy crap! What retirement?? 😲

Hahahaha, I stopped working entirely last Spring.

 

[GolfLug]

1 hour ago, DaveP043 said:

Hahahaha, I stopped working entirely last Spring.

 

I know. Didn't come across as I meant but my reaction was to your officiating schedule. Doesn't sound like the life of.a what retiree's life should be like. Ya know, leisurely morning coffee, run up to the farmer's market, walk a cool 9-hole, grill some steak and some fresh vegetables, then an afternoon walk, maybe officiate a tournament or two a month, yada yada, yada...😄.

I guess it's tournament season.

[DaveP043]

6 minutes ago, GolfLug said:

I know. Didn't come across as I meant but my reaction was to your officiating schedule. Doesn't sound like the life of.a what retiree's life should be like. Ya know, leisurely morning coffee, run up to the farmer's market, walk a cool 9-hole, grill some steak and some fresh vegetables, then an afternoon walk, maybe officiate a tournament or two a month, yada yada, yada...😄.

I guess it's tournament season.

Its nearing the end of junior tournament season, its much slower once school starts again.  But it looks like I'll have about 40 days of referee work this year, maybe a couple more if I pick up some high school events.  And this weekend's match play is my favorite event of the year.

[Rulesman]

17 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

 And this weekend's match play is my favorite event of the year.

I always preferred match play until I could only keep up with the players by using a buggy. 

[DaveP043]

Its my turn to vent a little today.   Yesterday I was a referee at a pro-junior event, a local club pro with a teenage player.  On a dogleg left one of the pros hit a drive along the left, ticking some leaves of the overhanging tree.  We didn't see the ball land.  I went to the area with the rest of the group, and as they started the search (the entire group, including the player), started my stopwatch, just as I normally would.  When 3 minutes passed, I told them time was up, he had to move on.  Then they noticed an unclaimed ball in the fairway, apparently his ball had gone through.  He said "I'll just go play it" and I said you can't, the ball is lost.  "But its right there in the fairway.  What are you saying?"  I told him they'd been searching for more than 4 minutes before they thought to even look at that ball, its a Lost Ball.  He grudgingly went on, telling his teenage partner "He say's its a lost ball".  

Maybe I expect too much, but I expect these professionals to try to be a decent role model for the young players.  This one didn't do a very good job of that.

[saevel25]

I wonder if it is better that announce something like, "The clock has started for the search, remember after 3 minutes it is considered lost even if you find it afterwards." Just to plant that little tidbit of information in the brain. "Oh, yea that is the rule."

The term lost might indicate permanency. Also, visually seeing the ball contradicts this. For me, it is a mental roadblock. Then add in, the player obviously doesn't want to go back to the tee to re-hit. His brain is just fighting it, the ball is here, and its BS I have to walk all the way back there.