Do you really play golf?

[bigoak]

A lot of people are hitting golf balls with golf clubs on a golf course but are not really playing golf. Hit the ball where it lies. no "do overs", no amnesia when it come to your stroke total, no gimmies, no picking up to identify your ball and suddenly you have a good lie and a clear line to the green. and on and on.

[ks8829]

Play it where it lies. you can tell alot about a person character the way approach and play golf.

[ks8829]

golf is an a enjoyable game played with good friends and in a great setting outdoors. my golf partners show the integrity of golf by counting penalties on themselves and always play the ball where it lies to a fault.

[Jonah523]

The fun part for me is playing the ball wherever it falls... That's the game, isn't it? Granted a little aggravation usually follows, but if you're just going to drop the ball where you want to play it, why not skip the fairway, and drop it in the hole?

I will say, though, that because I'm fairly new to this game, I have no doubt there are some rules that I'm inadvertantly breaking (there seem to be many), but I'm trying to learn them all. The common sense stuff, though, is... well... common sense.

[DJYoshi]

  ks8829 said:

Play it where it lies. you can tell alot about a person character the way approach and play golf.

absolutely. those that play where it lies are those lemonade out of lemons people. the only time i'll move the ball is if i'm allowed to: ground under repair. i play for $ with friends so we do don't the free drop thing. yesterday i had a sh** lie to the left of the cart path. severe side slope & upslope.. under a tree. a few rocks in my area

base of the tree. thick ass grass. everyone else was in the fairway. they told me to drop in the rough by the path. i said nah...this shot will build character and confidence... kept it low and played a little draw. keeping it low under trees..and hitting it the way i wanted to hit it..and getting a GIR in that situation.... made my day. even though i was already 3 over thru 3. that got me on a par par birdie run. and off the tee, it's hit 3 off the tee...the only time i won't do that is if there's a group behind us waiting..and i do the try to find the ball where i think it went out.

[powerfade]

  bigoak said:

A lot of people are hitting golf balls with golf clubs on a golf course but are not really playing golf. Hit the ball where it lies. no "do overs", no amnesia when it come to your stroke total, no gimmies, no picking up to identify your ball and suddenly you have a good lie and a clear line to the green. and on and on.

...and a lot of people play it down and play it by the rules. That's how I roll.

[Fraser]

  Jonah523 said:

The fun part for me is playing the ball wherever it falls... That's the game, isn't it?

Quite!

I'd get much more satisfaction shooting a genuine 100 than a phoney 80.

[ChiChiIsMe]

I like to tee-up in the fairway, especially on par 5's. And put the flag right behind the hole to use as a back-stop.

[Rugger]

  ks8829 said:

Play it where it lies. you can tell alot about a person character the way approach and play golf.

This is quite possibly THE dumbest thing I've ever heard. You're trying to tell me that the way a golfer, an AMATEUR/pick-up golfer, plays the game tells you about his character? What a crock. I suppose the pastor and couple of naval officers I play with occasionally are seriously lacking in the character department because they sometimes opt for a do-over or free drop.

[Brakkus]

I've got a friend who cheats basically,shaves strokes,takes drops where the ball went out of bounds,moves his ball when the lie is bad,and he thinks we don't know.
It's a running joke among the rest of us.I have become quite the escape artist from the rough and it's because I have taken my medicine.One round my cheating friend even suggested moving the ball from a bad lie near the base of a tree,but how do I get better if I don't play it?

[Brakkus]

  Rugger said:

This is quite possibly THE dumbest thing I've ever heard. You're trying to tell me that the way a golfer, an AMATEUR/pick-up golfer, plays the game tells you about his character? What a crock. I suppose the pastor and couple of naval officers I play with occasionally are seriously lacking in the character department because they sometimes opt for a do-over or free drop.

Absolutely and in TG this month,it was said by one of the writers,if you are prepared to cheat in golf,then what about your integrity in general?If you cheat in sport,then your likely to be less than truthful in other areas.

[DJYoshi]

  Rugger said:

This is quite possibly THE dumbest thing I've ever heard. You're trying to tell me that the way a golfer, an AMATEUR/pick-up golfer, plays the game tells you about his character? What a crock. I suppose the pastor and couple of naval officers I play with occasionally are seriously lacking in the character department because they sometimes opt for a do-over or free drop.

i think you're a crock for attacking someone's opinion.

if you're moving balls for a better lie, even if it's difficult, then what's to say you don't try to get around difficult situations elsewhere. Their titles in the world don't describe their character. I'm sure they're great people, but priests have fondled kids. a person's character isn't defined by their rank, religion, money, etc. It's defined with what they do and how they approach a difficult situation and deal with it. It's a game...yes, but if you're gonna cheat in a game by moving it an inch, then whose to say the priest doesn't cheat the people that give him the benefit of the doubt at ALL times b/c of his call to his God? The OP probably wanted to see how many people actually play play. And if you've got a handicap, you should know that you shouldn't be moving the ball around, taking free drops, etc or your HC's a crock. It's not serious at all, but why cheat your abilities on the golf course. find your ball. deal with the conditions..good or bad...and hit it.

[bogeyhitter25]

Yeah. I play it where it lies unless it's in a divot. Because the course that I play at most often is a piece.

[Rugger]

  DJYoshi said:

i think you're a crock for attacking someone's opinion.

Comparing moving a ball a couple feet in a pick up golf game to real life situations is completely moronic. I'm sorry but it anyone equates the seriousness of some real life decisions and situations to a golf shot then they are placing too much faith in golf and need to step back and realize that 95% of the people who do play golf don't give a crap about their score and just want to have fun. If I have to move a ball out of the woods and onto the fairway so I can have more fun playing, I'm going to do it. I must be completely void of character and integrity; Shame on me for taking a mulligan!

[Smallville]

  DJYoshi said:

the only time i'll move the ball is if i'm allowed to: ground under repair.

You know there's lots other times you can get a free drop, right? And they are all within the rules.

[mellojoe]

I admit it fully. I consistetly play to "Improve My Lie". You're darn right I do. And I admit it to all my playing partners.

I'm a beginner. A complete beginner. I could cause everyone to slow down all throughout the course while you wait for me to hit 4 shots out of the sand. Or when I hit it off the tree and it goes backwards. Or when I'm dropping 8 because I can't get over the water.

So, I have to use the old "foot wedge" from time to time if I actually want to finish in a decent time. Now, I use it less and less as I get better. But, when I'm shooting 65 in 9 holes (or my famous 72 on the front 9), then I think I'm OK.

As my ability to make consistent contact improves, I definately would rather play it as it lies.

((edit))
And I've NEVER hidden it from anybody I play with. I tell them all the time that "I can't hit that shot yet, so I'm going to kick it out. Otherwise we'd be here all day, OK?" Its not something I'm super proud of, but it is definate incentive for me to get better. I've hit some great sandshots lately, so those are getting played as is.

[powerfade]

  mellojoe said:

I admit it fully. I consistetly play to "Improve My Lie". You're darn right I do. And I admit it to all my playing partners.

That's fine in my book. Keep on learning the game!

[dave s]

That's YOUR description of golf. There are as many recreational golfers out there as there are ways to actually 'play golf.'

You don't want to get me started on the couple my wife and I picked up last night playing while were at a NC beach on vacation!

dave