Playing the ball down,...

[heyscuba]

I'm playing today with some friends at a very nice course,.... (it's good to have friends who work at a nice country club) My one friend and I have been playing the ball down lately after years of bumping it,... we're trying to get a feel for how the game is to be played,... my other buddies hate the thought of that. They play pretty good golf too, often shooting in the 70's (me, not so much)
So, I'm like,... "come you 70's shooters, lets start palying some real golf and play it down,... " they don't want any part of it,.... they also have a hard time playing the lines right,... (no wonder they shoot in the 70's huh,...)

How can I suggest that we do this without starting a fight or getting someone mad,...?

scuba

[Surefire]

Who cares what they do?

If they do that and honestly believe they are that good, they are only kidding themselves.

I'd just get on with my game and let them do their thing, that way we all have fun.

Unless you are playing for money, but then its just a case of everyone following the rules.

[mikelz]

  heyscuba said:

...

Do what you want to do.

Those guys have never shot anything near 77. That's hard to do when you have 40-50 penalty strokes a round. Tell them that. Oh. They're not cheating. Like GanjaGolfer once said: "I don't cheat. I play the ball as it lies (or as it should lie)."

[heyscuba]

  Surefire said:

Who cares what they do?

That's just it,... I want throw $20.00 in each and play front/back/total or something but, I want it to be an even playing field,...

I don't try to get them to play the ball down when I'm not around them,... so you're right there,... who cares what they do,...

[mikelz]

  heyscuba said:

That's just it,... I want throw $20.00 in each and play front/back/total or something but, I want it to be an even playing field,...

That's cool.

When you do get them to stand up to the ball like a man, you'll kick their asses.

[Surefire]

  heyscuba said:

That's just it,... I want throw $20.00 in each and play front/back/total or something but, I want it to be an even playing field,...

If you know they do it, tell them if you're playing for money you follow all rules.

If they agree; First time they go to do it, tell them if they move the ball they will be penalised. If they do it penalise them. Should solve the problem. If they don't agree, you can't force someone to play for money. No rules, no money.

[hrspear]

Sorry for what is probably a silly question, but what is "playing the ball down?"

[NM Golf]

  hrspear said:

Sorry for what is probably a silly question, but what is "playing the ball down?"

Playing the ball how it lies instead of lift, clean, and place or "bumping" the ball into a better lie in the fairway.

[heyscuba]

  hrspear said:

Sorry for what is probably a silly question, but what is "playing the ball down?"

No worries,... that is what this forum is all about,... Playing the ball down; That means playing the ball as it lies when you find it and not moving it around or bumping it up to a nice fluffy lie. Many people have never played the ball down,... many have never bumped it,... It kinda comes with how you were brought into the game,... I grew up on municiple (public) course and we always flufed out lies,... there was little grass and a good lie was hard to find,... the last several years I've started playing down like real golf,... It's tougher but I like it. scuba

[clearwaterms]

we have always played down unless you risk damaging a club. if you end up next to a tree, move the ball out a few feet. Nobody wants to knick a head or break a shaft on a low tree branch for a game.

We also don't play for money.

[hrspear]

Ah ok, makes sense now.

When I started playing last year I played with my father-in-law who follows the rules pretty closely (as far as I can tell since I don't own a rule book). So I have always taken my penalty strokes and played the ball where it lay (except on the cart path or simmilar situations). Didn't realize that it was accepted to play any other way.

[Khalua10]

I just don't feel right "rolling" the ball to get a better lie. Some of the guys I used to play with would roll it around or kick it out if they didnt have a swing because of a tree and give themselves an open shot but I just don't feel honest about playing that way. If I shoot a low score, I want to feel like I actually shot that score not feel like I had to improve my lie each shot to get there.

[Open-Faced Club Sandwedge]

  clearwaterms said:

we have always played down unless you risk damaging a club. if you end up next to a tree, move the ball out a few feet. Nobody wants to knick a head or break a shaft on a low tree branch for a game.

It's never even occurred to me to bump the ball to a better position; for me having to use a stroke chipping the ball sideways or even backwards to get it somewhere where you can hit from has always just been part of the game.

-Andrew

[joshtpa]

We play it down for the most part. But I also think it depends on where you play and what time of day you play. If you play when we do at 7am most of the time it is still very damp conditions. Sometimes you just have to let the little things go. It is all about fun in the end.

[LottaBalata]

My golf buds and I usually play it where it lies. Like someone else said, if there's a chance we could damage a club, or ourselves, we'll move it!!

A couple young guys joined me last week for my second 9. . .They rolled EVERY time they hit the ball. Put it here, don't like that lie, fluffier here. . .I didn't say a word. Didn't really care, I was playing better than they were, and I wasn't breaking the rules, so I felt okay with it. Heck, if they want to think they shot a great round, after picking there lies everytime they hit, let them.

[Craig Mac]

I guess you are asking how do you tell them to play the ball down so you can play for money??? I wouldn't think it would be that hard if you are playing for a little cash to include at the begining of the round as the bet is being establish to say; "Since we are playing for money, every shot must be played as it lies, and if for some reason you have to take a drop, hit a provisional, or something else you must declare your intentions before you do anything so there are no problems(ie. if you need relief or are taking a drop you must let your partners know what you are doing BEFOREHAND). Seems simple enough to me...C

[Garnet Haze]

One of my normal golfing buddies rolls the ball around on nearly every shot. I typically tease him by asking him if he'd like a tee instead.

[NM Golf]

My men's association always wants to play lift, clean, and cheat. I finally got them to play the ball down in one of our tournament rounds this year and you would have thought they hit it into 20 divots the way they complained. This is one of my pet peaves. I don't fluff my lies except in these tournaments (I would be at a disadvantage if I didn't). If you always fluff your lie then you will never learn how to hit shots out of bad lies. Then when the time arises in a real tournament you will have no clue how to to hit the shot neccessary to extricate your ball from anything less than a perfect lie.

Golf, like life, isn't fair. Moving your ball is against the rules. I play by the rules. In addition, I sure wouldn't play anyone for money if they had to fluff their lies all the time.