Playing the ball down,...

[M2R]

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.

100% agree. However moving your ball isn't necessarily against the rules (USGA at least). Sometimes a local rule (Appendix I) allows for moving the ball. Examples such as for protection of immature trees or generally poor course conditions.

Normally a local rule allowing "Preferred Lies" involves marking the ball before lifting it. Even if a local rule is in effect, persons not following the stipulated process are still breaking the rules.

[Three Putt]

When playing for money, which is 90% of the time for me (No.... I'm not a raging gambler, just keeps it interesting amoung friends) always play it as it lies, and by the rules of golf.

Other than that I call it practice and might hit 2 balls here and there, take a few extra chip shots...whatever (as long as no one is waiting on you of course)

[Fat Slice]

I always play the ball as it lies*. I take my handicap and scoring seriously and it would be meaningless if I didn't play by the rules. I do take FULL advantage of the rules, so it helps to know them. Often you have choices on where to drop, etc. OK, so I have a friend who bumps, fluffs, and even plays OB balls as laterals. He keeps score and when he tells me what he shot, I tell him I don't care because it's not a real number. He doesn't get it. It's OK, he doesn't have to. If he's happy, then golf is working for him. I don't respect any number he shoots as legit, however, and I won't be forced to.

* If the ball is somewhere with no relief, and my club will hit a rock, I will take an unplayable (and the penalty) and move it.

[heyscuba]

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

A well tought out response,...thanks.,....///

[heyscuba]

I always play the ball as it lies*. I take my handicap and scoring seriously and it would be meaningless if I didn't play by the rules. I do take FULL advantage of the rules, so it helps to know them. Often you have choices on where to drop, etc. OK, so I have a friend who bumps, fluffs, and even plays OB balls as laterals. He keeps score and when he tells me what he shot, I tell him I don't care because it's not a real number. He doesn't get it. It's OK, he doesn't have to. If he's happy, then golf is working for him. I don't respect any number he shoots as legit, however, and I won't be forced to.

Thanks,... great thoughts,...

[Fraser]

Not playing the ball down and shooting in the 70s? That's like getting a hole in one on a par 3 course!

j/k

[joshtpa]

Not playing the ball down and shooting in the 70s? That's like getting a hole in one on a par 3 course!

Now that is funny

[heyscuba]

Not playing the ball down and shooting in the 70s? That's like getting a hole in one on a par 3 course!

or it's like busting someone's balls and saying they are flexing their muscles and saying you shouldn't boast on this forum when you own name is THE BIRDIEMAN,....

[joshtpa]

Yeah, thats what it is.

[EquipmentJunkie]

Not playing the ball down and shooting in the 70s? That's like getting a hole in one on a par 3 course!

....Classic.

[Smallville]

or it's like busting someone's balls and saying they are flexing their muscles and saying you shouldn't boast on this forum when you own name is

Trust me, if you're gonna survive on this board you better learn to laugh at yourself. I know this pretty dang well! They were just having fun, thicken the skin a little and everything will be OK!

[Craig Mac]

Trust me, if you're gonna survive on this board you better learn to laugh at yourself. I know this pretty dang well!

well said!!!

[heyscuba]

Trust me, if you're gonna survive on this board you better learn to laugh at yourself. I know this pretty dang well!

Point taken,....... I didn't start it,... but I''ll finish by saying,... "nuff said,..."

[mev]

I played with an old guy once, where every single shot (besides greenside), he put the ball on a tee. I though it was strange, but that's the way he plays. I got paired up with him as a single, and didn't care what he did. I simply wouldn't play against someone like that for money.

I suck at golf, but I count every stroke. I often wonder about people that say they started this year and now shoot in the 80s.

[Stacey_E]

There are a lot of people playing different games on the golf course. They use golf clubs and golf balls. They wear softspikes and polo shirts. They write arbitrary numbers down on a card and at the end of the day agree on who had a better day. That's great. It's their green fees and their egos. I played these games for years too.

Last year I started playing GOLF and I love it soooo much better. So much of life is a grey area. I like my sports to be black and white. OB or not, in the hole or not, in a divot or not. I love playing it down. And I think the guys who don't play GOLF secretly wish they could.

[bigoak]

I agree with Mikelz

If you play a game you play by the rules of the game. Improving your lie is cheating. Some sports always have cheaters, Corked bats, cut balls etc. But I like the PBA's ball check. If your ball is not within the limits of the weighting system, they drill the ball to make it legal which usually makes the ball useless. Just because you are hitting balls on a golf course does not mean that you are playing golf.

[mposter]

I always shake my head when I play with someone who "shoots in the __" and they make sure to roll the ball, use their two mulligans and liberal drops. In the end I try not to worry about their game - except when I hear about how they beat me by two strokes even though I play every week...

The only rule that I do not follow is the OB rule. I try to hit a provisional if I think I am near the OB but if I walk up and I find my ball OB I play it as a lateral hazard (stroke and drop not distance). Try driving back to the tee at a crowded public course :)

[Lefty731PM]

I agree with Mikelz

So many of the issues raised on these boards do not arise in Australia, because so many of us play competition golf on a weekly basis. So the idea of not playing the ball as it lies, to use the bowling analogy, would be like someone saying they bowled 290 and then said that there were a few occasions when 9 pins went down so they marked them as strikes and on a few other occasions there were only a few pins left after going for spares, so those were counted as spares. Not to mention replaying the gutter balls.

The rules are pretty simple for 99% of your game. Hit it, find it hit it again until it's in the hole. Count every shot and don't improve your lie. I gather that in your country, most people play what we describe as "social golf" amongst friends. Those players can do what they like, but they shouldn't be quoting scores when they're not scoring properly. Many of these 70s and 80s shooters would not break 100. Those of you who play in "tournaments" (we call them "comps", much less grand, but there are thousands of players at thousands of clubs "in the comp" on Saturdays) would a agree that a player would not last 5 minutes on a course if they were kicking the ball out from trees and improving their lie.