The Rules

[alcorn]

I've noticed afew general rules are known by most golfers but a lot of the people out there today have never picked up a rule book and read it. Thats the way it seems to me anyyway. I played with a guy on monday who claimed to be a 7 handicap, but he also ground his club and took practice swings in sand traps. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not constantly thinking of the rule book when I'm out but it just doesn't seem relevant to most people today.

Your thoughts...

[PiKapp23]

A lot of the rules are not followed or even known by today's golfers. In part that goes along with a lot of non-traditional golfers having taken up the game when Tiger made it 'cool' again and then as they add new players to the game they do not know the rules to pass along to them. My Dad is the head pro of a small country club and every year in about the beginning of March he does a 'Rules Clinic' for all the members and anyone they want to bring with them. It's a 3-4 hour clinic on both the rules and general etiquette with a test at the end. For members who come and pass the test, they get $15 off anything in the pro shop. For non-members, they get a free day-pass to play a round at the country club. He said he used to get as many as 75+ people coming, but the last few years it's been down to less than 30.

I would love to see public courses do something of this sort. I thnk if the course had a good incentive (such as free greens fees or a free round with cart) there would be several people come.

I always carry a Rules Quick Reference Guide when I play. It's small and I use it more for other players than I do for me. It is very easy to understand and I highly recommend it. Here's the link to it on TGW.com (it's also available in bookstores and I think Amazon):

http://www.tgw.com/customer/category...EGORY_ID=11095

Because you post jogged my memory, I think I'm going to actually talk to a couple of the local courses about maybe doing a rules/etiquette clinic soemtime this year. I think it would be to their benefit because good ettiquette should speed up play and keep the course nicer and those who know rules may become more interested in the game.

[Fourputt]

Most casual players "learned" the rules from whoever they started playing golf with, and he learned the same way. This is one reason why so many players either don't know the rules or they are filled with misconceptions about them. The same myths keep getting passed down from player to player, and not one of them ever owned a rule book.

Your comment about grounding a club in a hazard is just one. Finding the n earest point of relief when dropping away from an obstruction is another universally abused rule... most casual players think they are entitled to the "best" point of relief. And the same when taking a penalty drop for an unplayable lie, or just dropping back in bounds when you've hit one OB.

Misinformation is rampant on the golf course, actual knowledge is scarce. I carry a copy of the Rules of Golf in my bag, and I have a second copy on the bookshelf above my desk here in the study, along with a copy of The Decisions. I have the USGA Rules website bookmarked. I've attended both 2 day and 4 day USGA Rules workshops. I also try to get involved in discussions about the Rules on several golf forums. I live by the rules on the course, and I spend a lot of my free time discussing them.

It will always be my opinion that you can't really play golf if you don't know how, and the Rules tell you how.

[flanagan]

I've noticed afew general rules are known by most golfers but a lot of the people out there today have never picked up a rule book and read it. Thats the way it seems to me anyyway. I played with a guy on monday who claimed to be a 7 handicap, but he also ground his club and took practice swings in sand traps. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not constantly thinking of the rule book when I'm out but it just doesn't seem relevant to most people today.

Did you find a considerate way to educate him on that?

[walk18]

The only infraction I usually see is dropping near OB instead of stroke/distance. I think it's because they just don't know better.

[zeg]

The only infraction I usually see is dropping near OB instead of stroke/distance. I think it's because they just don't know better.

Careful mentioning that one -- the reasons why people do this are varied, and have led to long, contentious threads on this forum, IIRC.

[wedge player]

I've noticed afew general rules are known by most golfers but a lot of the people out there today have never picked up a rule book and read it. Thats the way it seems to me anyyway. I played with a guy on monday who claimed to be a 7 handicap, but he also ground his club and took practice swings in sand traps. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not constantly thinking of the rule book when I'm out but it just doesn't seem relevant to most people today.

i was guilty of grounding the club in bunkers at one time,i read my rule book and i wasnt testing the sand or improving my lie but i didnt know it was against the rules i must have overlooked it but i no longer do it.

[MiniMoe]

Take the test and see how many you get right.

Rules Quiz