On casual rounds do you "caddy" for your partner?

[GoldenBear]

Yeah I believe it's a look but don't ask policy...though I'm definitely no rules expert.

To me each shot is a puzzle, and strategizing before taking the swing is half the fun of golf! Now if I could only execute on that strategy consistently...

[Zeph]

We have different lengths on the clubs, so we rarely discuss club, but on a casual round we talk about course management and stuff like that.

[Slim 11]

I play most often with my brother-in-law. With him, and sometimes other partners, we will usually casually comment on what we are hitting or trying to do. He's a longer hitter than I am, so when it comes to club selection we might say something like, "I am hitting my 150 club here to factor the wind."
We will sometimes ask advice from each other on putts, reading the break and what not. I think you should be able to bend the "advice" rules, particularly since most courses wouldn't allow you to bring a caddy. Everyone has to pay to be on the course and have their own set of clubs at most places.

[David in FL]

Absolutely.

[wannabe]

I'm an advice magnet, which for me is no longer a good thing.

Since I'm typically the worst player in my group, everyone thinks I need help, and they offer it. I'm used to it, so I typically say "thanks" & go ahead and do what I do, but since I'm not asking for the advice explicitly, I'd rather be left alone to make my mistakes.

I never give advice myself unless asked.

My advice for the better players among us here: don't give advice to less accomplished players unless they ask for it, or at minimum have the courtesy to ask them if they want any advice before assuming they do.

[elsito99]

I always caddy for my buddy. I give him advice on wind, shot, yardage, even what club to hit. That is because we have been playing for 2 years (since I started), I am now shooting 80's, 90's and he is still in the 110's. He likes my advice as I am pretty analytical and can read the wind very well. When he takes my advice he scores good (bogey) when not, he posts big numbers.

ie. I tell him to punch a 4 iron to 10 yards off the green, he says he likes fw wood going for the green, then hooks it to the water, and posts an 8 or 9.
When he punches, chips and 2 putts for a bogey.

[Fourputt]

Let me ask you this then, at one time during a tournament this year and on one par 3 i hit an iron and everyone else hit a FW. a guy in my group asks me, "what did you hit there?" Is this a penalty on him?

1. If he asked before you hit your shot then he is penalized for asking. If you answer, then you both get the penalty. If he asks after both of you have hit, then there is no penalty. The rule states that you can't ask for or receive advice that will

assist a player in his play or in making a stroke. Once you have both hit, it is no longer advice, it is now just information. 2. Just swinging your club as a feeling it out sort of thing is not against the rules. If he hits a ball with it, then he's in breach, either of Rule 4 or of Rule 7, depending on whether he plays an actual stroke with it, or just hits it as a practice stroke. I don't think that it's something I'd do during a competition... even if you don't breach any rule it's one of those things that some players would question anyway. I just try to play my own game during a tournament. I wouldn't touch another player's club other than to pick up a wedge from the green as we leave or some such. If I was really that interested, I'd wait until after we finish. Tournament golf is a different game, and I see too many players bring bad habits from the weekend foursome to the competition and get nailed on them. I'm a believer that if I play the same way for casual rounds as I do in tournaments, then I don't have to worry about making a mistake just out of habit. That includes talking about things that the Rules call advice, and other casual actions like batting a ball away from the hole in disgust after missing a short putt, things we've all done in casual play, but which will earn you penalty strokes in competition.

[MiniMoe]

I will always talk about what I'm thinking when hitting a shot if someone asks. A few guys I play with have a hard time with shot decisions and course management. Yesterday we were playing a little scramble and the wind was howling at 30-40 mph. On more than one occasion I would hit my 9 iron (145 yrd club) from only 90 yards and the guys I was playing with could not believe I would hit that much club. They hit their sand wedges and were 20 yards short. I told them that when playing in the wind how far you hit a club is not nearly as important as how high you hit it. After a while they started to catch on and learn a little about using more brains than muscle. Personally, I think you can play good golf without having a good swing just by learning to use what you have to your advantage, and making very smart decisions. After all, golf is a game of misses. The better the miss, the better you will score.

[laconic517]

sure, only time I wouldnt is in a tournament or when I play in my skins league.

[The Bogeyman]

Well damn, seems like you guys are pretty open about everything... My father in law introduced me to golf. . He gave me a set of nice clubs and a bery nice driver then showed me a few things on the range. He helped me out quite a bit on my first round but he next time we Played there was discussion about yardage but nothing at all about club selection. Haha there were a few times I could've used some help but I eyeballed it and did a pretty good job (for me anyway):-D I think I will hold true to the no talk about club selection.. yardage is fine but what club you choose is your business

[shockingslicer]

I play  with my gf often , its not the rules i worry about when giving her advice if she asks ,  its her giving me that look when i say "use an 8 iron" and she comes up twenty yards short , like its my fault she fatted it good and proper

[Sandy Trap]

When someone in the group is a member at the course they usually offer advice such as the best side of the fairway to drive, etc.  We usually ask each other about club selection on par 3's.

[shockingslicer]

There is a 173 yard par  three on my local  course  with a 4 foot  hedge and ditch  about 160  yards up ,  the green is the other side of the hedge and its all uphill  , my mate told me to lay up , hey i want to get over it  , tried my 5 wood , nah in the hedge , told you he says , so  i  pull my three wood same outcome just hit  the hedge at the top  instead of the bottom , next time i might just listen but i doubt it

[reedf]

I thinks it's nice to have someone throw in the occasional "I think you'd be better off to just chip it back into the fairway" Of course it depends on who you're playing with, but generally the guys I'm with are like me and trying to learn and get better. What better way than to share thoughts on the course.

[ApocG10]

No. I will hand them either my gps or range finder, what ever they prefer, but I wont be to blame for screwing up their shots. If they asked a simple question, like should I lay up or go for it, I would give them my opinion. But i wont give unsolicited advice.

The only person I give advice to is my BBBS buddy, caleb, because he is so young and doesn't yet understand yardages and whatnot.

[Stargaze]

Originally Posted by Iowa Hawkeye

I do this with my buddy I usually play with. We will discuss shot distances and club selection, where to hit, etc. That is as long as we don't have someone waiting. But the course is usually pretty empty at the times we play.

Please don't jump on about rules because I do follow 99% of them. We don't play to establish an official handicap or anything. Just for fun and to try to get better.

Same situation for me.  I usually play with my best friend who's only ever had one lesson.  So if there's nobody behind us I'll help him out with his swing or advise him on what club to use.  I don't do it all the time though, just when I think he needs help.  If I'm playing with someone I don't know well then I wouldn't offer advise unless I'm asked.

[Timothy Voyles]

I've got one buddy who has a legit 30+ handicap (got ghin for a wed 9 hole tournament he plays) but trys to play blues even blacks yet doesn't even carry a driver, because he can sometimes whack his 3w 260+. I offer him advice to play from the whites every time we play, he doesn't listen though. He constantly offers me advice and tells me what clubs to play. Sometimes he's right and I should have listened, mostly he's wrong. We generally have a good time together though. I've come to take his offering advice his way of stating what he would try and see if it works for me it should have worked for him. I'll keep posting 85-100 while he keeps posting 100-120+ I guess.

[vo-man]

I neither offer or accept swing advice while on the course.