Do you improve your lie when you play?

[Titleist Man]

Depends on the course for me. There are some courses that I play that are absolutely horrible in their fairways. You'll hit a bomb of a drive and end up in skid marks from a vehicle.

Its the same thing for me. So i voted other.

[wedge player]

Never. Bad lies are as much a part of golf as good ones.

agreed unless the fairways look like rough a course i play sometimes has this issue.the fairway and rough are the exact same bald spots or 2 1/2 inch grass

[Prairie Golfer]

In matches with my buddies (for money) and for school, we usually play lift, clean, and cheat (I mean place) in our own fairways. Tough luck if you are in the rough. For school, some of the bunkers we play in are in terrible shape, so there's a local "Lift, rake, an place" in all bunkers. At our home course, there's also a local rule that says you can move rocks in the bunkers.

Those were the rules in play at my home course when I played high school golf long ago. The golf coach and I would get into arguments because I flat out refused to improve my lie.

[flopdarock]

i play it as it lies... but i absolutely refuse to screw up my clubs on some course's fw's... like a local muni here where hardpan with giant sandpaper pebbles are common or tree roots are in the rough... so ill take an unplayable... others ive played with will "clean and place" their balls off of the ugly spots

[Bourbon and Coke]

i play it as it lies... but i absolutely refuse to screw up my clubs on some course's fw's... like a local muni here where hardpan with giant sandpaper pebbles are common or tree roots are in the rough... so ill take an unplayable... others ive played with will "clean and place" their balls off of the ugly spots

This.

If there's no money on the line, I'm not willing to risk damaging my clubs.

[Hitman]

Play it where it lies, if course has lift clean and place on the board is the only time it moves. I play with a few older guy's that roll the ball around to get a good lie, and I cring every time but I know the answer, "Hey we are not on the tour here". I just say what ever and play on.

[platgof]

I am not about to risk injury if I can avoid it. Common sense means you use your brain to determine a risky situation. Pros do lift, clean, and place when they are allowed to. I feel guilty if I move the ball, unless personal injury to me or my clubs could happen.

[Chilli Dipper]

I only move my ball when I am entitled to by the rules.

[applyheat]

I did not even know it was an option! I almost broke my 4 iron on a tree stump (I have a picture of the lie). haha, I guess I'll start "improving" my lie.

[Wisconsin Golfer]

I don't improve very often, maybe a few times a year. My brother in law does it and another friend and it makes me furious. When I do improve those few times it is usualy because I am so pi**ed off about them doing it. It is no excuse, though. I want to say something to them, however I want to keep peace in the family.

[chipper2]

When I play I try to play the ball from where it comes to rest. The only time I move the ball is if there is stones that could damage my clubs. The exception to that is in a competition, then I hit it where it is.

[DavidFehertysBike]

I posted about a playing friend that does that on every single shot, but as for me. Ill only do it if i get some kind of knobby lie around a green. Ill move the ball off that bad patch and onto a bit with grass on it. There shouldnt be patches of solid dirt less than 2yards from a putting surface.

[Fourputt]

I posted about a playing friend that does that on every single shot, but as for me. Ill only do it if i get some kind of knobby lie around a green. Ill move the ball off that bad patch and onto a bit with grass on it. There shouldnt be patches of solid dirt less than 2yards from a putting surface.

Amazing to me how some people justify it.

You obviously play a much higher caliber of course than I usually do if it's that rare to find a bad lie near a green. I play by the basic principle that you play the course as you find it. Sometimes you don't find it as nice as you do other times.

[DavidFehertysBike]

Amazing to me how some people justify it.

I dont mean a bad lie, but when there is burnt out grass and soild patches of dirt less than 2 yards from a green it pisses me off. That shouldnt happen.

[NM Golf]

In a tournament if the rule is lift, clean, and cheat then I will. I would be stupid not to as everyone else is. Other than that I never improve my lie. Basically its cheating and if I play all my regular rounds off nothing but perfect lies whats gonna happen when tournaments come around that don't let you move it. You're screwed.

Amazing to me how some people justify it.

It is amazing but whatever, I think its hilarious when in our association tournaments we play it down and I get to watch all those guys who bump it struggle with non-perfect lies.

I dont mean a bad lie, but when there is burnt out grass and soild patches of dirt less than 2 yards from a green it pisses me off. That shouldnt happen.

So I would then say if you hit it out in a really bad area and get a lucky break and have a really good lie you should then move it to a bad lie since that shouldn't happen either, right?

[glebert]

Only if playing it down endangers my wrists or my club, like against a tree root or rocks.

[Fourputt]

Only if playing it down endangers my wrists or my club, like against a tree root or rocks.

And yet again.... there is a rule for that. Rule 28 - Ball Unplayable. One stroke penalty and drop following the procedure under that rule.

Nobody says you HAVE to risk injury or damage, but if you make that choice, at least you can have the integrity to take the penalty stroke. After all, you are the one who hit the ball there in the first place.

[iacas]

I dont mean a bad lie, but when there is burnt out grass and soild patches of dirt less than 2 yards from a green it pisses me off. That shouldnt happen.

What do you mean it "shouldn't happen." It clearly did, and last time I checked the Rules of Golf didn't include the world "shouldn't" or any sort of exclusion for players to make judgment calls about how the course "should" be - only how it is.

You're cheating, or at the very least, breaking the rules.

And yet again.... there is a rule for that. Rule 28 - Ball Unplayable. One stroke penalty and drop following the procedure under that rule.

I love the people who answer "No, but...". There's no "but." Either you cheat or you follow the rules.

Oh well. As I type this it's like 44 No, 10 Yes. It should be the other way around if people were truly honest.