Rules Violations You Witness

[RC]

Something seen occasionally that people never say much about is improper ball marking and replacement. Why do some "ooch" their ball closer to the hole before putting and not think that is cheating? When spotting a ball on the green, your duty is to replace the ball exactly where it was.

[Bauer]

Definitely the half inch closer to the hole ball marking. I also see a decent amount of people double hitting their wedges when chipping from just off the green. I think they are really really trying to scoop it.

[Parker0065]

I don't play in many tournaments or money games these days but in my younger days I played in as many as I could find. During that time I can't remember ever really encountering players that broke the rules without calling a penalty on themselves or excepting a penalty when confronted.

But there are two occasions where I ran into players that were just outright cheaters.

1) We were going through tryouts for the Highschool team back in 1980 and I was paired with a kid that had missed making the team the year before. He came in and claimed he had been working on his game all summer and he was lighting it up. We start off on the first hole and he hit a decent shot to the green about 25 feet. He marks his ball and I'm up first with a 35 footer from a different angle. I putt and mark my ball and when I look over he had picked up his marker and moved it to about 15 feet from the hole while I was putting. It was so rediculous that I almost laughed out loud. I let him go on the whole round with his antics. He was droping balls by the O.B. after he had clearly hit it out and moving his ball mark closer when my back was turned. When we finished the round he ran in and told the coach he shot a 73. I walked in and the coach pulled me aside and asked if he had really shot a 73. I looked the coach in the eye and said "All I'm going to say is there's no way I am signing his score card". That's all I had to say, he knew the deal. So the next day the Coach grabs the kid on the first tee and tells him your playing with me today. The kid shoots 110 and never comes back,,lol!

2) This story is about a guy who has since retired from where I work. He was tauted as one of the best amatuers in the area and he let everybody know it. I was new to the company and we started talking about golf one day so he wanted to setup a "friendly" match. Basically this guy, who was supposed to be this great tournament player, was a decent player that couldn't make a putt to save his life. I caught him improving his lie in the rough a few times but since I was beating him comfortably I let it go and didn't say anything. We get to the 18th tee and on my score card I'm up by 3 shots. He comes over to me and tells me he's up by 5 shots. I guess he didn't count all those 3 footers he missed for par all day long. This put me in a tough position because I was still new to the company and basically this guy was one of my bosses. So I decided for my job and families sake to let it go and let this clown think he beat me. Funny thing is he never wanted to play me again after that round. I think he was afraid if I brought somebody else from work they might see the real deal! Good thing we weren't playing for money because I would have punched the guy on the 18th tee and probably lost my job,,lol I can't stand cheaters!!!

[iacas]

One that I have seen recently was removing your ball from the cup with the flag stick after having chipped or putted in from off the green.

That's not against the rules. Maybe of etiquette (if you damage the hole), but it's not against the rules. You're done with the hole as soon as you hole out.

And isn't holding a branch or small tree back with one's legs building a stance, akin to "pruning" a tree as Iacas mentions?

Not quite the same. You can "fairly take your stance" but you can't bend things out of the way otherwise.

Probably playing different types of balls during a round. So many people do this, I'm sure most don't know its illegal.

It's perfectly legal to play a different kind of ball on every hole. You just can't switch during the playing of one hole.

Most tournaments institute the "one ball" rule, but in handicap play, you can play a distance ball on a par 5, a spinny ball on a short par 4, and a bright pink ladies ball on a par 3 if you want.

Something seen occasionally that people never say much about is improper ball marking and replacement. Why do some "ooch" their ball closer to the hole before putting and not think that is cheating? When spotting a ball on the green, your duty is to replace the ball exactly where it was.

Yeah, what's up with that?

[bruce]

On a par 5 waiting for the green to clear for our second shot,walk over towards the other player and see his ball sitting up on a tee waiting to hit a 3 wood.I say w.t.f dude is that e.t.c,i could'nt believe it.

[munky]

On a par 5 waiting for the green to clear for our second shot,walk over towards the other player and see his ball sitting up on a tee waiting to hit a 3 wood.I say w.t.f dude is that e.t.c,i could'nt believe it.

He teed up his ball on the fairway for his second shot? Wow, that's nuts.

While I was hacking and slashing my way through my round on Sunday, I invited a single player to play through rather than hold him up. My playing partner and I sat on a bench while this guy took out a range finder and used it to measure off the hole for his drive. My partner told me that such devices are illegal. I've never heard of such a thing. Ruling?

[Fourputt]

1) "fairly" taking one's stance

I see players all the time going out of their way to find the most advantageous way to maneuver into a tree or bush to move the most foliage possible out of their area of swing. Improving your area of intended swing by any method other than fairly taking your stance is a 2 stroke penalty. I believe that 99.999% of these players have no clue that they've done anything wrong.

2) determining the nearest point of relief

This is a fun one.... most players seem to think that the term "relief" means that you get a perfect shot, not nearest point of relief, but "best" point of relief. Again 99.999% of the time, there is one, and only one nearest point of relief, and if you don't determine it correctly, there is a good chance that you will be playing your next stroke from a wrong place, 2 stroke penalty again. Too many players don't seem to understand this rule either.

3) Determining the point where a ball crossed into a hazard.

It isn't straight out to the fairway from where the ball ends up in the hazard, it's where it last crossed the margin that's your reference point. Another pretty simple rule that many players are a bit foggy about. And when they do pick the right point, then they drop on line of flight, instead of back on the line drawn from the point on the hazard margin to the hole. Again, you will be playing from a wrong place... 2 strokes.


And I'm not even going into the whole lost ball, OB ball debate.

[David in FL]

Tamping down spike marks. A rule that desperately needs to go away IMHO, but a rule nonetheless......


I'll also second bending or moving vegetation, small trees, etc.... in taking a stance.

[rjfan91]

I play with guys that have been playing the game for 40+ years. Yet, they still play a hazard drop as along the line the ball enters the hazard. They will go back, along the line the ball flew, until they find some spot they like.

[87vert]

I just say its a practice swing

[lumpuckeroo]

I know for my group it's stroke and distance on lost or OB balls. When you play on crowded muni's, there is no time to go back to the tee and play a ball if you can't find one, we drop and move on.

[Crey23]

1) Tree Leaves

Ok, just to clarify, are you talking about twigs still on the tree, or what is on the ground? I don't think I have ever hit a tree with my swing, but I have certainly broken twings, and busted leaves on the ground.....

Thanks !

[cougar978]

I thought it'd be interesting to share rules violations you witness while playing golf that people don't even seem to know are rules violations.

For (2), I always assumed that it was legal to watch another player's putt from behind after the stroke was made, as long as you're not standing directly behind him when he's making the stroke - i.e. standing off to the side, and then after he makes the stroke, walking behind his line (and more importantly, your line) to visualize the line his took and making appropriate adjustments. I have seen what you described done before, but was not aware it was a violation. I will have to re-read the book. I have seen people straddle their line before on putts, which is a 2-stroke penalty (16-1e) , as far as I know - also, some people take extra liberty with 'repairing damage' under 16-1c by fixing blemishes and using it as an excuse to press down spike marks. Again, I couldn't prove anything, so I kept my mouth shut. In a tournament last month, a fellow competitor inadvertently teed his ball up from the wrong markers (he just wasn't paying attention). Before he made a stroke, I got his attention and told him he was playing off the wrong markers. I don't know if that constitutes a penalty on myself for giving advice (I don't consider warning someone about a rule breach before he does it as advice, but that's subjective - it had nothing to do with line or club selection), but letting him tee off the wrong markers and taking a 2-stroke penalty when I knew he about to breach a rule would have been a classless move in my book. I think I did the right thing.

[mdvaldosta]

While I was hacking and slashing my way through my round on Sunday, I invited a single player to play through rather than hold him up. My playing partner and I sat on a bench while this guy took out a range finder and used it to measure off the hole for his drive. My partner told me that such devices are illegal. I've never heard of such a thing.

It's been legal for a couple years now, actually. But yea, rule 14-3b used to be against it. As long as it only gives distance (not slope, wind, etc) you can use it in tournament or handicap rounds. I think though that it's up to the tournament as to whether they allow it (I don't think any PGA events allow them) but it's not against the rule book anymore.

[cougar978]

One that I have seen recently was removing your ball from the cup with the flag stick after having chipped or putted in from off the green.

In a college tournament, I initially called a 2-stroke penalty on myself for hitting an opponent's bag with a shot (I was in the woods and had to pitch out sideways). However, before we signed our cards, we consulted with our coaches and a rules official, and they all agreed that there was no penalty for inadvertently hitting your opponent's bag with a shot - it's nice getting two strokes taken off your card before you sign it. I believe the only time a penalty applies is if you hit your own equipment with a shot - no penalty for accidentally hitting anyone else's (19-4).

[iacas]

For (2), I always assumed that it was legal to watch another player's putt from behind after the stroke was made, as long as you're not standing directly behind him when he's making the stroke - i.e. standing off to the side, and then after he makes the stroke, walking behind his line (and more importantly, your line) to visualize the line his took and making appropriate adjustments. I have seen what you described done before, but was not aware it was a violation. I will have to re-read the book.

The guy watching and standing on the line of his putt (during the stroke) was his partner. That's the important part.

(I don't consider warning someone about a rule breach before he does it as advice, but that's subjective - it had nothing to do with line or club selection)

It's not subjective, no. Such things are clearly defined as "not giving advice."

[wachesawgolfer]

Gosh, the only thing that springs to mind is in the monthly medal our fourball is fairly friendly and talkative; often one guy will ask another what club he hit "was that a seven". I'm pretty sure that's against the rules right?

Not if your all on the same "team". Its your "opponent" that you cannot ask for or accept advice from.

[wachesawgolfer]

I just say its a practice swing

Its why I putt whenever I can near the greens as for me its too easy to miss a short chip by hitting behind the ball, eventhough I practice this shot a lot. It was tough one time telling my team I had a bogie instead of a par and they are all scratching their heads....