MULLIGANS whats your opinion?????

[Elvisliveson]

What is this "Mulligan" you speak of? I've re-read the entire rules of golf and can not find any mention of such a thing.

[SQ Bimmer]

I think the only time mulligans are acceptable is in a match between a small group of people where everyone is allowed the same number of mulligans (1 per round, 1 per side, etc). Obviously a tournament or a score you plan to post for handicap calculation purposes will have the extra strokes added.

When playing a round with friends, we generally do not allow extra strokes for handicap differences because not everyone has a calculated handicap. Mulligans sort of help with this leveling of the field. A really good player can go a whole round and not use their mulligan except maybe on the 18th hole approach shot that they want to land perfectly, they might use it there as a last ditch effort to drop a stroke on the putting green. However, my general opinion about allowing it in this format is that they only be used on the tee. Lately during my "practice" rounds I have not allowed myself any mulligans because I want an accurate handicap rating for myself, and I have worked hard to get it down to where it's at and have a goal of getting into the mid teens by next summer.

If I my ball comes to rest 100 yards into the forest or out of bounds , I'll hit a mulligan from the point I just hit from (even if it's on the tee box) in order to speed up play. Then all I have to do is add 2 strokes to my score when I finish putting out. It's just that easy.

Wouldn't it be horrible if you scored an eagle on this hole and had to put a par down on your scorecard? lol

What is this "Mulligan" you speak of? I've re-read the entire rules of golf and can not find any mention of such a thing.

Funny. ;)

[Yukari]

We called that hitting 3.

Seriously, I never use mulligan. Even when I dribble my first tee shot of the day 50 yards, I will play it as it lies (thank got that does not happen but once or twice a year). You can't expect to have a good shot everytime. You need to get use to hitting that first tee shot in front of a crowd and even if you don't hit a good one, you need to learn how to recover from a bad shot.

[Leftygolfer]

I don't take any.

[flopdarock]

it all depends... i never take mulligans but if im playing with friends that are high hcps ill give them 1 on the front and 1 on the back... keeps them from getting too frustrated...
i used to take mulligans when i didnt really track my scores and keep my hcp (before i took it seriously)

[Chief Broom]

Mullies are always a hot button issue. Especially on an internet forum! I got a kick out of reading here once about the phenomenon we've all seen where the guy has the mullie-reload habit so ingrained he's reached in his pocket for another ball and re-teed it before his first shot has even come to rest!

[SQ Bimmer]

Mullies are always a hot button issue. Especially on an internet forum! I got a kick out of reading here once about the phenomenon we've all seen where the guy has the mullie-reload habit so ingrained he's reached in his pocket for another ball and re-teed it before his first shot has even come to rest!

HAHA! I have done this at least a couple times, back when I was shooting 110+.

I would see the ball heading toward the lake, and without undue hesitation for the group behind us, tee another and let'r fly! If I messed that one up, I would drop a ball closest to the point where I thought my ball entered the lake. Oftentimes this would be exaggerated a few yards forward, then it was my mission to finish the hole with less strokes than double par, otherwise I would pick it up. Hey, we all started somewhere! Switching from the mats and rubber tees at the range to grass and real tees was hard at first.

[GaijinGolfer]

No mulligans.

[kfowler]

I stopped using them when I started taking golf seriously and keeping a legit HCP.

[Mud ball]

I think if you are a novice golfer and you are playing a social round of golf with similar partners or close friends and you play infrequently like say once or twice a year then fine... agree with your playing partners a bit of fun to allow one or two mulligans to make the day enjoyable for you all. Just be careful not to be blatant about it and do it on the first tee when people are queuing up behind you or too many times that you hold people up (or are perceived as holding people up).
But for anyone else - I'd suggest you'd actually play better golf if you never allowed another mulligan in your life... you won't rely on it and your game will improve.
I don't let my seven and six year old take them anymore not since about their second or third round of golf.

[Dub]

i like to go with 1 mulligan for every 18 holes but no puts, just looking to see what the norm is for everyone else.

Depending on the group I'm playing with I'll either take two off the first tee and then play it down from there or simply play it down every stroke. Winter rules and inclement weather may allow for lift/clean/place or rolling the ball a clublength in the fairways during the latter part of the year (play year round on dormant courses around here).

[wedge player]

depends practice rounds i may hit 3-6 balls from one spot.but in real rounds its play what you got

[aussie_hacker]

mulligans defeat the purpose of playing golf. you're only disadvantaging yourself, at the end of the day. i play rarely with 2 freinds who take a mulligan per 9 holes, and end up breaking 100 because of it. not really fair.

why not play it as it lies/add penalties and see where your game is really at??

[EightBlue]

depends practice rounds i may hit 3-6 balls from one spot.but in real rounds its play what you got

agreed. when i am playing by myself i sometimes do the same thing. The only time it would ever be acceptable to take a mulligans with my friends would be on a course we have never played before and hit a "good shot" OB or in a lake

[Golfing Dad]

Mulligans are almost the same as lying about your score. What's the sense? No mulligans for me

[Kingfisher]

Wow, mulligans have caused quite a stir

I think much of it depends on the circumstances of the game you're playing in. Of course, if you're in a club comp or marking a card for handicapping, then mulligans are a no-no.

On the other hand, if you're playing with some buddies and eveyone is agreeable, then there's no harm to give everone a mully. It's just like a get out of jail free card to add to the fun.

I also vaguley remember another golfing term from UK called a 'gilligan'. This works differently from a mulligan, in that your playing partners can choose to make you reply a shot .

A perfect time to request a gilligan is after somebody has pulled off a miracle shot, especially when there's a few dollars riding on the game. Watching them try to pull off the miracle shot a second time would be quite amusing, but highly frustrating for the victim.

It's all good fun, but again, only to be used with your golfing buddies, not for comps or handicapping.

[Laxplayer201092]

dont use em for scoring purposes, but if someone wants to play a second ball and not count it toward their score... whats the harm?

that "gilligan" sounds like it could be alot of fun lol

[finoky]

I don't take mulligans myself nor does anyone I regularly play with.