playing the ball 'up'

[Williamevanl]

The basic rules are pretty simple. You hit the ball with only your club and count how many times it takes to put it in the hole. It's the most basic rule of golf, why break it?

[pittpanther]

I play with a high-school kid who practices nearly everyday but he never takes golf serious when we are actually on the course. He will take mulligans, gimmes, moves the ball and does not count missed two footers etc. He started playing tournament golf this year and I am always telling him you aren't going to be able to do that sort of a thing in a tournament so you should really practice accordingly. He had his first tournament yesterday and shot a 98.

So the kid did exactly what some of the people on this thread are saying - He plays up when playing rounds for fun, but during tournament time he follows all the rules.

So no harm, unless the kid was genuinely surprised that he shot the 98. Was he expecting a 73? You said this was his first tournament - perhaps nervousness factored into his poor score much more than "playing up" did?

[Harmonious]

Dick's Sporting Goods has just put out a new commercial. I just saw it on the Golf Channel, but I hope it also runs during the U.S. Open. There are a number of average guys (blue collar, military, construction worker, and others) talking about just this subject. The message was that they don't improve lies, take gimmes, no mulligans. They respected the rules and the integrity of the game. The final statement was something like: "Wouldn't it be great if the real world was like golf".

Judging from the comments here, maybe the real world is creeping into golf rather than the other way around.

Anyway, check out the commercial. I thought it was very well done.

[SpoiledRotten]

Just FYI, I play 95% of my golf on a public muni (I also work there part time). I also play on my father-in-law's 9 hole course out in the northeastern Colorado high plains, carved out of cattle pasture because it's too rocky to farm (there are places where you'd have to drop 50 yards back to get out of the rocks

I don't know what my "real" handicap is but I've certainly erred to the negative. Not really sure why you would care anyway. I know I play better than someone with a true 25 hc. It really doesn't matter though since I've never used it for anything except filling out the profile on this forum. Yes, you HAVE to put something in that field to be able to submit the profile. I certainly wasn't going to put 0 handicap. That would have been cheating!

I play a round, add up my score and that's as far as I go for now. I haven't played tournaments where I needed it to compete with better players and I haven't needed it to call the pro shop in order to get paired with other players on the same level. We just try to enjoy the game around here. Maybe you just take life too seriously. It will make you old before your time. Lighten up some. You'll probably like the guy in the mirror more for it.

[SpoiledRotten]

Dick's Sporting Goods has just put out a new commercial. I just saw it on the Golf Channel, but I hope it also runs during the U.S. Open. There are a number of average guys (blue collar, military, construction worker, and others) talking about just this subject. The message was that they don't improve lies, take gimmes, no mulligans. They respected the rules and the integrity of the game. The final statement was something like: "Wouldn't it be great if the real world was like golf".

Good post, Harmonious. You might be talking about my foot wedge, but then you also might be talking about some of these people that think golf is the only thing they have to be honorable at. Some of these guys can cheat on their taxes, cheat on their spouse, steal from their employer, but as long as they hit the ball where it lies, all is good in their life. I don't get it.

[saevel25]

Its something to get use to when your playing tourniment golf. Before starting highschool golf, i spent a year playing strick rules, it helped out a ton.

I tend to play strick rules, though if someone gives me a putt in league, i will usually putt it out for practice, if i miss pick up the next one.

[jetsknicks1]

No such rule exists. A manmade object is an obstruction, but

I wasn't sure if impediment was the right word. I just thought that if it was unintentionally put there by man and wasn't meant to be a permanent part of the course that it wouldn't actually be considered "Part of the course"

[pbillaa]

Because he'll stop doing it when money is on the line, why?

WHY???? Because I will call him on it. He will not only not be able to play to his handicap, but he will unnecessarily be taking unplayable lies from the fairway. lol

[Williamevanl]

So the kid did exactly what some of the people on this thread are saying - He plays up when playing rounds for fun, but during tournament time he follows all the rules.

No, when we play I bitch the whole time that he plays by the rules. He played 9 before I got to the course the other day and said he shot one under on nine, with me on the second nine he shot >12 over.

The point is moving the ball around and breaking minor rules really drops your score. Mainly the O.B tee shots that are like, oh I didn't mean to do that I'll just grab another.

[Williamevanl]

It really just makes things difficult when two people are talking about golf in general. I can honestly say that I have never shot in the 70's. I have had a number of nine holes in the thirties but I have never put two together and shot under 80. I play from the tips and I practice every single day. Then you play someone who says they shoot in the 70's *or 80's, 90's whatever* and you make them play by the rules, and thats what it takes for them to understand why it's so difficult to actually break 80.

*Wait you actually have to take shot three off the tee box?!!? no way, I'd be lying four on the fareway?!?! Impossible* or *I would have made the putt but I didn't take my time so thats out* *I hit it out by those woods I'll just drop my ball over here.*

One day when I would have definitely broke 80 for the first time *2 over on 15 holes* I hit my tee shot out of bounds on the right, then I hit my 3 rd shot off the T out of bounds again. Something like 11 shots later I finished the hole. I'm sure I lose at least 1-3 strokes to a bad lie on 18 holes as well. Yea golf is hard, it seems instead of getting better at it some decide just to break some rules here and there but then you and I aren't able to talk about Golf for what it really is, Ridiculously hard.

[Alley Cat]

i ONLY improve a lie if it will be detrimental to my clubs. it's not worth hitting out of gravel to save the "integrity" of my score.

Same here... I do my best to always follow the rules. That's just for me though, not for what anyone else thinks. I also don't care how other people play unless I'm in any sort of competition with them. (even for beers afterwards) After I curse my bad luck from landing in a divot, I take pride in hitting a quality shot out of it. Most of the time it is more mental than anything and my shot doesn't end up being a bad one.