Rules Of Golf In One Page (Maybe Two) Project

[The Recreational Golfer]

Yes. I see the first post. Quite clear on that. There is not enough room in the "Type your comment here . . ." box to put in my two-page rule sheet. If there is a different place to put it, I don't see it. May I assume that I should post it on this page?

[B-Con]

Yes. I see the first post. Quite clear on that. There is not enough room in the "Type your comment here . . ." box to put in my two-page rule sheet. If there is a different place to put it, I don't see it. May I assume that I should post it on this page?

Why not start your own thread? "Lets make a 2-page easy-rules-reference sheet" or something like that.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by B-Con

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

Yes. I see the first post. Quite clear on that. There is not enough room in the "Type your comment here . . ." box to put in my two-page rule sheet. If there is a different place to put it, I don't see it. May I assume that I should post it on this page?

Why not start your own thread? "Lets make a 2-page easy-rules-reference sheet" or something like that.

I thought at first that this was that thread. My bad.

[sacm3bill]

Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

Yes. I see the first post. Quite clear on that. There is not enough room in the "Type your comment here . . ." box to put in my two-page rule sheet. If there is a different place to put it, I don't see it. May I assume that I should post it on this page?

You want to edit the wiki, not add comments. Click the "Edit" button to do the former.

[ochmude]

Originally Posted by sacm3bill

You want to edit the wiki, not add comments. Click the "Edit" button to do the former.

Correct.  It took me awhile to figure it out as well.  The Recreational Golfer, you want to click on this link ( http://thesandtrap.com/wiki/rules-of-golf-in-one-page-maybe-two ).  Near the top you'll see three buttons, "Edit" "History" "Subscribe".  Click on the "Edit" button and you should be able to copy and paste your rules.

[Gerald]

OK here is my effort :

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Gerald

OK here is my effort :

The problems with that are pretty obvious.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by iacas

The problems with that are pretty obvious.

Here are my immediate thoughts.

What if:

- I can see it, but it's at bottom of creek or in a tree that I can't reach.

- the ball is cracked, plugged, out of round, non-conforming, lost, OB, unidentifiable, etc

- a dog ran off with it in its mouth (yes I saw this once).

- I ask my opponent how to play it where it lies

- my opponent offers to show me how to do it

- I reach for a club and realize I have 17

- and so on probably?

[iacas]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Here are my immediate thoughts.

What if:

- I can see it, but it's at bottom of creek or in a tree that I can't reach.

- the ball is cracked, plugged, out of round, non-conforming, lost, OB, unidentifiable, etc

- a dog ran off with it in its mouth (yes I saw this once).

- I ask my opponent how to play it where it lies

- my opponent offers to show me how to do it

- I reach for a club and realize I have 17

- and so on probably?

Pretty much.

Also includes:

- I hit it into someone's yard. Or car.

- Someone else hit my ball.

- I can't find my ball.

- I hit it with the back of my club.

- My club has multiple striking faces and can be adjusted 4700 ways.

- My ball is in an area the grounds crew doesn't want disturbed.

- I don't want to play it as it lies.

[Gerald]

All I was thinking, the rules make the game more difficult, just play the ball as it lies and yes of course I know the waterhazard, or chipping from the roof of a Ferrari isn't the best idea ...... but playing the ball as it lies in general is a good thought !

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Gerald

All I was thinking, the rules make the game more difficult, just play the ball as it lies and yes of course I know the waterhazard, or chipping from the roof of a Ferrari isn't the best idea ...... but playing the ball as it lies in general is a good thought !

The rules don't make the game more difficult - that's an absurd statement.  It's the difficulty of the game and the variety of courses we play on which contribute to the complexity of the rules.  When you really think about it, the rules do an incredibly streamlined job addressing the myriads of situations possible.

[Gerald]

You are right in a way, and maybe I should have explained better what I meant.

Of course we need the rules, and the rules don't make golf more difficult........ it is actually the golfer in some sort of trouble allways looking to get some relief from where the ball ended up and the unfourtunate golfer that the dirt his ball is lying in is made by a rabbit or is it greenkeepers work orso, that the staked tree where he cannot get around is preventing him to make a """""normal"""""" swing with the driver (uhhhh yessss with the driver from the fairway of course), getting a free drop because of rule 25-2 etc..... then dropping the ball and grab a nine iron out of his bag, to cover the 130 yds to the green and makes a birdie......

I have no problems with the rules, but more with all the exceptions, decissions and with people "bending" the rules

Also some rules are slowing down play ........ let's say you hit a 250 yds teeshot into the left rough in some bushes and it may even have gone over the fence in the left OB ........ not sure if you will be able to find it, wou hit a provisional ball, and it is lying in a perfect position middle of the fairway. After a 2 minute walk you start with your group to find the first ball, after 4 minutes it is found, but it lies in the middle of some bushes and is unplayable ...... now there are three options, but dropping it is no option, because it is all bushes, dropping it behind in line of the flag is also no option, bc. that is out of bounds. As it is not a lost ball, you declare it unplayable, and the only left option is going back from where the last ball was played, 2 minutes back to the tee and hit a new ball, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. by the time you are back in play 2 other groups might be waiting at the tee, or even you have let through a group........

[Dr. Strangeclub]

The first step would be to get rid of the "stupid" rules.  A lot of the arcanery (and charm, of course) comes from too many variations on a theme and rather pointless restrictions on what one can and cannot do, for example what to do with movable versus unmovable obstructions (OB stake versus yardage marker...).  Many leagues, for example, simple drop out of the woods "somewhere in the vicinity" of where it went in with a one shot penalty and carry on, treating the trees like a parallel water hazard -- indeed, many professional tournaments line the trees on some holes, usually a wildlife conservation area,  with a red hazard line and do the same.  Some things I'd get rid of, along with many pages of rules that cover the infractions.

1.  Spike marks.  Not tamping spike came into being to speed play and now has delivered the curse of "spikeless" golf shoes to the golfing world in addition to slowing play.  Tamp 'em down, period.  More time is wasted deciding if something is a ball mark or a spike mark and grinding over how to deal with it if you can't fix it than was ever wasted just giving it a quick tamp and going on with your business.  Talk about a "Chinese fingertrap" rule.

2.  Tending the pin.  Leave it in.  Make it a screw-in fixture so it can be removed for mowing the green, otherwise it stays put.  Provide a sliding plate that connects to the pin to lift the ball out of the hole.

3.  Eliminate "drops", substituting lift, clean and place everywhere.  Make all drops equivalent to an unplayable lie and lost/ob balls on the borders of fairways equivalent to a ball in a parallel water hazard.  No more walking back to the tee or provisionals. (You can only hit a second ball off the tee if you declare the first ball unplayable/lost.)  Lift, clean and place before any shot within a clublength.

4.  Get rid of the "moving ball" problem.  If you didn't intend to move the ball, just put it back where it was, no penalty.  This rule is entirely too convoluted.  The attempts at millimeter accuracies in placement are silly in a game measured in hundreds of yards.

5.  Get rid of the rakes.  Smooth the sand with your feet or a club or even not at all, much like you would repair a ball mark or just leave it (it's an etiquette problem).

6.  Hit off the tee anywhere behind the tee markers -- no more "two club" nonsense.

7.  No more penalty shots for hitting another ball on the green -- just put the other ball back where it was.

So the rules now become:

1.  Hit the ball from behind and between the tee markers.  Go find it.

2.  If you can't find it, drop another ball as near to where it was lost as can be determined with a one shot penalty.  Get complete relief from woods or water or scrub where a ball was lost, including stance and clear swing.  Take relief from casual water or ground under repair with the same restraints but without the penalty.  All drops can be lift cleaned and placed before playing a shot except in a bunker. where it is a one shot penalty.

3.  All balls unintentionally moved must be replaced.  There is no penalty for replacing a ball inadvertently moved.  There is no penalty for hitting a moving ball, but the stroke counts.

4.  Offering advice, if deemed by the opponent to be unsportsmanlike conduct or interference, is a stroke penalty.  If the advice is solicited, there is no penalty, but the advice need not be given.

5.  You may drop away from any immovable structure to provide a clear line of play and a free swing without penalty.

6.  You may drop away from any rock, tree root or other object which would subject the player to injury or damage to his equipment.  You may drop away from any hazardous condition, such as a bees' nest or animal.  A ball lost or unretrievable because of danger, casual water, animal lair, etc. can be replaced and dropped without penalty if the ball is not in a hazard.

7.  Unsportsmanlike conduct is defined by the group or adjudicated by a committee, with penalties appropriate to the offense as decided by the committee or group.

8.  You may remove any loose impediments that interfere with hitting the ball anywhere, but you may not dig to remove them.  You may move the ball away from impediments that threaten injury or damage to equipment, as near as possible to afford relief.

9.   A ball can be lifted, cleaned and placed withing a foot of its original position.

10.  Legal golf equipment is defined in the three hundred page supplement with this rule book.

[Shindig]

4.  Offering advice, if deemed by the opponent to be unsportsmanlike conduct or interference, is a stroke penalty.  If the advice is solicited, there is no penalty, but the advice need not be given.

Wow, this is a huge change to the rules as we now know them. According to your new rules, I'm allowed to ask someone who isn't me or my caddie what club I should hit. A friend playing in a different flight, but in my group, is now an advantage others in competition don't share. How is that acceptable?

[Dr. Strangeclub]

Originally Posted by Shindig

Wow, this is a huge change to the rules as we now know them. According to your new rules, I'm allowed to ask someone who isn't me or my caddie what club I should hit. A friend playing in a different flight, but in my group, is now an advantage others in competition don't share. How is that acceptable?

Why is it acceptable for some people to have a caddy to ask and others not?  Money talks in this case -- literally!  I think it's almost unenforceable to shut the caddies up, so just ask whoever you want, since you take your chances with the answer in any case.  It's an advantage to have such a player in your in group in any case, to provide what is now "legal" help that would save you shots that other groups might not be so lucky to get.  I frequently have players, who don't play with good players much (or ever), play their best with me just by putting themselves in the "monkey see, monkey do" mode.  And what of the pros?  How fair was it to the other players to have Angelo Argea pacing off all the yardages on the course with a stride he practiced on football fields, so that Jack Nicklaus always had better yardage (never mind better advice) than the other players?  How fair is it to the good player in your group to have to play with relative hackers?  Golf is fundamentally unfair.  The whole game is masochistic at its core.

[ochmude]

Unless the person giving you advice is your personal caddie that works with you on the range, isn't the advice of little worth anyway?

[deasy55]

If these were the actual rules I would have no interest in playing golf. Would make the game too arcade like. Especially rules 2,4,6 and 9.

Originally Posted by Dr. Strangeclub

The first step would be to get rid of the "stupid" rules.  A lot of the arcanery (and charm, of course) comes from too many variations on a theme and rather pointless restrictions on what one can and cannot do, for example what to do with movable versus unmovable obstructions (OB stake versus yardage marker...).  Many leagues, for example, simple drop out of the woods "somewhere in the vicinity" of where it went in with a one shot penalty and carry on, treating the trees like a parallel water hazard -- indeed, many professional tournaments line the trees on some holes, usually a wildlife conservation area,  with a red hazard line and do the same.  Some things I'd get rid of, along with many pages of rules that cover the infractions.

1.  Spike marks.  Not tamping spike came into being to speed play and now has delivered the curse of "spikeless" golf shoes to the golfing world in addition to slowing play.  Tamp 'em down, period.  More time is wasted deciding if something is a ball mark or a spike mark and grinding over how to deal with it if you can't fix it than was ever wasted just giving it a quick tamp and going on with your business.  Talk about a "Chinese fingertrap" rule.

2.  Tending the pin.  Leave it in.  Make it a screw-in fixture so it can be removed for mowing the green, otherwise it stays put.  Provide a sliding plate that connects to the pin to lift the ball out of the hole.

3.  Eliminate "drops", substituting lift, clean and place everywhere.  Make all drops equivalent to an unplayable lie and lost/ob balls on the borders of fairways equivalent to a ball in a parallel water hazard.  No more walking back to the tee or provisionals. (You can only hit a second ball off the tee if you declare the first ball unplayable/lost.)  Lift, clean and place before any shot within a clublength.

4.  Get rid of the "moving ball" problem.  If you didn't intend to move the ball, just put it back where it was, no penalty.  This rule is entirely too convoluted.  The attempts at millimeter accuracies in placement are silly in a game measured in hundreds of yards.

5.  Get rid of the rakes.  Smooth the sand with your feet or a club or even not at all, much like you would repair a ball mark or just leave it (it's an etiquette problem).

6.  Hit off the tee anywhere behind the tee markers -- no more "two club" nonsense.

7.  No more penalty shots for hitting another ball on the green -- just put the other ball back where it was.

So the rules now become:

1.  Hit the ball from behind and between the tee markers.  Go find it.

2.  If you can't find it, drop another ball as near to where it was lost as can be determined with a one shot penalty.  Get complete relief from woods or water or scrub where a ball was lost, including stance and clear swing.  Take relief from casual water or ground under repair with the same restraints but without the penalty.  All drops can be lift cleaned and placed before playing a shot except in a bunker. where it is a one shot penalty.

3.  All balls unintentionally moved must be replaced.  There is no penalty for replacing a ball inadvertently moved.  There is no penalty for hitting a moving ball, but the stroke counts.

4.  Offering advice, if deemed by the opponent to be unsportsmanlike conduct or interference, is a stroke penalty.  If the advice is solicited, there is no penalty, but the advice need not be given.

5.  You may drop away from any immovable structure to provide a clear line of play and a free swing without penalty.

6.  You may drop away from any rock, tree root or other object which would subject the player to injury or damage to his equipment.  You may drop away from any hazardous condition, such as a bees' nest or animal.  A ball lost or unretrievable because of danger, casual water, animal lair, etc. can be replaced and dropped without penalty if the ball is not in a hazard.

7.  Unsportsmanlike conduct is defined by the group or adjudicated by a committee, with penalties appropriate to the offense as decided by the committee or group.

8.  You may remove any loose impediments that interfere with hitting the ball anywhere, but you may not dig to remove them.  You may move the ball away from impediments that threaten injury or damage to equipment, as near as possible to afford relief.

9.   A ball can be lifted, cleaned and placed withing a foot of its original position.

10.  Legal golf equipment is defined in the three hundred page supplement with this rule book.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by deasy55

If these were the actual rules I would have no interest in playing golf. Would make the game too arcade like. Especially rules 2,4,6 and 9.

Amen.  What he proposes isn't golf by any stretch of the imagination.  It directly contradicts the prime fundamental of the game, that you play the ball as it lies.  I think I'd have to take up bowling, or tiddly winks.  He may have made up a one page rule book, but it isn't for golf.  He has simply invented a completely new game to be played on a golf course.