Rules Of Golf In One Page (Maybe Two) Project

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

My only dispute with this is that they are actually playing to a lot more than "2 or 3 sentences".  The special rules they create are on top of the standard procedures for playing baseball, as far as pitching, hitting, running bases etc., rules which are simply known to all kids almost instinctively.  Their added rules are more similar to golf's "local rules", which are additions to the standard set and used to address particular situations which aren't faced on all courses.  Kids add their own rules to address a shortage of players or oddities in the field of play like trees or limited playing area - we did the same thing when I was a kid.  It's necessity in a game which normally requires at least 18 players and a specific field structure.... not easy to have all of that in a pickup game played in a vacant lot.

Yes, that ocurred to me too. So other than a few local rules, what rules would the average weekend player need to be informed of? Other than those rules he or she already knows, almost instinctively?  What I mean is, to play the game recreationally doesn't require a ton of specific knowledge, as long players aren't damaging the course (or each other) and are keeping up. Problems can arise when those players want to join a league, or enter the club championship, but I don't see that happening a lot.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Yes, that ocurred to me too. So other than a few local rules, what rules would the average weekend player need to be informed of? Other than those rules he or she already knows, almost instinctively?  What I mean is, to play the game recreationally doesn't require a ton of specific knowledge, as long players aren't damaging the course (or each other) and are keeping up. Problems can arise when those players want to join a league, or enter the club championship, but I don't see that happening a lot.

But they still apply all of the basic rules of baseball - 3 strikes and you're out, the ball beats you to the base you're out, catch a fly ball you're out, a ball wide of first base is a foul, etc.  When you start ignoring things like lost ball and OB, that's like ignoring foul balls, or saying that catching a fly ball isn't an out,  These are two of the rules of golf which seem to be most often "modified" or ignored, yet the doing the right thing is relatively simple, and most players know that they are doing it wrong but they just don't care.  You can't incorporate something like that into a one page rule book and then still say that you are playing golf, because you have changed it beyond the point a simple local rule allowing preferred lies because of temporary inclement conditions.

The main reason I see that so many new players are afraid of the rules is because people like you keep railing about how difficult they are.  When they hear an experienced player say things like that, they believe that you are speaking truth and never explore the reality of it.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

But they still apply all of the basic rules of baseball - 3 strikes and you're out, the ball beats you to the base you're out, catch a fly ball you're out, a ball wide of first base is a foul, etc.  When you start ignoring things like lost ball and OB, that's like ignoring foul balls, or saying that catching a fly ball isn't an out,  These are two of the rules of golf which seem to be most often "modified" or ignored, yet the doing the right thing is relatively simple, and most players know that they are doing it wrong but they just don't care.  You can't incorporate something like that into a one page rule book and then still say that you are playing golf, because you have changed it beyond the point a simple local rule allowing preferred lies because of temporary inclement conditions.

The main reason I see that so many new players are afraid of the rules is because people like you keep railing about how difficult they are.  When they hear an experienced player say things like that, they believe that you are speaking truth and never explore the reality of it.

People like me are preventing new golfers from taking up the game? Get off your high horse.

The two basic rules I'd modify for rec play are stroke and distance for OB and lost balls. Drop where it went out or was lost then move on in the interest of speeding up the game. Too many people take the full 5, and then some, then drop anyway. I don't play those guys for money, but having them go back to the teebox would benefit noone.

To suggest a person playing 18 holes of golf and not knowing all the rules isn't actually playing golf is a prime example of your views on the vast majority of recreational players. They are still playing golf whether you like it or not, The ones who can afford the time and money to play what is essentially an elitist, exclusionary, and somewhat frustrating and boring activity have fun regardless of how they keep score. They view themselves as golfers and I don't think anyone on this forum has a right to say otherwise.

[The Recreational Golfer]

I tried to post my one-page rule sheet, but I got this error message:

"Your comment is too long. Please trim it down by 2081 characters and try again."

The entire sheet has 2,269 characters, including spaces. I don't think I can do the job in a Tweet and change.

What next?

[iacas]

Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

I tried to post my one-page rule sheet, but I got this error message:

"Your comment is too long. Please trim it down by 2081 characters and try again."

Where did you try to post it? Send it to me in a PM or something. I'm not aware of a character limit and I know we've had posts that are well, well, well longer than 2081 characters.

[sacm3bill]

Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

I tried to post my one-page rule sheet, but I got this error message:

"Your comment is too long. Please trim it down by 2081 characters and try again."

Did you click the "Edit" button to post, or did you just enter your text in the comments box? You want to do the former to actually edit the wiki.

[The Recreational Golfer]

There's a box that says, "Type your comments here..." and that's where I put it.

The Edit button says "You are not allowed to edit this article" when I mouse over it, and does not respond when I click it.

!!!

[sacm3bill]

Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

There's a box that says, "Type your comments here..." and that's where I put it.

The Edit button says "You are not allowed to edit this article" when I mouse over it, and does not respond when I click it.

!!!

I'm seeing the same thing. The Edit button used to work but is not working currently. Send a PM to Erik if you haven't yet, or he may see this and respond...

[iacas]

Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

There's a box that says, "Type your comments here..." and that's where I put it.

That's for commenting on the article. Not for posting to the article itself.

If you read back through you'll notice the point at which I limited editing the article to FourPutt, myself, and the other moderators and admins.

Post your rules here. If they're worth copying in, we'll do so.

[The Recreational Golfer]

Here's my one-page rule sheet. There is a 97-page rule book and a 437-page book of decisions, so there's a lot left out. My rules would govern recreational golf -- just going out to have fun with friends. For competition or establishing a handicap, stick with USGA. Everything is consistent with USGA rules as fas as I can tell except for the OB rule, which I changed to put some sense into it.

This rule sheet has been previously published. You may reproduce it, but only with attribution to The Recreational Golfer.

The Rules of Golf in One Page

By

The Recreational Golfer

1. Tee up your ball within the rectangle between the tee markers and two club-lengths back.

2. Every attempt to hit the ball, whether or not successful, counts as a stroke, but if you accidentally knock the ball off a tee while addressing it, no stroke is counted and there is no penalty.

3. If you accidentally move the ball while addressing it (except on a tee) or in taking a practice stroke, replace the ball in its original spot. Penalty: one stroke.

4. You may not improve the lie of your ball. Penalty: two strokes.

5. If your ball is found (a) out of bounds , (b) in a water hazard (or is not found but is known to be in the water hazard), or (c) in a spot where it is unplayable , drop it within two club-lengths of the nearest spot (a) in bounds, (b) outside the water hazard, or (c) from where it lies, but in no case nearer to the hole. Penalty: one stroke.

6. In the three situations above you may choose instead to play a ball from the spot where the ball was last played. Penalty: one stroke.

7. If your ball is lost (but not in a water hazard), you must play another ball from the spot where you last hit the ball that got lost. Penalty: one stroke.

8. If you play the wrong ball , play the correct ball and take a one-stroke penalty. The player whose ball was incorrectly played is to drop another ball at the spot from where you hit it.

9. If your ball is on the wrong putting green , drop it within two club-lengths of the nearest spot off the green but not nearer to the hole. No penalty.

10. If an artificial object (including a cart path) that is fixed interferes with your swing, you may take two-club lengths relief, but not nearer to the hole. No penalty.

11. A natural object that is fixed and which interferes with your swing may not be moved, bent, broken, or detached. Penalty: one stroke.

12. Artificial and natural objects that are not fixed may be moved, but a natural object in a sand bunker or water hazard may not be moved. The ball must not move when the object is moved. Penalty: one stroke.

13. You may not ground the sole of your club in a sand bunker or a water hazard. Penalty: one stroke.

14. You may mark and clean your ball on the putting green.

15. Finish the hole with the same ball you started with unless it became lost, unfit for play, or was abandoned.

[deasy55]

You do know some of those rules are incorrect, right? Namely 5,9 and 10

Edit: Only noticed the "for casual golf" line now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

Here's my one-page rule sheet. There is a 97-page rule book and a 437-page book of decisions, so there's a lot left out. My rules would govern recreational golf -- just going out to have fun with friends. For competition or establishing a handicap, stick with USGA. Everything is consistent with USGA rules as fas as I can tell except for the OB rule, which I changed to put some sense into it.

This rule sheet has been previously published. You may reproduce it, but only with attribution to The Recreational Golfer.

The Rules of Golf in One Page

By

The Recreational Golfer

1. Tee up your ball within the rectangle between the tee markers and two club-lengths back.

2. Every attempt to hit the ball, whether or not successful, counts as a stroke, but if you accidentally knock the ball off a tee while addressing it, no stroke is counted and there is no penalty.

3. If you accidentally move the ball while addressing it (except on a tee) or in taking a practice stroke, replace the ball in its original spot. Penalty: one stroke.

4. You may not improve the lie of your ball. Penalty: two strokes.

5. If your ball is found (a) out of bounds, (b) in a water hazard (or is not found but is known to be in the water hazard), or (c) in a spot where it is unplayable, drop it within two club-lengths of the nearest spot (a) in bounds, (b) outside the water hazard, or (c) from where it lies, but in no case nearer to the hole. Penalty: one stroke.

6. In the three situations above you may choose instead to play a ball from the spot where the ball was last played. Penalty: one stroke.

7. If your ball is lost (but not in a water hazard), you must play another ball from the spot where you last hit the ball that got lost. Penalty: one stroke.

8. If you play the wrong ball, play the correct ball and take a one-stroke penalty. The player whose ball was incorrectly played is to drop another ball at the spot from where you hit it.

9. If your ball is on the wrong putting green, drop it within two club-lengths of the nearest spot off the green but not nearer to the hole. No penalty.

10. If an artificial object (including a cart path) that is fixed interferes with your swing, you may take two-club lengths relief, but not nearer to the hole. No penalty.

11. A natural object that is fixed and which interferes with your swing may not be moved, bent, broken, or detached. Penalty: one stroke.

12. Artificial and natural objects that are not fixed may be moved, but a natural object in a sand bunker or water hazard may not be moved. The ball must not move when the object is moved. Penalty: one stroke.

13. You may not ground the sole of your club in a sand bunker or a water hazard. Penalty: one stroke.

14. You may mark and clean your ball on the putting green.

15. Finish the hole with the same ball you started with unless it became lost, unfit for play, or was abandoned.

[WUTiger]

The rules confusion comes in when you play other courses with things you don't see much at home.

My home course started out as a subdivision development, and we ended up with 14 holes that have OB and/or hazard on both left and right of hole.

BUT, all the water hazards are lateral. Several courses in the area are like this. So, when I played in an event with forced carries over full water hazards, we had to call in the rules official to determine where we could and could not drop a ball hit into the water.

Also, there's the rules subset on bunker play. Let's say your home course has no bunkers (a Midwestern public course idea in the 1990s - low maintenance and faster play); or, maybe just a dozen. You may be short on bunker rules awareness at my course, where most people have 3 to 6 bunker shots a round.

What upsets people is when they're unsure of a rule, and someone in the group implies they are morally unfit and trying to cheat.

And, one has to determine which golf circles to play in. If you want to play recreational golf , you might end up with people who are mushy on the rules. But, if you play competitive Golf (I play this, although not always well), you obey the rules.

NOTE: In the area amateur circuit events, we get e-mailed a preview sheet of any unusual course situations which affect rules. For example, Glen Echo CC had a local rule that a ball over the right side fence on hole No. 1, was considered in a hazard... you went to the crossing spot, took a penalty stroke, and dropped a ball there. The circuit decided to go with USGA rules, and make the fence an OB.

Also, you get a teebox briefing on any ground under repair conditions for the day.

===================

Forever ago, I read something called the Three Big Rules of Golf (TBRoG):

1. Play the ball as it lays.
2. Play the course as the designer intended.
3. If you find a situation which the designer did not intend golfers to play from, seek reasonable relief.

Supposedly, all formal rules of golf can be tied back to one of these there. (Does anyone have a source for the TBRoG?)

[ColinL]

You maybe didn't notice that you are bumping a 4 year old thread :)

Anyway, you'll find the lines you quoted about playing the ball as it lies, etc  on the inside cover of your rule book.  Not quite the same wording but the same idea.

[Fourputt]

The problem with Deasy's proposal is that I can see obvious and everyday exceptions for every rule he wrote, and there is nothing in them to accommodate those exceptions.  This is the difficulty that lies in writing a set of rules which must apply to an almost infinite variety of playing fields and conditions.  What seems obvious and necessary in one case may be quite obscure, or even unnecessary, in another.  The obvious flaw in his second rule jumped out at me at first glance.

2. Every attempt to hit the ball, whether or not successful, counts as a stroke, but if you accidentally knock the ball off a tee while addressing it, no stroke is counted and there is no penalty.

This already missed the case where the player has whiffed the ball on the first swing from the tee.  At this point the ball is in play even on the tee, and the penalty for causing it to move it is one stroke.   For that matter how does he define a 'ball in play", something that is necessary because the status of the ball is crucial to certain procedures and rules.

If I wanted to take the time, I could probably find a common exception or shortcoming for all 15 rules.  They certainly won't work for any semi-serious competition.  Writing such a list for casual players is a waste of time because they won't pay any more attention to that list than they do to the rules we have now.

Edited October 6, 2015 by Fourputt