Annoying or helpful?

[mdl]

This isn't really a rules question (unless I'm wrong on the rule, in which case, please correct me).  But it seemed to fit best in here.

Yesterday I was playing a round and on one hole the green is 30-40 yards in front of the tee box for the next hole.  So we were walking back to the tee box and the group behind us was chipping up on the green.  One player chipped up and hit the ball of another player who'd already hit onto the green.  One player was saying she thought that was a penalty for the player who hit the chip, but wasn't 100% sure, and one other player said they also thought that was true.  My understanding of the rule is that there's no penalty, the player whose ball was already on the green gets to replace it to the spot where the ball lay before being knocked by the other ball, and the player who hit the ball that struck the other ball plays their next shot from wherever their ball ended up after striking the one already on the green but with no penalty.

I asked my golf buddy if he thought it would be cool if I told them the rule, and he strongly thought it would be annoying so I let it go.  You guys agree?  Annoyingly intrusive and pedantic, or helpful to correct their rules knowledge (and save one player a stroke penalty)?

[MiniBlueDragon]

I'd be appreciative, not annoyed.

[Ignorant]

I would not take it up on the course but as they were right behind you it might be appropriate to mention it at the club. Lots of people are pretty sensitive as far as advices and especially corrective advices are concerned so ruining someboby's round by intruding is propably not the best of ideas.

You were right, though, Rule 18-5.

[zeg]

I probably wouldn't butt in if I were passing by.  If I had a copy of the rules with me and I could do so without slowing my group down (unlikely), I might offer to let them look it up, but otherwise I don't think it's helpful.  From their perspective, you're just another voice who thinks he knows the rule, and they have no way to evaluate whether you know what you're talking about.

[WWBDD]

You just wanted to talk to the golf hotties, but were too shy.

That's cute.

[mdl]

If chunky, middle aged, and don't look like 30 lbs lighter and 20 years ago they were any more attractive is your definition of golf hotties, then you got me...

[Ignorant]

Originally Posted by zeg

I probably wouldn't butt in if I were passing by.  If I had a copy of the rules with me and I could do so without slowing my group down (unlikely), I might offer to let them look it up, but otherwise I don't think it's helpful.  From their perspective, you're just another voice who thinks he knows the rule, and they have no way to evaluate whether you know what you're talking about.

Does this mean that you do NOT carry a Rule Book in your bag regularly?

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by mdl

This isn't really a rules question (unless I'm wrong on the rule, in which case, please correct me).  But it seemed to fit best in here.

Yesterday I was playing a round and on one hole the green is 30-40 yards in front of the tee box for the next hole.  So we were walking back to the tee box and the group behind us was chipping up on the green.  One player chipped up and hit the ball of another player who'd already hit onto the green.  One player was saying she thought that was a penalty for the player who hit the chip, but wasn't 100% sure, and one other player said they also thought that was true.  My understanding of the rule is that there's no penalty, the player whose ball was already on the green gets to replace it to the spot where the ball lay before being knocked by the other ball, and the player who hit the ball that struck the other ball plays their next shot from wherever their ball ended up after striking the one already on the green but with no penalty.

I asked my golf buddy if he thought it would be cool if I told them the rule, and he strongly thought it would be annoying so I let it go.  You guys agree?  Annoyingly intrusive and pedantic, or helpful to correct their rules knowledge (and save one player a stroke penalty)?

I'd have told them, then it's up to them to decide whether they want to use the information or not.   I really hate letting obvious misinformation on the rules go unaddressed.  That is how we end up with so many uninformed golfers.

[zeg]

Originally Posted by Ignorant

Does this mean that you do NOT carry a Rule Book in your bag regularly?

No, I always have one in my own golf bag, so it's only when I'm home and borrowing my dad's clubs that I don't. The "unlikely" part was referring to being able to swing by and lend it to them without slowing down play.

[Ignorant]

Originally Posted by zeg

No, I always have one in my own golf bag, so it's only when I'm home and borrowing my dad's clubs that I don't. The "unlikely" part was referring to being able to swing by and lend it to them without slowing down play.

Ok, explanation accepted

[Grumpter]

Originally Posted by Ignorant

Does this mean that you do NOT carry a Rule Book in your bag regularly?

Let me channel Feherty on this one...

I suppose I should carry a Rule Book with me just in case I get the trots in the middle of the course. I wouldn't want to ruin a perfectly good golf towel.

[rustyredcab]

"Hey. I don't want to butt into your game, but would you like to know the correct ruling?"

If "No thanks." then I'd tell them to enjoy the rest of the day.

[Shorty]

If I'd overheard them, I would have simply said "No penalty guys, just replace his ball".  Can't really see how that would offend anyone. Chances are, they'd say "Oh, great.  Thanks a lot!"

You reply "No worries" and everyone feels happy.

I think that this is where we have so many problems with rules. A bunch of guys start playing together at the same time, rather than being introduced to the game through people with a sound knowledge of the rules, so it's the blind leading the blind.

I certainly wouldn't be dragging aout a rule book.

[Gresh24]

Originally Posted by rustyredcab

"Hey. I don't want to butt into your game, but would you like to know the correct ruling?"

If "No thanks." then I'd tell them to enjoy the rest of the day.

This^^

[ghalfaire]

Sounds like a question for Stella.  She worries about this stuff.  But I'd tell them the rule and leave.  The player about to be unfairly penalized would appreciate it.

Originally Posted by mdl

This isn't really a rules question (unless I'm wrong on the rule, in which case, please correct me).  But it seemed to fit best in here.

Yesterday I was playing a round and on one hole the green is 30-40 yards in front of the tee box for the next hole.  So we were walking back to the tee box and the group behind us was chipping up on the green.  One player chipped up and hit the ball of another player who'd already hit onto the green.  One player was saying she thought that was a penalty for the player who hit the chip, but wasn't 100% sure, and one other player said they also thought that was true.  My understanding of the rule is that there's no penalty, the player whose ball was already on the green gets to replace it to the spot where the ball lay before being knocked by the other ball, and the player who hit the ball that struck the other ball plays their next shot from wherever their ball ended up after striking the one already on the green but with no penalty.

I asked my golf buddy if he thought it would be cool if I told them the rule, and he strongly thought it would be annoying so I let it go.  You guys agree?  Annoyingly intrusive and pedantic, or helpful to correct their rules knowledge (and save one player a stroke penalty)?

[Gresh24]

Quote:

If I'd overheard them, I would have simply said "No penalty guys, just replace his ball".  Can't really see how that would offend anyone. Chances are, they'd say "Oh, great.  Thanks a lot!"

You reply "No worries" and everyone feels happy.

I think that this is where we have so many problems with rules. A bunch of guys start playing together at the same time, rather than being introduced to the game through people with a sound knowledge of the rules, so it's the blind leading the blind.

I certainly wouldn't be dragging aout a rule book.

What's the "problem"?  There are a BUNCH of guys out there playing golf that don't know all correct rulings, nor do they really care.  If they want to learn, they can.

I don't understand what you mean by saying there are "so many problems with rules", or what was hurt by those guys not knowing the correct ruling.

[sacm3bill]

Originally Posted by Gresh24

What's the "problem"?  There are a BUNCH of guys out there playing golf that don't know all correct rulings, nor do they really care.  If they want to learn, they can.

I don't understand what you mean by saying there are "so many problems with rules", or what was hurt by those guys not knowing the correct ruling.

You're right, people who don't care what the correct rulings are aren't a problem. The problems surface when people *do* want to know, and they don''t or there is a discrepancy as to what the rule is and no one in the group knows for sure - that's what the OP and the rest of this thread is about. I see and hear stories about that quite often, so I agree with Shorty that it is a problem, and I also agree with his theory on what causes it (people who only know rules by word of mouth from people who are often incorrect.)

What was hurt by the group in the OP not knowing the rules is that they were unable to correctly determine what to do in the situation they were in.  Isn't it better to know than to not know?

[Shorty]

Quote:

What's the "problem"?  There are a BUNCH of guys out there playing golf that don't know all correct rulings, nor do they really care.  If they want to learn, they can.

I don't understand what you mean by saying there are "so many problems with rules", or what was hurt by those guys not knowing the correct ruling.

I'm pretty much referring to the rules questions that people ask on this forum. The majority of them are very straightforward and "problems" would not arise if one of the people in the group had a modicum of experience. Seems to me that there are lots of guys who play together who have never played with an experienced golfer. That's why they they ask if an airswing counts, wonder why they're pllaying 5 off the tee with two OB and ask questions such as the OP. If these weren't problems, those players wouldn't come here for solutions. They obviously see them as problems. But if you want a semantic argument, that's something entirely different...