Should Pros Play by a Different Set of Rules?

[LovinItAll]

Watching The Golf Channel, the commentators brought up having a set of rules for the pros and a separate set for amateurs (they were discussing the long putter). Things that might be affected: - Long putters...any club, really - The ball - Number of clubs ...and the list goes on. I've always thought one of the beauties of golf is playing the same rules and, relatively, the same equipment as the pros. What do you think?

[ApocG10]

No way, one set of rules for everyone. Thats the way it should be.

If you are not competing, you can keep your square grooves and long putters, but if you want to play a tour, amateur or pro, then you need to be held to the same standards as the rest of the tours.

[B-Con]

I'm all for keeping the rules the same. Having the pros play different rules kind of defeats the purpose, as the entire point of the professional level is to exemplify the best and most awesome players of the game. The game itself should be the same for all of us, otherwise we're out there playing one game, the pros are out there playing a different one.

[onesome]

I think the only people who would like it play in scrambles.

[David in FL]

Absolutely not. There may be some individual conditions of competition that vary, but the game should be played by a single set of rules.

[jshots]

Nah I think the one set of rules is not needed. Long putters, those should be removed across the board. I guess thats a different topic though.

[dak4n6]

No, there is only one game...

One man one goal one mission,
One heart one soul just one solution,
One flash of light yeah one god one vision.

One flesh one bone,
one true religion,
One voice one hope,
Wowowowo gimme one vision.

[Mattplusness]

One set of rules? No. But a slight variation of the rules for the professional level is custom for every sport. I'm not going to get into detail about it, but if you think about it you will understand.

[Fore Left]

Originally Posted by Mattplusness

One set of rules? No. But a slight variation of the rules for the professional level is custom for every sport. I'm not going to get into detail about it, but if you think about it you will understand.

I'm thinking about it,  but I still don't understand.

I'm pretty sure the "Pro's" learned the game playing under the same rules as everyone else,  so why shouldn't they play by those same rules now?

[sean_miller]

Don't most sports leagues use one ball for everyone? I'd start there.

Often it's the same guys who say things like "the professionals play an entirely different game than we do" and "the great thing about golf is we all play the same game - from amateurs on a muni to the guys on the PGA Tour". Sure you do.

[TourSpoon]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Don't most sports leagues use one ball for everyone? I'd start there.

Often it's the same guys who say things like "the professionals play an entirely different game than we do" and "the great thing about golf is we all play the same game - from amateurs on a muni to the guys on the PGA Tour". Sure you do.

Sean and I (and many others) have seen these types of threads before. I can tell you that if anyone thinks we play the same game as the pros do, then you should go out and play a round with an average or even aspiring tour pro. You will soon understand the wisdom in the statement above.

Go ahead, sick the SandTrap flamers on me now.

[TourSpoon]

Originally Posted by Mattplusness

One set of rules? No. But a slight variation of the rules for the professional level is custom for every sport. I'm not going to get into detail about it, but if you think about it you will understand.

I understand.

Hockey - check

Basketball - check

Football - check

Baseball - check

Golf - check

That's enough.

[dak4n6]

Originally Posted by TourSpoon

Sean and I (and many others) have seen these types of threads before. I can tell you that if anyone thinks we play the same game as the pros do, then you should go out and play a round with an average or even aspiring tour pro. You will soon understand the wisdom in the statement above.

Go ahead, sick the SandTrap flamers on me now.

Wait, I thought this thread was about rules, not the level of play. When I play, esp in competition, I play by the same rules that the pros do. I have conforming equipment, I take drops properly (I had to use two provisional drives yesterday ), I count my penalty strokes, etc., etc.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by Mattplusness

One set of rules? No. But a slight variation of the rules for the professional level is custom for every sport. I'm not going to get into detail about it, but if you think about it you will understand.

Originally Posted by Fore Left

I'm thinking about it,  but I still don't understand.

I'm pretty sure the "Pro's" learned the game playing under the same rules as everyone else,  so why shouldn't they play by those same rules now?

It's very easy to understand.  The easiest comparison is probably baseball and metal vs. wooden bats.  Pros would just hit the ball too damn hard and too damn far to use metal bats so they have to scale back.  The other sports all get a little "harder" as you progress ... In football the goalposts get narrower at each level, in basketball the 3-point line moves back.  (Not sure about college hockey rules vs. pros but I'm sure there are variations)

But the thing is, golf kind of already has all of those things.  The pros all play from tees way further back than most of us amateurs.  The courses are the hardest in the world, and on top of that they are set up much differently when they come to town than when we are there.

So, esentially, they already do play by a different set of rules than the rest of us.  I don't see a need to change anything else.

[Mattplusness]

Originally Posted by Fore Left

I'm thinking about it,  but I still don't understand.

I'm pretty sure the "Pro's" learned the game playing under the same rules as everyone else,  so why shouldn't they play by those same rules now?

Basketball in grade school and high school don't have a shot clock. You also cannot press during certain points of the game at a young age. There is also no defensive 3 seconds in anything but the NBA.

Keep thinking, and more instances will come.

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Don't most sports leagues use one ball for everyone? I'd start there.

Often it's the same guys who say things like "the professionals play an entirely different game than we do" and "the great thing about golf is we all play the same game - from amateurs on a muni to the guys on the PGA Tour". Sure you do.

Basketball doesn't. Kids start with a 28.5" ball, then in high school they get a bigger ball at 30" while women stay with a 28.5".

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by Mattplusness

Basketball doesn't. Kids start with a 28.5" ball, then in high school they get a bigger ball at 30" while women stay with a 28.5".

I think Sean might have meant something altogether different.

[dsc123]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

It's very easy to understand.  The easiest comparison is probably baseball and metal vs. wooden bats.  Pros would just hit the ball too damn hard and too damn far to use metal bats so they have to scale back.  The other sports all get a little "harder" as you progress ... In football the goalposts get narrower at each level, in basketball the 3-point line moves back.  (Not sure about college hockey rules vs. pros but I'm sure there are variations)

But the thing is, golf kind of already has all of those things.  The pros all play from tees way further back than most of us amateurs.  The courses are the hardest in the world, and on top of that they are set up much differently when they come to town than when we are there.

So, esentially, they already do play by a different set of rules than the rest of us.  I don't see a need to change anything else.

Good point.

[dsc123]

Football uses different balls at every level, but within each level the balls are uniform.