How many of you "fluff" your ball or play 6"/winter rules all the time?

[David in FL]

played yesterday with a friend of mine who I had not played with in awhile and who is a better player than me. Probably around a 5 handicap. He improved his lie on every shot, he would pick up the ball and place it perfectly. I was shocked, he has the skills to where that isnt necessary at all. Didnt say anything to him about it or lose respect for his game since I know he is good, but it was odd to me

Guess what. He's not a 5......make him play properly and you might just kick his ass! :-)

[Jimdangles]

Originally Posted by David in FL

Guess what. He's not a 5......make him play properly and you might just kick his ass!

ya if hes always playing with a perfect lie he may not even be that good. He may not know how to handle diversity in grass at all. How many times does the average guy miss hit a shot because its not in the perfect lie. Maybe out of some brush. I had two shot like that yesterday. One was kind of chunked and lost 20 yards the other was a "Flyer" where I was right next to the 150 pole and flew the green with my 9 iron. He isnt a 5.

[Jimbo Slice]

I enjoy a bad lie and am more then willing to put my club in harms way in an attempt to hit a satisfying shot. I've made two shots already on balls hovering a foot off the ground, suspended inside a bush. Both shots came out cleanly on my first attempt, it was great. I'm still waiting to get a legit shot on an under water ball, I want one so bad. Or maybe one of those bank shots I've seen on youtube, purposely played off a wall or tree.

[kw purp]

Originally Posted by David in FL

Guess what. He's not a 5......make him play properly and you might just kick his ass!

[Jimbo Slice]

Originally Posted by kw purp

haha nah I am not that kind of guy. He can play however he wants, unless we were playing for money.

Yah, but He's "THAT GUY"!

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by David in FL

Quote:

Originally Posted by kw purp

played yesterday with a friend of mine who I had not played with in awhile and who is a better player than me. Probably around a 5 handicap. He improved his lie on every shot, he would pick up the ball and place it perfectly. I was shocked, he has the skills to where that isnt necessary at all. Didnt say anything to him about it or lose respect for his game since I know he is good, but it was odd to me

Guess what. He's not a 5......make him play properly and you might just kick his ass!

My thoughts exactly. I don't care what kind of shots this guy can hit - he's not a 5 - by handicap index standards he has no standing at all.

[Jimbo Slice]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

My thoughts exactly. I don't care what kind of shots this guy can hit - he's not a 5 - by handicap index standards he has no standing at all.

Doesn't someone have to sign on his scorecard?.... Your not signing this guys scorecard are you LOL?

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Jimbo Slice

Quote:

Originally Posted by sean_miller

My thoughts exactly. I don't care what kind of shots this guy can hit - he's not a 5 - by handicap index standards he has no standing at all.

Doesn't someone have to sign on his scorecard?.... Your not signing this guys scorecard are you LOL?

In a tournament he'd be DQ'd. end of story

[Chief Broom]

Originally Posted by kw purp

played yesterday with a friend of mine who I had not played with in awhile and who is a better player than me. Probably around a 5 handicap. He improved his lie on every shot, he would pick up the ball and place it perfectly. I was shocked, he has the skills to where that isnt necessary at all. Didnt say anything to him about it or lose respect for his game since I know he is good, but it was odd to me

This practice is very widespread.  I'd say far more people "roll" the ball than play it down.

It doesn't bother me one way or the other.  If someone who rolls the ball plays in a handicapped tournament their handicap will reflect the way they play, so any advantage gained will in effect lower their handicap accordingly.  The problem I see from rolling the ball is for the "roller" if they ever find them self in a situation where they are not allowed to roll the ball.  Then they will lose whatever advantage they have gained from rolling the ball, and constantly have to fight the impulse they have ingrained to bump or nudge the ball to a more favorable lie.

[Motown88]

Originally Posted by inthehole

OK, so I don't have to go to golf confession and can have a clear conscience ... for future reference, what is the penalty for moving a ball off a rock or gravel, and dropping a clubs length away ?      1 or 2 strokes ??    Thx

It's a one stroke penalty if you decide to move it off the rocks.

[Jimdangles]

Originally Posted by Jimbo Slice

I enjoy a bad lie and am more then willing to put my club in harms way in an attempt to hit a satisfying shot. I've made two shots already on balls hovering a foot off the ground, suspended inside a bush. Both shots came out cleanly on my first attempt, it was great. I'm still waiting to get a legit shot on an under water ball, I want one so bad. Or maybe one of those bank shots I've seen on youtube, purposely played off a wall or tree.

A shot to damage a club? I will take the stroke for that one. If its near roots Ill pull out my sand wedge which I use for mostly if a shot may cause thrashing to my club. Would I play off concrete or on top of an actual root? NO WAY. I am a digger and would probably do real damage to my wrists and possibley my club that will actually make a difference. I do enjoy playing out of a bush or an awkward lie though. Im in it for the challenge. I would like the chance to play a tree/wall bank shot but I have to say I havent been looking for it. That would be sweet to pull that off.

As far as an underwater shot there is just no shot that was more shocking than Haas' shot in the playoff last year. Besides maybe tigers flop at memorial but that wasn't as ...difficult

[MSchott]

Originally Posted by Jimdangles

A shot to damage a club? I will take the stroke for that one. If its near roots Ill pull out my sand wedge which I use for mostly if a shot may cause thrashing to my club. Would I play off concrete or on top of an actual root? NO WAY. I am a digger and would probably do real damage to my wrists and possibley my club that will actually make a difference. I do enjoy playing out of a bush or an awkward lie though. Im in it for the challenge. I would like the chance to play a tree/wall bank shot but I have to say I havent been looking for it. That would be sweet to pull that off.

As far as an underwater shot there is just no shot that was more shocking than Haas' shot in the playoff last year. Besides maybe tigers flop at memorial but that wasn't as ...difficult

I'm with you. I'm not so serious about my golf that I will risk damaging my club or more importantly myself by hitting from the rocks or next to a tree root or the like. I play for fun most of the time but almost always play the ball as it lies but am not obsessive about this. Also, if I were in a tournament and my ball ended up in one of these scenario's I'd take a drop and the penalty.

[inthehole]

Originally Posted by Motown88

It's a one stroke penalty if you decide to move it off the rocks.

OK - thanks !

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by Jimbo Slice

I enjoy a bad lie and am more then willing to put my club in harms way in an attempt to hit a satisfying shot. I've made two shots already on balls hovering a foot off the ground, suspended inside a bush. Both shots came out cleanly on my first attempt, it was great. I'm still waiting to get a legit shot on an under water ball, I want one so bad. Or maybe one of those bank shots I've seen on youtube, purposely played off a wall or tree.

You are my kind of guy.  That is exactly how I look at it - it is a challenge.

Originally Posted by inthehole

OK - thanks !

But for that stroke you get up to 2 clublengths (no nearer the hole) or you can drop it on a line keeping your original lie between you and the hole and go as far back as you'd like.  This is all under the unplayable lie rule.  So if you are next to a rock, but also have a small bush or tree 2 feet in front of you you can get some relief from both of them for that one single penalty stroke.

[kw purp]

Originally Posted by MSchott

I'm with you. I'm not so serious about my golf that I will risk damaging my club or more importantly myself by hitting from the rocks or next to a tree root or the like. I play for fun most of the time but almost always play the ball as it lies but am not obsessive about this. Also, if I were in a tournament and my ball ended up in one of these scenario's I'd take a drop and the penalty.

yeah clubs are way too expensive to do that just for a casual round

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by inthehole

OK, so I don't have to go to golf confession and can have a clear conscience ... for future reference, what is the penalty for moving a ball off a rock or gravel, and dropping a clubs length away ?      1 or 2 strokes ??    Thx

Ok... It's a 1 stroke penalty, but there is nothing in Rule 28 that mentions one clublength.  The rule reads:

The player may deem his ball unplayable at any place on the course, except when the ball is in a water hazard. The player is the sole judge as to whether his ball is unplayable.

If the player deems his ball to be unplayable, he must, under penalty of one stroke:

a. Proceed under the stroke and distance provision of Rule 27-1 by playing a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or

b. Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped; or

c. Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.

If the unplayable ball is in a bunker, the player may proceed under Clause a, b or c. If he elects to proceed under Clause b or c, a ball must be dropped in the bunker.

When proceeding under this Rule, the player may lift and clean his ball or substitute a ball.

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE:

Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.

[tiger187126]

i better go back and add 36 or so strokes to every round i've played by myself where i don't take the stick out on a putt or erase any score i had from a gimme put that's not in match play.

if it's not a tournament or for money and it doesn't affect you, then why do you care?

if you were a tournament golfer or playing for money wouldn't you want the guy you're playing against fluff all the time so when the bright lights are on and he has to play down he's not comfortable?

[LovinItAll]

Originally Posted by Jimbo Slice

I enjoy a bad lie and am more then willing to put my club in harms way in an attempt to hit a satisfying shot. I've made two shots already on balls hovering a foot off the ground, suspended inside a bush. Both shots came out cleanly on my first attempt, it was great. I'm still waiting to get a legit shot on an under water ball, I want one so bad. Or maybe one of those bank shots I've seen on youtube, purposely played off a wall or tree.

I've hit more than one water shot before, much to the amusement of my buddies. Got them out, but don't remember anything else about them.

I'll hit off anything that isn't moving, and I don't really care what it does to my clubs. That's why I bought them - to play golf.