If you could change ONE rule, what would it be?

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by tjcdas

The rules of golf have failed the game.  If the rules are to complex for a human being that earns a living playing golf, needs another human being or a team of officials to assist with the most simple of rules, the rules fail the game.

For the weekend duffer would it not be better to have basic rules and play them correctly.  The handful of basic rules we all need to know are not even understood and followed my the majority of golfers.  Example hitting a ball out of bounds--100% understanding and following of the rules never........Yellow line vs red line--focus on the basics and improve the game.

A one page rule book would allow 99% of the golfers to understand the most important rules and how to follow them.  Which would be a huge improvement over the current situation.

If the pro's can play "clean, lift and place" and not have the golf God's rolling in their graves they would surely approve one or two page rule book.

KISS

Who is going to decide what rules are "most important'?  You are simply talking about playing procedures.  What about the procedures to follow when those "most important" rules are broken?  What do you do with the less important (in your mind) rules?  Your game would be unrecognizable as as golf.

As Erik has asked - if you can come up with a one or two page rule book, then let us see it and test your theory. I think he set up a wiki and another thread for you to do just that.

[ghalfaire]

I agree that the players that now "bump up the ball for a better lie", don't go back to the tee for a lost or OB ball, take "gimme putts inside the leather" and other "game improvement" rules will continue to do this regardless of how many pages there are or are not in the rule book.  I also suspect most people that play in competition try to play by the rules as they are going to live and die by their handicaps.

Having said that I do agree that some situations arise, thankfully not too often, where it isn't immediately clear what the rule is.  You can find some of them in the "rules" section of this forum.  But I doubt I could write a rules book that would be better as it is just difficult to anticipate every situation that can occur on the course.  It also isn't likely that those who's living isn't made on the course will be familiar enough to always come up with the correct ruling on the spot.  But I think most serious golfer get it right 99% of the time.

I heard somewhere that the original rules of golf were 1) play the course as you find it and 2) play the ball as it lies and 3) if you can't do either do what is fair.  Pretty simple but lots of wiggle room in that last rule.

[LeviTee]

Rule 14-3

[ed99ed]

Grounding your club in a bunker should be addressed, golfer steps into a steep bunker, the sand below his foot slides and instinctivly he uses his club like a cane preventing a wipe out. his ball is 20 feet away, clearly he's not trying to better his lie. giving him a penalty here is absurd i don'g believe its the intension of the rule.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by ed99ed

Grounding your club in a bunker should be addressed, golfer steps into a steep bunker, the sand below his foot slides and instinctivly he uses his club like a cane preventing a wipe out. his ball is 20 feet away, clearly he's not trying to better his lie. giving him a penalty here is absurd i don'g believe its the intension of the rule.

I think that exact occurence is exempt. I'm probably wrong, but I'd let it go.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by ed99ed

Grounding your club in a bunker should be addressed, golfer steps into a steep bunker, the sand below his foot slides and instinctivly he uses his club like a cane preventing a wipe out. his ball is 20 feet away, clearly he's not trying to better his lie. giving him a penalty here is absurd i don'g believe its the intension of the rule.

It's not. Bold text my own doing to highlight:

13-4. Ball in Hazard; Prohibited Actions

Except as provided in the Rules , before making a stroke at a ball that is in a hazard (whether a bunker or a water hazard ) or that, having been lifted from a hazard , may be dropped or placed in the hazard, the player must not:

a. Test the condition of the hazard or any similar hazard ;

b. Touch the ground in the hazard or water in the water hazard with his hand or a club; or

c. Touch or move a loose impediment lying in or touching the hazard .

Exceptions:

1. Provided nothing is done that constitutes testing the condition of the hazard or improves the lie of the ball, there is no penalty if the player (a) touches the ground or loose impediments in any hazard or water in a water hazard as a result of or to prevent falling , in removing an obstruction , in measuring or in marking the position of, retrieving, lifting, placing or replacing a ball under any Rule or
(b) places his clubs in a hazard .

[Shorty]

Originally Posted by iacas

Exceptions:

1. Provided nothing is done that constitutes testing the condition of thehazard or improves the lie of the ball, there is no penalty if the player (a) touches the ground or loose impediments in any hazard or water in awater hazard as a result of or to prevent falling, in removing anobstruction, in measuring or in marking the position of, retrieving, lifting, placing or replacing a ball under any Rule or

(b) places his clubs in a hazard.

This was how Michelle Wie attempted to explain grounding her club in a hazrad a little while back.

From memory, she didn't get away with it, because it was obviously BS. She even whinged and whined whilst looking at the replays, I think, digging herself a bit of a hole.

[ed99ed]

Iacas,

Thanks for that clarification, and for the answer on my 9 hole combined round question.

Ed

[GolfBear]

I'd like to see a broadening of the "ground under repair" rule.   Rather that call it "under repair" maybe a provision for "not repaired" could be added.    Hitting into an unfilled divot, golf cart tire rut, unraked bunker or mud filled bunker etc.   Conditions on public courses can vary greatly and I HATE being punished because some lazy, half drunk slob can't be bothered to rake a bunker or replace a divot.

[Lloyd Braun]

I never understood why it's a two stroke penalty when you leave the flagstick in the hole and your putt hits the flagstick.  Can someone explain that to me?

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Lloyd Braun

I never understood why it's a two stroke penalty when you leave the flagstick in the hole and your putt hits the flagstick.  Can someone explain that to me?

It's even a 2 stroke penalty if the flagstick is removed and your putt hits it.  Or if it's attended and a chip or putt from off the green hits it.  It goes back to rule 1-2, exerting influence on the movement of the ball.  They just felt that they needed to make a specific rule to define the details since it comes into play so often.

[ochmude]

I completely ignore that rule on those occasions when I play as a single.  It's a pace of play thing for me.

[B-Con]

I never understood why it's a two stroke penalty when you leave the flagstick in the hole and your putt hits the flagstick.  Can someone explain that to me?

Like Fourputt said, the general idea is influencing the ball. But think about it, a fast putt could easily use the flagstick as a backboard and drop in. How do you tell if it would have dropped in on it's own? If it probably wouldn't of dropped in on it's own, how is a 1 stroke penalty fair -- do you know the next putt would have been made? In general, the stroke penalties are designed to negate any possible advantage to the player by breaking the rule -- situations involving relief excluded. Eg, the situation "I was penalized one stroke but saved two, so I came out ahead" should never happen. 1 stroke penalties are usually for situations when 1 stroke is all a player could have gained, 2 stroke penalties are usually for situations when a player could have possibly gained 2 strokes.

[cody west]

Originally Posted by iacas

It's not. Bold text my own doing to highlight:

13-4. Ball in Hazard; Prohibited Actions

Except as provided in the Rules, before making a stroke at a ball that is in a hazard (whether a bunker or a water hazard) or that, having been lifted from a hazard, may be dropped or placed in the hazard, the player must not:

a. Test the condition of the hazard or any similar hazard;

b. Touch the ground in the hazard or water in the water hazard with his hand or a club; or

c. Touch or move a loose impediment lying in or touching the hazard.

Exceptions:

1. Provided nothing is done that constitutes testing the condition of thehazard or improves the lie of the ball, there is no penalty if the player (a) touches the ground or loose impediments in any hazard or water in awater hazard as a result of or to prevent falling, in removing anobstruction, in measuring or in marking the position of, retrieving, lifting, placing or replacing a ball under any Rule or

(b) places his clubs in a hazard.

im confused as to why this is not excused cuz it says "there is no penalty if the player (a) touches the ground or loose impediments in any hazard or water in a water hazard as a result of or to prevent falling"

not to be a dick but i think you proved yourself wrong Iacas

[zeg]

Originally Posted by cody west

im confused as to why this is not excused cuz it says "there is no penalty if the player (a) touches the ground or loose impediments in any hazard or water in a water hazard as a result of or to prevent falling"

not to be a dick but i think you proved yourself wrong Iacas

He wasn't saying "it's not" excused, he was saying "it's not" the inten[t]ion of the rule to penalize a player who's falling over.

[The Recreational Golfer]

I think steel-centered golf balls and magnetized cup liners should be legalized.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by zeg

He wasn't saying "it's not" excused, he was saying "it's not" the inten[t]ion of the rule to penalize a player who's falling over.

Yes, I was responding to the "giving him a penalty here is absurd i don'g believe its the intension of the rule." part. The rules don't penalize a player for grounding his club to keep his balance.

[TheDude27]

You should be able to ground your club in a sandtrap provided you dont move the ball.  Thats the dumbest of the rules that are commonly seen.  As if you can't tell what the conditions are like when you walk into the bunker by feeling the sand with your feet.  Also what good would grounding your club do if you are hitting a sand shot and you hit several inches behind the ball anyways. Its just a dumb rule, period. It should be the same rule as addressing the ball not in a bunker(ie you cant tamp down /etc in an attempt to improve your lie).   Also if you fall in a sand trap you are allowed to touch the ground with your club or body to prevent the fall or cushion the fall with no penalty.  You can see a video on this on the USGA website in the rules area "Ball in Hazard" Video.