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

[DrvFrShow]

In my experience, more than 50% of the bogey golfers liberally use "GUR" and foot wedges to kick their balls out of divots and avoid hitting off dirt. They justify the movement in line with the "unplayable" rule***, even though they don't usually take an extra stroke.

If this rule did not exist, they would not have this "crutch" to back them up when they pull out the old foot wedge as if they are still "partially" following the rules.

My feeling is that "unplayable" should be obviously so. {Of course this is only my opinion, but the thread does ask for it.}

***Even worse is "Winter rules". http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Handicap-System-Manual/Rule-07/

Partially following the rules isn't following them....

Around here, up through the end of May we have dirt clods on our golf balls in some fairways, so we're still playing lift and clean with preferred lies, even though the course is playable from the latter part of April. That's for league play. Some courses, however, relief from casual water in the beginning of April is impossible. From what I read today this is an El Nino year and it's gonna be very wet out here. So lift and clean might last through the end of June.

Of course in a casual round (I don't consider playing for money a casual round) or especially playing by yourself, you probably don't mark your ball before you lift and clean it.

[turtleback]

Okay, I stand guilty as charged.

That's ok.  I DID give you the benefit of the doubt and said the break was temporary.

Partially following the rules isn't following them....

Exactly.  Taking relief without paying the stroke is partially following the rules?  That would be like someone saying they were partially buying something - they were taking it from the store but just not paying for it,  In life it is called stealing and in golf it is called cheating.