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Unplayable lie: must drop 2 clubs away be in straight line?


joekelly
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Boogicious quoted Rule 28b "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."

I think that's where the "straight line" confusion happened. It was a mix of two club lengths AND keeping the drop in a line from where the ball lay to the hole.

The drop distance difference for different height players could be solved if you were allowed to place the ball. Shoot, you're already penalized a stroke so you're SOL on the hole anyway. Also it would simplify the rule so there's no "did it roll more than two club lengths" decision. (I know easy one to resolve but many people have trouble with the rules. Let's make it easier.)

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Boogicious quoted Rule 28b "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."

I think that's where the "straight line" confusion happened. It was a mix of two club lengths AND keeping the drop in a line from where the ball lay to the hole.

The drop distance difference for different height players could be solved if you were allowed to place the ball. Shoot, you're already penalized a stroke so you're SOL on the hole anyway. Also it would simplify the rule so there's no "did it roll more than two club lengths" decision. (I know easy one to resolve but many people have trouble with the rules. Let's make it easier.)

Why?  The people who do not play by the rules now will not play by the rules anyway, so why change the rules to accommodate them?

But then again, what the hell do I know?

Rich - in name only

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Quote:

Originally Posted by sloglfr

Boogicious quoted Rule 28b "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."

I think that's where the "straight line" confusion happened. It was a mix of two club lengths AND keeping the drop in a line from where the ball lay to the hole.

The drop distance difference for different height players could be solved if you were allowed to place the ball. Shoot, you're already penalized a stroke so you're SOL on the hole anyway. Also it would simplify the rule so there's no "did it roll more than two club lengths" decision. (I know easy one to resolve but many people have trouble with the rules. Let's make it easier.)

Why?  The people who do not play by the rules now will not play by the rules anyway, so why change the rules to accommodate them?

Hey, that's my line .... I know, because I stole it from you a couple of years ago. ;-)

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Why?  The people who do not play by the rules now will not play by the rules anyway, so why change the rules to accommodate them?

I agree that some people know they are breaking rules, don't care and wouldn't follow simplified rules, but I do think there is a group of players who inadvertently break rules and a group that usually follow the rules but find it impractical to do so at times (i.e. not going back when they have an unexpected lost ball or declaring a "provisional" for a ball that they plan to look for in or near a hazard). Given that the majority of "golfers" don't follow the rules maybe it is worth examining how the rules can be improved??

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I agree that some people know they are breaking rules, don't care and wouldn't follow simplified rules, but I do think there is a group of players who inadvertently break rules and a group that usually follow the rules but find it impractical to do so at times (i.e. not going back when they have an unexpected lost ball or declaring a "provisional" for a ball that they plan to look for in or near a hazard).

Given that the majority of "golfers" don't follow the rules maybe it is worth examining how the rules can be improved??

We go through this constantly.

How do you propose improving the lost ball rule?  "Drop where you think it was lost" doesn't work.

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I would much rather have an unplayable than a lost ball. If I found it fairly quickly, the walk back to re-hit would probably be less than the 5 minute search time allowed.

Of course it could be found at the end of a 5-minute search and compound the awkward walk

Kevin

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Given that the majority of "golfers" don't follow the rules maybe it is worth examining how the rules can be improved??

We issued that challenge and you've never even attempted it. Find a rule you can "improve" and which does not violate the Principles.

But then again, you've also never bothered, despite being offered a FREE copy (or buying one for about $2 yourself), to read the Principles booklet, so… where's that leave us all?

Dude, the Rules of Golf are not all that complex, despite being played on one of the most varied of playing fields with a variety of forms of play, potential interferences (caddie, fellow competitor, opponent, outside agency, etc.). My kid knows what to do the vast majority of the time.

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I'd encourage anyone with a smart phone to download the USGA rules app.   The water hazard rule, which is one every golfer faces is very clear.

For Unplayable Lie I find the rule very easy to understand.   Not to mention if a rule references something else, it internally links to that section.   So for Rule #28, when it says that under this rule you can lift, clean and potentially substitute the ball, substitute is a link to the area of the app on that topic.

Instead of accommodating rules to "simplify" them, if more people are concerned about the rules, then there are ways to make finding out what to do simpler.  Changing them because people think they are hard is not the answer.   Someone who doesn't want to take the time to do it the right way doesn't show a real interest in the game, at least not to compete.

FWIW, I don't care what other people do.   They can do whatever they want on the course as long as it doesn't impair other people from their games.   Just don't not follow the rules when money is on the line with me, or it's a tourney.

—Adam

 

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Note: This thread is 3199 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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