What rule, or rules, do you ignore?

[Braivo]

On 7/1/2016 at 7:49 AM, Golfingdad said:

I will occasionally tap one in with the flagstick still in, and I'll also occasionally take short gimmes.

I don't drop correctly all the time in casual rounds - sometimes it's just an underhand toss.  Nor do I measure exactly where two club lengths ends if it's obvious that there is no real difference in the ground conditions in that area.

I sometimes don't mark my ball on the green to clean it.  And I also will not give myself a penalty on the rare occasion where I bump the ball with my putter.

My friends and I give advice liberally, and ask what club each is using often.

This is very similar to how I play it. Is it perfect? No. Do I post for handicap? No. It's all good fun and it's usually my brother and I playing a friendly game against each other for pride only. We give each other advice and cheer each other on. 

 

On 7/1/2016 at 8:03 PM, Papa Steve 55 said:

In a casual round, most white stakes take on a decidedly red hue. We change OB to hazards now and then.

I laughed at this phrasing. I don't personally do this because I want to accurately reflect my score, but I will allow it in friendly money games so long as I get the same treatment. I will take S&D for my own scorecard to get as close to accurate score as possible. 

[DrvFrShow]

I've found golf a lot more enjoyable when I don't give a damn about the score... or other than basic rules.

Let's add another one: bunkers around here vary so much in quality that you don't know what is under the sand or how deep the sand is. I'm telling you true. You could have a dusting of sand over a rocky undersurface. You could have "plastisand", you could have regular fluffy sand, or heavy hard wet sand. If they're reasonably taken care of no problem.

The problem is that my left shoulder is acting up again. I'm doing my shoulder exercises as prescribed and stretching, but I don't want to re-injure the tissue. I've seen some bunkers that need to have sand added and a lot of it. We have very rocky soil in the area due to the volcano. I'm talking grape shot to 6" size. This is what's under the sand. If there's hardly any sand, I'm tossing my ball behind the bunker and chipping over it....  or if there's enough sand in it to build a pile, I'll rake it and replace my ball for no penalty. I will not take a chance on reinjuring my shoulder.

[GolfLug]

I drop my ball with arm raised to shoulder height even on the range these days..

Won't take the pin out at all if I play solo (which is not that often anymore). Can't post anyway so sorta mute (or is it moot? whatever..) point. Used to be gimme galore within leather with friends but most of my rounds are in my club Sunday league so that has stopped. Beyond these I might be ignorant in some rules but I don't ignore anything on purpose that I know of.

[Lihu]

On 6/30/2016 at 9:11 PM, Piz said:

For example:  I and my fellow competitors, for practical reasons, often play out of order.  We take relief from dangerous life forms not specifically mentioned by the Lords on High.  We do not drop the ball, when taking relief, if it is certain to be an exercise in futility.  We adhere to the rules, for the most part, but practical necessity demands that we diverge, on occasion, from the straight and hallowed.  Any thoughts on the matter?

Play the rest of the hole the way you want, then just take the proper score for the hole based upon your handicap. It's basically an unfinished hole if you can't play by the rules.

[Elmer]

On 7/1/2016 at 10:32 PM, DrvFrShow said:

 

* Roots and embedded rocks are ground under repair - I'm not about to undergo shoulder surgery.

* I added poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac to dangerous conditions and lengthened the distance to as far away as I feel comfortable. I don't want to have to throw out my clothes and spend time in urgent care. The cost of a ball and a rule isn't worth the trouble and two club lengths aren't enough. Fortunately I haven't played a course infested with this stuff yet. 

* Rocks in front or behind my ball in a sand bunker are removable debris - I can't afford eye surgery.  

* Even though it is summer, there are drainage areas on the courses. Sometimes your ball lands in one and picks up mud. We clean it off. Same with goose or other animal feces no matter where it happens on the course.

. 

Sounds like we play at a very similar course.
My home course has roots, rocks and even shale protruding from the ground.
Rules are rules, but I will not damage limb or club to abide by the ROG! 
My course also has some drainage issues which they have failed to fix in 10 years. therefore if you hit the ball just enough it gets covered in mud.
Instead of calling it ground under repair or a hazard, the course just pretends it is not there.

we have always allowed a lift and clean in the muddy areas, and areas filled with goose, dear or who knows what's poop!!!

bunkers are the same things, I pick up as many rocks as I can find when I am in there. My course's bunkers can look like back-fill from a construction sight.

My course does not have a rules committee of local committee, so 40 years ago my league declared these allowances.

Finally, when I drop I usually take 2 steps back from where I entered and hold my hand out and drop!

[lastings]

On 7/1/2016 at 2:09 AM, Lihu said:

At least for the past three years, I haven't been in any situation where ignoring the rules was needed.

Really?   There hasn't been one time in the past 3 years where you were playing a completely casual round, and you couldn't find a ball that you expected to find (be it in deep rough, or an unmarked hazard)?   Or, are you saying that every time that has happened, you walked all the way back to the tee and re-teed it? 

[mcanadiens]

3 minutes ago, lastings said:

you walked all the way back to the tee and re-teed it

Do this at most of the courses I play and the group behind will re-tee you.

[lastings]

Just now, mcanadiens said:

Do this at most of the courses I play and the group behind will re-tee you.

no doubt. 

[Shindig]

18 hours ago, lastings said:

Really?   There hasn't been one time in the past 3 years where you were playing a completely casual round, and you couldn't find a ball that you expected to find (be it in deep rough, or an unmarked hazard)?   Or, are you saying that every time that has happened, you walked all the way back to the tee and re-teed it? 

Or, you know, played a provisional or something...

[Golfingdad]

13 minutes ago, Shindig said:

Or, you know, played a provisional or something...

Why would you play a provisional for a ball that was expected to be found?

[lastings]

Just now, Golfingdad said:

Why would you play a provisional for a ball that was expected to be found?

This. 

[Shindig]

1 hour ago, Golfingdad said:

Why would you play a provisional for a ball that was expected to be found?

Well, his example was deep rough.  If I were playing a course where I could hit into rough so deep I couldn't find it, I'd play a provisional.  

I still don't know what an unmarked hazard is though.

[Lihu]

20 hours ago, lastings said:

Really?   There hasn't been one time in the past 3 years where you were playing a completely casual round, and you couldn't find a ball that you expected to find (be it in deep rough, or an unmarked hazard)?   Or, are you saying that every time that has happened, you walked all the way back to the tee and re-teed it? 

No, they were deemed unfinished holes and the score was adjusted to my handicap at the time. It just seems like a bad idea to start breaking rules knowingly. . .

https://www.usga.org/HandicapFAQ/handicap_answer.asp?FAQidx=7

http://www.usga.org/handicapping/handicap-manual.html#!rule-14377

 

14 minutes ago, Shindig said:

Well, his example was deep rough.  If I were playing a course where I could hit into rough so deep I couldn't find it, I'd play a provisional.  

That's a good reason.

 

14 minutes ago, Shindig said:

I still don't know what an unmarked hazard is though.

Like a water hazard that does not have a marker or red paint or whatever. . .

[Shindig]

7 minutes ago, Lihu said:

Like a water hazard that does not have a marker or red paint or whatever. . .

Well, you can't play a provisional due to a ball being in such a hazard anyway, so I wouldn't. 

[Golfingdad]

14 minutes ago, Shindig said:

Well, his example was deep rough.  If I were playing a course where I could hit into rough so deep I couldn't find it, I'd play a provisional.  

I still don't know what an unmarked hazard is though.

His question over-rides the example though.  Have you never hit a ball that you "knew" you'd find but didn't?  Whether it be because it ended up under leaves, or fell in a gopher hole, or got picked up by another group, etc, etc ... we've all done it.  If that hasn't happened to you in a casual round of golf then you have not been playing for very long.

1 minute ago, Shindig said:

Well, you can't play a provisional due to a ball being in such a hazard anyway, so I wouldn't. 

You guys are way off on an unnecessary tangent here.

[lastings]

6 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

His question over-rides the example though.  Have you never hit a ball that you "knew" you'd find but didn't?  Whether it be because it ended up under leaves, or fell in a gopher hole, or got picked up by another group, etc, etc ... we've all done it.  If that hasn't happened to you in a casual round of golf then you have not been playing for very long.

You guys are way off on an unnecessary tangent here.

seriously..   too many people getting too nitpicky just for the sake of argument.   arguing about this stuff is less fun than walking back to the tee after not finding a ball you were sure you'd find.   

If the round is casual. and I just have a small wager with friends or something like that, we just play that stuff as if there was a red stake there and move on.   If it's a tournament, which I never play anything official anyways, rules is rules. 

22 minutes ago, Lihu said:

32 minutes ago, Shindig said:

If I were playing a course where I could hit into rough so deep I couldn't find it, I'd play a provisional.  

 

 

I've lost balls chipping in my backyard that I mow once a week.  So, unless you are suggesting to hit a provisional every single time I'm not visible in the fairway, lets just operate under the assumption that you never know exactly whats going to happen until you get up there and actually look for your ball.  

[lastings]

28 minutes ago, Lihu said:

No, they were deemed unfinished holes and the score was adjusted to my handicap at the time. It just seems like a bad idea to start breaking rules knowingly. . .

https://www.usga.org/HandicapFAQ/handicap_answer.asp?FAQidx=7

http://www.usga.org/handicapping/handicap-manual.html#!rule-14377

 

These are not the rules of golf, these are the rules of how to account for your handicap when you don't feel like following the rules of golf.   

so, as the question asks, "What rule, or rules, do you ignore?"  Your answer is this rule.  you don't walk back to the tee and re-tee your ball, thus ignoring that rule. 

 

[Fourputt]

1 hour ago, Shindig said:

Well, his example was deep rough.  If I were playing a course where I could hit into rough so deep I couldn't find it, I'd play a provisional.  

I still don't know what an unmarked hazard is though.

An unmarked water hazard is still a water hazard, just not as clearly defined.