90° Rule, Respect for the Course

[JonMA1]

I was playing with three other golfers on a very wet course today. The course had the 90* rule sign out in the office/clubhouse. The person I rode with seemed completely oblivious. I politely mentioned that we need to stay off the fairways as much as possible and reminded him that the 90° rule was in effect, but it did no good. The best part... I've heard this guy complain about the condition of the course in the past. (These are the types of things that keep me playing as a single.) 

This is not a high-end course, there is no marshall out there, and management is very laid back. But the rough, fairways and greens are kept in good shape by the grounds crew. The other two playing partners seemed able to comply with the 90° rule. They also fixed ball marks and divots.

What are your thoughts on respecting a golf course and those who maintain it? I suspect most will agree we have a certain responsibility in the upkeep. But all you have to do is look around and it's obvious others do not feel this way.

[dennyjones]

The course I belong to always has a 90º rule unless it is cart path only.   It tends to be wetter than other courses.   I still see many golfers ignore it.

[stealthhwk]

And here I was thinking the 90 degree rule was fully in effect at all times and all courses. Crazy game...golf. Ya learn something new everyday.

[Strandly]

I didn't even know what the 90 degree thing meant for probably my first 2 years playing.  I also played a round once and got paired with a couple guys who were part of the grounds crew for the course we were playing.  One of them kinda barked at me for not driving through the colored posts that apparently mark where you're supposed to enter and exit the fairway with your cart... another thing I had no idea about. 

[Fourputt]

9 hours ago, stealthhwk said:

And here I was thinking the 90 degree rule was fully in effect at all times and all courses. Crazy game...golf. Ya learn something new everyday.

It means different things to different courses and conditions.  

On many of the courses I play, it's not even possible because the cart paths only exist near the tees and greens, and along the edge of the par 3 holes.

On some courses 90° only means that you drive out on the path to near where your ball lies, then straight across to the ball.  From that point on you stay in the fairway until you and your riding companion have both hit to the green, then 90° back to the path and drive to the green parking area.

On other courses 90° means that you drive the path until you are even with your ball, then 90° to the ball, hit, then straight back to the path.  

Whether the 90° rule is in effect or not, a responsible driver pays attention to where he's driving and avoids any apparent soft or wet spots.  

[Golfingdad]

14 minutes ago, Fourputt said:

Whether the 90° rule is in effect or not, a responsible driver pays attention to where he's driving and avoids any apparent soft or wet spots.  

Exactly.  I think the spirit of the rule  guideline or recommendation is to encourage people to stay aware of where they are driving the cart and to keep their footprint to a minimum.

Most of the courses I play don't have a 90* rule but they do rope off the edge of the cart path from the tee to the first portion of the fairway except for a floating section they leave open.  That way they can at least control the point where everybody enters the fairway and keep the wear down.

[phillyk]

Oh gosh, this, yeah.

The members at the course I work (public course) at like to come in after their rounds and complain about conditions on the everywhere from fairway to green to which parts of the rough we cut.  Which is fine, I can handle complaints and such.  But what erks me is that we have a big sign in our shop with 90* degree rule in effect, and when I drive out sometimes i see them tee off and drive straight down the middle of the fairway then veer off to the rough where their ball is.  Hello??? What the heck are they thinking?  Oh your upset that its super dry out and we can't water the fairway much so it's crusting a bit, but you just drive over it with your cart anyway?! I mean come on, one cart sure doesn't hurt but when one person sees someone doing it, everybody does it.  Then I see them next parking right next to the fringe on the green.  They certainly know how to walk, so when we have our signs stating stay away from greens and stay on cart paths near greens, why do they drive right next to the green anyway?  It seems that because they pay some yearly membership fees to play that deems them invincible and can do what they want.  I think it should be the opposite.  They should be setting an example for public play to see.  Drive on cart paths, do 90* with the carts, etc.  I don't want to make excuses for our members behaving badly. It's not all members, it's really just a few people, but it still annoys me.

[Patch]

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Most of the 90 degree times I see are during the rainy times. That, or after the reseeding process. It's a good rule that needs to be followed.

As for respecting the course, and those who maintain it, that is a no brainer. All golfers should do what they can to help enhance the playability of the course they are on. Some of the maintenance folks will appreciate the help too. 

I think when it comes to following rules, in anything, most will look at them as what I call "rules of convenience". If it's convienient to follow the rule, some will, while others won't. It's no different in golf. 

 

[NJpatbee]

If 90 degrees is in effect or the fairways are wet I always comply.  There are some courses that are very protective of their rough and when it is dry out they encourage driving down the fairway if a cart path is not nearby.

[CarlSpackler]

As far as the 90* rule or CP Only, I certainly comply when indicated. It is there course, not mine. I had a course manager tell me once that it is better for people to drive up the fairway than it is the rough because the water the _____ out of them and they grow back quickly. Also, the longer blades of grass in the rough are more likely to break under the weight of the cart and take longer to heal. The keys are to not drive through soggy areas, avoid driving over the same area that other carts do (scatter) and make turns slowly. He didn't like the 90* rule because too many people drive out to their ball then whip the cart around to head back to the cart path.