What do you consider the most stupid rule in golf?

[BZCDR]

The question wasn't 'fair' but 'stupid'

[BZCDR]

Not here in Japan. OB off the tee isn't played again.. Gotta' move, gotta' get more players on the course. So there is a drop zone, usually well past what 90% of the players could hope to drive it, where you are playing 4. But can tee it up if you want. And OB markers are everywhere, with most of them solely to speed up play. If they want to speed up play, stop using carts that follow a buried cable and allow players to drive to their balls. The most stupid rule? Most anything that is a course rule here in Japan.

[Fourputt]

On advice.... As far as I know he can tell you, and you can see his club but you just can't ask.

If he tells you, or if he asks you, you don't incur a penalty, but he does.

Not here in Japan. OB off the tee isn't played again.. Gotta' move, gotta' get more players on the course. So there is a drop zone, usually well past what 90% of the players could hope to drive it, where you are playing 4. But can tee it up if you want. And OB markers are everywhere, with most of them solely to speed up play. If they want to speed up play, stop using carts that follow a buried cable and allow players to drive to their balls.

The most stupid rule? Most anything that is a course rule here in Japan.

Finally, a post in this thread that I would probably agree with wholeheartedly.

[Patch]

I'd like to have 15 clubs instead of 14. My bag has 15 compartment sleeves for clubs. (we don't use umbrellas out here) I get by quite well with 14 clubs, and I don't remember the last time I actually used all 14 of them in one round. I usually only use 8 or 9 clubs. The thing is, I have this 15th club (Cleveland 42* Niblick) I am always taking out of the bag when out playing for a score. It was a gift from my Grand Daughter. Besides, way, way back when, golfers had no limits to the number of clubs they, or their caddy had to lug around. Maybe maybe as many 30+/- clubs I have read.

Seriously though,  I think all divots should be ground under repair. Even if the golfer responsible for a divot, does not intend to repair the damage they caused, the divot eventually will repair itself. It may take several  months, but it's still repairing itself during those several months. Plus it would be one less shot I would have to practice when on the driving range.

[nick1998bunker]

I don't like having to play from bad lies, especially in the fairway, but since everyone plays it I don't mind. I do think if you hit someone's ball, you should get to replay or something. Stroke play has some funky rules because they are trying to make it equal for everyone, in match play you are allowed to ignore rule breaches. The biggest thing I think is unfair is in tour events when people are on the course for 15 hours, the conditions can be very different and be a little unfair. But rules aren't really unfair if everyone plays them.

[Shorty]

Stroke play has some funky rules because they are trying to make it equal for everyone,

Name one.

[nick1998bunker]

Name one.

A partner cannot stand on an extension of your line of putt. And I think if you trip on a tee marker and it moves it's a 2 stroke penalty.

[Abu3baid]

[quote name="Shorty" url="/t/9549/what-do-you-consider-the-most-stupid-rule-in-golf/300_100#post_1019083"]Name one.

A partner cannot stand on an extension of your line of putt. And I think if you trip on a tee marker and it moves it's a 2 stroke penalty.[/quote] I didn't look it up, but if tripping on a tee marker and it moves is a 2 stroke penalty then that has to change ASAP because it is stupid.. Even though it might have never been enforced ever!

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nick1998bunker

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shorty

Name one.

A partner cannot stand on an extension of your line of putt. And I think if you trip on a tee marker and it moves it's a 2 stroke penalty.

Your first point applies to both stroke and match play, and I can assure you that you will be penalized if you do it in front of me.

As to your second statement:

Quote:

11-2 . Tee-Markers

Before a player makes his first stroke with any ball on the teeing ground of the hole being played, the tee-markers are deemed to be fixed. In these circumstances, if the player moves or allows to be moved a tee-marker for the purpose of avoiding interference with his stance , the area of his intended swing or his line of play , he incurs the penalty for a breach of Rule 13-2 .

Note the wording I bolded.  Also Decision 11-2/2c:

Quote:

(c) A player moves a tee-marker before or after playing a stroke from the teeing ground as a result of falling over the marker – no penalty and the tee-marker should be replaced.

Learn the rules or ask questions before you start posting complaints about them.  Ask a question and you will get a friendly answer.  If you make a poorly informed statement as if its a fact, I'm less tolerant of it.  That is how misinformation about the rules is propagated.

[vangator]

There are so many. I haven't read all the posts here, but I think the stupidest may be not calling a divot (filled or unfilled) ground under repair. Jack wanted this rule change. Didn't happen. Similarly, ourleague has instituted the "footprint rule" in sandtraps. If you land in a unraked footprint, place it in a raked or smooth area. The pros don't have to put up with unraked bunkers.

[Fourputt]

There are so many. I haven't read all the posts here, but I think the stupidest may be not calling a divot (filled or unfilled) ground under repair. Jack wanted this rule change. Didn't happen. Similarly, ourleague has instituted the "footprint rule" in sandtraps. If you land in a unraked footprint, place it in a raked or smooth area. The pros don't have to put up with unraked bunkers.

This is perhaps the poorest, yet most often repeated, excuse for a rules change.  The fact that the pros don't have unraked footprints has nothing to do with anything in the rules.  In fact, I'd bet that if a coyote ran unnoticed through a bunker on a tournament morning, a pro landing in one of its footprints would be playng the ball as it lies, just as you or I would have to.

The divot complaint has been raised for many years, has never been changed, and if even Nicklaus couldn't get any attention on it, then it isn't going to be changed.  I don't know why people continue to waste electronic ink on it.  The difficulty is in defining or positively identifying a divot hole (the divot is the piece of removed turf), and in determining when a divot hole is sufficiently healed to no longer warrant relief.

[WUTiger]

Not allowing a "clean ball" swap for putting in damp weather. Same model ball you played from the tee, of course.

Lots of red clay and dark loam soil in my area, and if it's the day after rain the mud sticks to the ball like glue. This means I have to take off my glove, and put the ball in the cart ball-washer to really get it clean. A towel just doesn't do it on a mud-caked ball... This in the era when slow play is killing golf.

If it's raining a little on play day, it's not a problem. But the sunny day after rainies, the soil is really goopy.

It would be nice if I could have a valet clean my ball - oh, in golf, we call them caddies. But, caddies are not available at most clubs.

[vangator]

This is perhaps the poorest, yet most often repeated, excuse for a rules change.  The fact that the pros don't have unraked footprints has nothing to do with anything in the rules.  In fact, I'd bet that if a coyote ran unnoticed through a bunker on a tournament morning, a pro landing in one of its footprints would be playng the ball as it lies, just as you or I would have to. The divot complaint has been raised for many years, has never been changed, and if even Nicklaus couldn't get any attention on it, then it isn't going to be changed.  I don't know why people continue to waste electronic ink on it.  The difficulty is in defining or positively identifying a divot hole (the divot is the piece of removed turf), and in determining when a divot hole is sufficiently healed to no longer warrant relief.

I don't consider it poor excuse at all. I'm not asking for relief from the bunker, just relief from someone's stupidity and laziness. As for the divot, the OP didn't ask if the rule would be changed, just if it's stupid. I think it's stupid and if it's brought up enough, maybe it would be changed. Rules have changed over the years.

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

This is perhaps the poorest, yet most often repeated, excuse for a rules change.  The fact that the pros don't have unraked footprints has nothing to do with anything in the rules.  In fact, I'd bet that if a coyote ran unnoticed through a bunker on a tournament morning, a pro landing in one of its footprints would be playng the ball as it lies, just as you or I would have to.

The divot complaint has been raised for many years, has never been changed, and if even Nicklaus couldn't get any attention on it, then it isn't going to be changed.  I don't know why people continue to waste electronic ink on it.  The difficulty is in defining or positively identifying a divot hole (the divot is the piece of removed turf), and in determining when a divot hole is sufficiently healed to no longer warrant relief.

I don't consider it poor excuse at all. I'm not asking for relief from the bunker, just relief from someone's stupidity and laziness.

As for the divot, the OP didn't ask if the rule would be changed, just if it's stupid. I think it's stupid and if it's brought up enough, maybe it would be changed. Rules have changed over the years.

As has been suggested many times on this forum, if you have a better rule, spit it out.  But it has to be foolproof and workable.  It has to be in accordance with the principles of the Rules of Golf.  Just putting out complaints without any constructive suggestions is counterproductive.

[jusanothajoe]

Name of the thread is What do you consider the most stupid rule in golf. When someone answers should they be chastised for it ?

[MS256]

That's why I love reading these what is your opinion threads. "I would like to see this rule changed because I don't like it." "You can't do that." "Why not?" "Because that would be against the rules." BTW I'm glad they make people hit out of divots. I'm usually about 100 yards either right or left of all of the divots so it doesn't effect me...and it serves my opponents right for hitting the ball down the middle of the fairway.

[jusanothajoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jusanothajoe

Name of the thread is What do you consider the most stupid rule in golf. When someone answers should they be chastised for it ?

That's why I love reading these what is your opinion threads.

"I would like to see this rule changed because I don't like it."

"You can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because that would be against the rules."

BTW I'm glad they make people hit out of divots. I'm usually about 100 yards either right or left of all of the divots so it doesn't effect me...and it serves my opponents right for hitting the ball down the middle of the fairway.

I have found I am usually short of the majority of divots off the tee box

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jusanothajoe

Name of the thread is What do you consider the most stupid rule in golf. When someone answers should they be chastised for it ?

That's why I love reading these what is your opinion threads.

"I would like to see this rule changed because I don't like it."

"You can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because that would be against the rules."

BTW I'm glad they make people hit out of divots. I'm usually about 100 yards either right or left of all of the divots so it doesn't effect me...and it serves my opponents right for hitting the ball down the middle of the fairway.

I didn't chastise and I didn't use 256's excuse.  I simply asked him to put forth a workable suggestion.  I doubt that he can, because if he knew enough about the rules to be able to write a practical rule, he would also know that divot holes are not ground under repair.  Ground under repair is addressed in Rule 25 under Abnormal Ground, and divot holes on a golf course are about as normal a feature as you can find.  They are just one of the many forms of adversity one encounters in golf, and the player is expected to deal with adversity as a normal part of playing the game.