What do you consider the most stupid rule in golf?

[iacas]

I really do wish someone would take up iacas' challenge (and mine and Fourputt's from this thread's first go-around) and actually step up and unambiguously define what a divot/divot hole is.

It won't happen. It's like what the judge said about porn: you can't define it, but you know it when you see it. A divot's the same way. If you define it (somehow), people will look to "stretch" the boundaries of the definition. You'll see people dropping their balls all over the place.

And besides, I stick with what I said before: it's bad luck and rub of the green. If the divot rule is ever in place, we should have another one saying that any stroke of good luck (a good bounce, trees kicking your ball back into the fairway, etc.) should also be negated by the player.

[Bignose]

It won't happen. It's like what the judge said about porn: you can't define it, but you know it when you see it. A divot's the same way. If you define it (somehow), people will look to "stretch" the boundaries of the definition. You'll see people dropping their balls all over the place.

Oh I know it won't happen. But, I'm just hoping that maybe someone who does complain about the divot hole issue will stop and think about it.

And I also agree that if one wants to eliminate the bad breaks from the sport then it is only fair to eliminate the good breaks. That drive that got an extra 100 yard because you hit the cart path -- eliminated. Hitting that tree that kept your ball from going OOB -- nope, you have to take stroke and distance. Hitting the flag stick with a skulled chip -- you should really throw that ball on the other side of the green. It is just human nature to remember the bad breaks more than the good ones, but it really does all even out in the long run.

[Fourputt]

Oh I know it won't happen. But, I'm just hoping that maybe someone who does complain about the divot hole issue will stop and think about it.

Yup. All of those bad bounces, lousy lies, are burned into our brains, and we wonder what we could have done to incur the hateful wrath of the golf gods. Yet what some might call lucky breaks are in reality strokes of pure genius, and all credit goes to us in our dedicated focus aimed at perfecting our swing.

[Shindig]

Yup. All of those bad bounces, lousy lies, are burned into our brains, and we wonder what we could have done to incur the hateful wrath of the golf gods. Yet what some might call lucky breaks are in reality strokes of pure genius, and all credit goes to us in our dedicated focus aimed at perfecting our swing.

Yet, one of my best random breaks would've been interpreted as some as a bad break. Short par-4, pin in the middle, I hit my driver down the middle. This hole was usually driver 8-iron for me, but I hit it past that... the ball, center fairway, middle of a divot. Had that divot not been there, it probably would've rolled past it a good 30 yards. Well, that's my gap wedge distance where it stopped - I had a perfect gap wedge to pin high from that divot. GIR, realistic chance for birdie. I hadn't practiced partial wedges much at that point, so had it rolled further, I would've been in normal fairway but at a bad distance for me.

Oh, I mean I aimed for the divot Anyway, I was thinking of this story and wanted to throw it in - divots in the fairway can help you, too.

[justinp]

Yet, one of my best random breaks would've been interpreted as some as a bad break. Short par-4, pin in the middle, I hit my driver down the middle. This hole was usually driver 8-iron for me, but I hit it past that... the ball, center fairway, middle of a divot. Had that divot not been there, it probably would've rolled past it a good 30 yards. Well, that's my gap wedge distance where it stopped - I had a perfect gap wedge to pin high from that divot. GIR, realistic chance for birdie. I hadn't practiced partial wedges much at that point, so had it rolled further, I would've been in normal fairway but at a bad distance for me.

I agree that, over time, the lucky breaks cancel out the unlucky ones. I just had to comment on Shindig's story. I'm really not trying to be a jerk I just got a chuckle out of it and had to give you some ribbing as I would any friend that would have told that story.

So...your ball would have rolled another 30 yards (a good 30) had it not come to rest in this fairway divot?? That must have been some divot. More like a creator. Or, was it filled with water Sorry. All in good fun. I've just never seen a fairway divot stop a ball moving hard enough to have rolled another 30+ yards

[Shindig]

So...your ball would have rolled another 30 yards (a good 30) had it not come to rest in this fairway divot?? That must have been some divot. More like a creator. Or, was it filled with water

You're probably right: it probably couldn't have rolled much more. At that point, it had traveled 235, and my personal long drive (not counting one course that has quasi-cement fairways) is 240. But it stopped at exactly the best number for me, and in a divot. So I credited the divot.

[twotacosfor99cents]

I agree about NOT putting the club down in a hazard as it allows you to test the sand, but it's one of the most annoying rules for me, IMO. Grounding my club allows me to relax my grip, and quite frequently, I will skull it because i was hovering it too high.

I just need to learn how to hover it properly.

Everything else, I wouldn't change. The OB stroke + distance rule? Don't hit it OB. If I am in a casual foursome, we treat OB as a lateral hazard and drop from where it crossed. Stanford does not really have OB stakes though (the white stakes), just reds. However, Stanford's OB is quite gnarly, lots of tall grass, weeds, dry pebbly ground. I'd rather take a stroke penalty and hit it from a better lie... IF I CAN FIND THE BALL.

[dkinser86]

How about this: because some penalties are more severe. If you have OB on the left, clearly the designer, the course owner... someone wants you to play out to the right.

My suggestion for this is to make OB a 2 stroke penalty and play it like a lateral hazard, without the option of playing from the hazard. This would maintain the risk/reward mentioned above, but also maintain pace of play a bit better.

Also, I would like to see more players play within the spirit of the rules. The reason for such rules as playing from a divot, fixing a spike mark and things of that nature, is to prevent players from taking advantage of the rules. Myself, I don't like the fact that I can hit a perfect drive, in the middle of the fairway, but it lands in a divot b/c some a$$hole was too lazy to replace his divot. Why should I be penalized for it? I believe if I were playing in the spirit of the rules I should be allowed to take the relief. But, alas, people do not concern themselves with the spirit of the rules. So we have rules such as that. As for the PGA Tour, I would like to see a rule that limits the number of clubs a player can carry to 10. I really believe that would improve the quality of players on the tour. It would benefit more shotmakers, than bombers. Of course, if you hit it that far, it limits the number of clubs you need anyways. Maybe I will repost with some other ideas wen i'm a bit more awake...

[Sickman]

My gripe isn't stroke and distance as such. If you hit a ball heading anywhere near OB you should take a provisional. However, if you're on a course you don't know or you expect a ball to be in bounds and findable, but it's not, it is just not realistic to go back to the tee box. I don't know about you guys, but I don't play many rounds without a group behind. Most people would play it as a lateral hazard and drop and add a stroke. This helps pace of play, but, of course, isn't how the rule works. What are you supposed to do? You can't go back. Void your round? It's a no-win situation.

[tbjohnston]

I play my home course winter and summer, and I play by the same set of rules regardless of the conditions. If I'm playing in a tournament and the local rule for preferred lies is in effect, then I will use it, but not otherwise.

I understand your logic and applaud you for it. However, we get so much rain in the winter that *parts* of our course are very very soggy - it's not too unusual on a few holes for a high wedge shot that doesn't make the green to result in a ball where the top of the ball is below the surface of the surrounding ground.

Please please use the preferred lies rule then, as I don't want our course destroyed! [Of course we could close the course between October and May]

[MrSandman]

My gripe isn't stroke and distance as such. If you hit a ball heading anywhere near OB you should take a provisional. However, if you're on a course you don't know or you expect a ball to be in bounds and findable, but it's not, it is just not realistic to go back to the tee box. I don't know about you guys, but I don't play many rounds without a group behind. Most people would play it as a lateral hazard and drop and add a stroke. This helps pace of play, but, of course, isn't how the rule works. What are you supposed to do? You can't go back. Void your round? It's a no-win situation.

We usually play match play, so if somebody loses a ball we tell them to either take a stroke or drop one, but they are out of the hole. The most I can take for my handicap is a double bogey anyway, and these usually result in a double bogey, so it doesn't alter things much.

Good question though, I would like to see what other people do.

[iacas]

I understand your logic and applaud you for it. However, we get so much rain in the winter that *parts* of our course are very very soggy - it's not too unusual on a few holes for a high wedge shot that doesn't make the green to result in a ball where the top of the ball is below the surface of the surrounding ground.

You do realize you get to drop a ball that's plugged (in "closely mowed areas"), right?

I also doubt that the entire ball sinks below the level of the ground, but that's neither here nor there...

[MrSandman]

You do realize you get to drop a ball that's plugged (in "closely mowed areas"), right?

But what if you cannot find the ball?

I hit a wedge the other day, full 60 degree wedge so it went pretty high, just right of the green in an open area that could be fairway or short rough, depending on the greenskeeper's choice for that month. I saw where it dropped, heard the thud, knew it was probably embedded, and when I went up to the spot I could not find the ball. It was definitely in that spot, I saw the ball the entire time, and there was no where for the ball to randomly bounce off to. The entire ball sunk below the level of the ground. I wasn't playing a match, wasn't even keeping score that round, but I just took a drop where my embedded ball drop would have been (had my girl in the cart, and she doesn't believe in the 5 minute rule for looking for a lost ball. she's not there for a serious round). Two weeks ago I had a similar situation at a course on the other side of the world. I ended up finding that ball, but it was completely covered. I was just messing around scraping the club along the ground and that was how I found it. To say that balls don't entirely sink when they become embedded is wrong. Happens all the time, especially in the spring when the ground is wet and it is not so hot that the ground dries out quickly.

[zipazoid]

Ok, jumping in with my first thread.

We have the one thread going on whether you play by the rules, so how about this - what's the dumbest rule of golf? Lord knows we got plenty to choose from.

Mine is the advice rule. You can't ask what club a competitor hit, but he can tell you. You can look in his bag. You can give him the 'high sign' and if he's cool he'll show you the sole of the club so you can read the number (I've seen Nicklaus do this).

But you can't verbally ask. Silly.

[Kobey]

That's actually a rule?  Glad I only do this for fun and don't have to worry about rules like that.

[awmgolfer]

If you ask someone what club they used it is a two stroke penalty but it is also a two stroke penalty if you tell them what club you used. Rule 8-1

[sean_miller]

Welcome to tst.

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by awmgolfer

If you ask someone what club they used it is a two stroke penalty but it is also a two stroke penalty if you tell them what club you used. Rule 8-1

You mean to tell me, that let's say after I hit my shot I say "Man, I can't believe I couldn't get a 7-iron there', that I'm penalized 2 shots?

That's why you see a lot of competitors just make eye contact & the nod of the head approach. Like I said, I've even seen Nicklaus do this. Just don't verbalize...which is why I think it's a silly rule.