USGA/R&A Finalize 2019 Rules of Golf

[DaveP043]

8 minutes ago, Shindig said:

Played my first round under the new rules yesterday.  Friend dropped from shoulder height three times before remembering the new rule, even as we had discussed it.  We need to look up if it's a penalty.

The part I really like about the new flagstick rule is the situation that used to come up, and came up twice yesterday, where I'm ready to hit a long putt but no one else is on the green yet.  Now I can just hit without having to wander over, pick up the stick, set it down, go back, and get ready.  But the twosome I was paired with believed flag in was worse than flag out, and I didn't feel like having the discussion.  They left it in when I was putting a long one, but once it was out, I didn't feel like slowing down play to ask them to put it back.  It didn't end up mattering as none of my misses scared the hole.

Okay, now I need to read the Rules Geeks post...   

Just to answer your first question:

Quote

If a ball is dropped in a wrong way in breach of one or more of these three requirements:

• The player must drop a ball again in the right way, and there is no limit to the number of times the player must do so.

 That's from 14-3.b(3).

 

[iacas]

3 minutes ago, Missouri Swede said:

I I think watching DeChambeau will be interesting, because he knows better and might not cave in. 

Oh, he won't, heck no.

[Shindig]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

This is going to be a thing this year: people who know better feeling pressured to willingly give up a legal advantage just because their playing partners are ignorant.

Yep.  The one that really worries me is one hole at my home course (not where I played yesterday) where I know I'm going to want to take the stick out.  Despite allowing for perhaps the most downhill putts of any green, the putting surface isn't visible from the fairway.  The fairway, about 70 yards before the green, goes downhill, and the flagstick at this green is larger so people in the fairway know someone is on or not on the green.  Presumably.  Not sure how people will know when to hit their approach shots.

 

The next hole has a fairway that goes downhill after about 210 yards from the tees, and a fairway flag in it to alert "hey, people are down at the base, please don't hit just yet."  I wonder what we'll do about our 13th green (described in the previous paragraph).

1 hour ago, DaveP043 said:

Just to answer your first question:

 That's from 14-3.b(3).

 

Ah, thanks.  I'll remind them next time to drop from knee height.  Can't go back and fill that one in.

[nevets88]

Justin Thomas on keeping the flag in. Not crazy about the new rule obviously.

Justin Thomas talks rule changes before Sentry - PGA TOUR Video

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Prior to the 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions, Justin Thomas shares his thoughts about the new rule regarding pin flags.

 

[Zeph]

I wonder how the hole edges will start looking with the new rules. Many already pick the ball up with the flag in there, but what happens when everyone starts doing it? Will be interesting to see. 

[boogielicious]

2 hours ago, Zeph said:

I wonder how the hole edges will start looking with the new rules. Many already pick the ball up with the flag in there, but what happens when everyone starts doing it? Will be interesting to see. 

Good point. I notice with hole in ones on tour, then tend to reach in and get it. Courses may have to educate players to be careful now.

[Fourputt]

On 1/3/2019 at 2:32 PM, nevets88 said:

Justin Thomas on keeping the flag in. Not crazy about the new rule obviously.

Justin Thomas talks rule changes before Sentry - PGA TOUR Video

---

Prior to the 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions, Justin Thomas shares his thoughts about the new rule regarding pin flags.

 

I expect that this will be how it is mostly done at the start of the season, but I wonder how quickly it changes if they start to perceive an advantage with the flagstick in the hole.  Savvy pros have always used the rules to their advantage as much as they allowed for, and I don't see this as being any different.  If certain situations make it advantageous, we'll start seeing it more often, even with Thomas.

5 hours ago, Zeph said:

I wonder how the hole edges will start looking with the new rules. Many already pick the ball up with the flag in there, but what happens when everyone starts doing it? Will be interesting to see. 

Not sure how that affects anything.  I've pulled balls out with the flagstick in and never caused any damage.  Certainly not as likely to do harm as sticking a putter in the hole to pop the ball out.  

[Zeph]

1 hour ago, Fourputt said:

Not sure how that affects anything.  I've pulled balls out with the flagstick in and never caused any damage.  Certainly not as likely to do harm as sticking a putter in the hole to pop the ball out.  

Not saying it's not possible, but you got less space and with the new rules a larger number of people will start doing it. I don't expect too many people in this forum would contribute to more damage, but we are an incredibly small amount of the total number of players in the world. Are there a lot of people shoveling balls out with their putters? Most putters these days are too large to even fit. I'd rather think they get one of the thingies you put on the end of the handle, but there's probably someone out there using an anser style with the putter head to get it out.

I hope we won't see more damage, but there might be. It might also have a positive effect. If most people bend over or kneel down and retrieve the ball with two fingers, less moving of the flagstick with it's sharp edges could lead to less damage

[BruceTeam]

I volunteer in course maintenance at a cliff top course in New Zealand with winds sometimes reaching 60kph + and we occasionally have to pull the flags out to prevent damage to the hole during these times. Generally, leaving the pin in during normal play doesn't damage a golf hole.

[HJJ003]

17 minutes ago, BruceTeam said:

I volunteer in course maintenance at a cliff top course in New Zealand with winds sometimes reaching 60kph + and we occasionally have to pull the flags out to prevent damage to the hole during these times. Generally, leaving the pin in during normal play doesn't damage a golf hole.

Kidnappers? 

[BruceTeam]

I volunteer in course maintenance at a cliff top course in New Zealand with winds sometimes reaching 60 mph + and we occasionally have to pull the flags out to prevent damage to the hole during these times. Generally, leaving the pin in during normal play doesn't damage a golf hole.

Yes Kidnappers, Gulf Harbour and others. 

(I corrected this to say 60 mph not 60 kph)

[Rulesman]

 

[iacas]

1 hour ago, Rulesman said:

 

Thanks, Doug. We posted that one here a bit ago:

 

[Missouri Swede]

Joined up with a couple guys I hadn’t played with before. Pitching onto the 17th green, one of them says, “I had a double hit. Is that a penalty?”

“Not any more.”

[nevets88]

13 minutes ago, Missouri Swede said:

Joined up with a couple guys I hadn’t played with before. Pitching onto the 17th green, one of them says, “I had a double hit. Is that a penalty?”

“Not any more.”

😂

Happy New Year, yo...

Anyone do a drop from their knees? 😜

[sjduffers]

5 hours ago, nevets88 said:

Anyone do a drop from their knees? 😜

Yes, I did after sending my approach on the 18th hole left into a red penalty area (full of water, I might add!). I had to catch myself as I extended my right arm, ready to drop...

I then realized that I can’t stand straight with my arm by my side and drop from that height: it’s a bit above the knee. I have to either bend the legs and drop slightly above the knee to compensate or tilt sideways. It might take a little while to find the right posture/move...

[rehmwa]

Watching the Sentry - saw some examples of new rules

• Leave the flag in - no one caught on fire, the world didn't end, I think one guy with a Rolex might have thrown up on his shoes (which matched his belt).  But no biggie
• New drop - no issues, no delays, mostly the pro was smiling at the new process and just wanted to get it right his first time
• Fixing little greens marks like spike marks - I was pleasantly surprised at this one as I was worried it would be overabused and cause delays.  However, I didn't personally see anyone beating this to death and taking forever.  Just a little tap by one or two guys that spotted a shoe/spike mark while picking up or putting down their ball, that took little or no extra time.

So far, so good.

[Missouri Swede]

15 minutes ago, rehmwa said:

• Fixing little greens marks like spike marks - I was pleasantly surprised at this one as I was worried it would be overabused and cause delays.  However, I didn't personally see anyone beating this to death and taking forever.  Just a little tap by one or two guys that spotted a shoe/spike mark while picking up or putting down their ball, that took little or no extra time.

This doesn't surprise me.  Under the previous rules, it seemed like the players were fixing a lot of "ball marks" at times.  So maybe the new rule just codified the existing practice.