Golfingdad

This is where I'm at as well. Gave him many benefits of doubt and rooted for him, or at least didn't root against him. Now, when you combine these actions with the almost identical ones from 4 years ago and throw in his comments afterwards, I'm out. Can't take his side or defend him anymore.

Little bit of both, ain’t it? If I’m in 1” high rough and pull out a 2” high tee and put my ball on that (essentially what’s happening when you remove sand from directly behind the ball is you’re “teeing it up”) aren’t I improving both my lie and my swing path? Ive sort of defended Reed in the past, but awfully hard to take in all of the evidence here (including his comments after, and including the other older video) and not lean towards the conclusion that he’s intentionally cheating.

It seems a good portion of the responses here are all based on peoples current view of bunkers, and I think that's the wrong way to look at it. Lack of maintenance would simply make them more of a hazard and the need to avoid them would be greater. Strategies would change on some holes/courses and it would feel more like hitting into a water hazard sometimes depending on the lie. Consider a lateral hazard at a course that you frequent that doesn't have water in it. It likely still has rocks, unmowed grass, various other impediments that play into your strategy to keep your ball out of said hazard. Unraked bunkers would just have to be treated a little more like this than they currently are.

I think it would be great fun to occasionally play golf with the footgolf holes. Our local courses don't combine the two, though. The footgolf "greens" and holes are off to the side of the golf greens and aren't actually green style grass either. Just regular old fairway style bermuda or whatever. And @Patch, the footgolf holes are huuuuge ... after all, a soccer ball needs to fit between the edge of the hole and the pin. I think they are around 3' diameter? Maybe 30". Separately, there was a promotion that I think Taylor Made did a few years ago trying to make 10" holes happen for golf. That would be fun too! Especially at par 3 type places with beginners and kids.

Yeah, but I have a hunch that the majority of players are probably more like me in that they just don't care. I enjoyed leaving it in the entire time while playing last weekend, but next time I play with you, I'd answer "either way is fine" to you question on the first hole and we'd both know from there on out that we're gonna remove it when we're within reasonable distance. Not going to affect the pace much either way.

Yup, also the opposite. Have a frequent playing partner (who I may or may not be related to) who still takes it out from habit and once I told him there’s really no need unless the flag is leaning towards me ... the rest of the round he would say awkwardly “does that flag looks like it’s leaning? I think it’s leaning.” Before his turn to putt. So now I know just to take it out for him each time.

My (few) experiences have been similar, however, I'd say it's had almost no effect on pace. Any effect is positive, but I think it's about negligible.

No, my gap, sand and lob wedges all go straight. I mean, they don’t curve, not that they always go where I aim. 😉 One caveat tho, I don’t ever really take full swings with any of them. Don’t think they’d curve much even if I did tho.

Incidentally, in 2010 I was retired from golf 😜 (back issues)

2010? I don’t think that was long enough ago. I used to hit my 1997 Titleists 10 or so yards further than I currently hit my 2012 pings. Granted, I was younger and swung harder.

Ah, you have me reminiscing about a Pearl Jam concert I went to where I heard Under Pressure covered as well. Thanks to google, I was quickly able to pinpoint that it was 10/9/09 ... Eddie Vedder came out during or right after the opening act (Ben Harper) and did the song with them. :) Good times. Don't really go to concerts much nowadays - can't actually remember the last one - rather, instead, we've been going to musicals a few times a year.

Right? I can't imagine even the cheatiest of cheaters would do something so blatant out in the open like that knowing how many eyeballs are on them. I also think @Big C makes a good point about him not being a lefty.

As long as you can stay away from the casinos (might be a problem for some) the cost isn't too bad.

So this is basically it. If you guys considered it reasonable for the ball to have ended up where you found it, then you were good to keep playing it. And considering: it seems pretty reasonable to me that it would be likely to have been near the green, right where you found it.

Yes you can ... you can play the provisional up to the point where your ball is likely to be without forfeiting the opportunity to find and play the original.