David in FL

Ha! I appreciate the help. I still can't get past the fact that I'm not a good enough ball-striker to play the damn things though!

Yeah. I've hit a handful with @MacDutch's MP-4 6-iron. I really wish I could talk myself into them too! If you do come up with any reasonable argument to convince yourself, please share it with me!

The 4-ball I played in today hit 7 provisionals as a group. Only 1 was actually used. Just sayin'...

It has nothing to do with understanding. As @Fourputt said, it's because they just don't care.

It is, but a bit less accurate due to the limited number of rounds you've entered. With 9 rounds, your index is calculated using your 3 lowest scores (actually differentials). Once you have a full 20 scores entered, your index is calculated using your lowest 10 scores of the last 20 scores that are entered.

This

I haven't played Miramar in 30 years. Good memories. Would love to see some pics if you have any...

Those players that threatened to resign should have been allowed, nay, encouraged to do so. I'm sure there would have been plenty of players who would have been pleased to continue with the resulting smaller field! I'm curious to see the greens, but regardless of any potential ambiguity in differentiating the putting surface from the fringe, the rules must be applied. When in doubt, either err on the side of safety and don't lift your ball, or ask a rules official for a ruling.

Dead center? One in 10? Maybe. Probably less...

Why? It's a simple concept. Anyone who understands the penalty of stroke and distance is certainly capable of understanding the reasoning behind a provisional...

Yep. I've gone as long as a year without touching a club (military deployments), and shot within a stroke or two of my handicap the first time out, with nothing more than a normal 20 ball warm-up and rolling a few putts before hitting the first tee.

2. More swing "feels" than thoughts... Why would you practice using a specific thought or feel, but not use it on the course?

It's a skill. One of the easier golf skills for most people to learn. As such, it can be taught, to those who're willing to listen...

Buy him lessons.

One of the great things about this game is that there is no bifurcation of The Rules. Everyone, from the newest beginner, to the best in the world, play by the exact same rules. I think it would be a tragedy to change that. If people choose not to follow the rules, I don't care. Have fun, and keep moving, but we don't need to change the fundamental principles of the game to accomodate those who already don't play by the rules...