Lloyd Braun

But where in the rules does it say two yards doesn't qualify to be "as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played?" There is no measurable guideline or parameter that clarifies what is too far. If anything, I question the assessment of the two stroke penalty to begin with, not to be the contrarian around here.

Oh Tiger, if only you dropped a yard closer.

I actually just broke 80 today for the first time in my 15th year. Sometimes it takes longer than others. My advice would be simply just to keep playing more. I've made a purpose this year to play at least twice a week and it has definitely paid dividends. I started out really struggling this year shooting more rounds in the 90s than in the 80s but kept on playing and now my last six rounds have been 80, 81, 83, 81, 90 (had at least five penalty strokes) and now 79 (from the blues btw). You really learn and get a feel for the game pretty much by osmosis the more times you play.

I never understood why it's a two stroke penalty when you leave the flagstick in the hole and your putt hits the flagstick. Can someone explain that to me?

I'm not a stats whiz by any means, but if the idea is to find the middle value, then I believe the median should be used if we are talking about an amateur golfer's distance. For example, if someone hits ten 300 yard drives but has one 150 yard drive because he hits an overlying tree limb sticking out in the fairway, you would use the median (or mode) in this instance. Otherwise, you're skewing the data far lower than what the person normally hits if you average out those numbers. Conversely, if someone has ten 200 yard drives and one 300 yard drive, you would still use the median because the mean would skew the data too high.

Shot 87 yesterday. Not bad considering I had 2/14 fairways. Either I was pulling or slicing. Need to spend some time on the range.

39 today. Putting was great. Had 14 putts including one from 40 feet and another from 20.

When I was 11, I had an ace. It was only the second time I ever went out to play. I was so new to the game, I still had a baseball grip. Anyway, I was playing at a par 3 course with my dad and we reached the fourth hole. It was only 85 yards. Without really thinking, I hit a five iron and barely carried a creek in front of the green. The ball then bounced a few times and rolled into the cup. I went crazy. I couldn't believe it. Then when I to retrieve the ball, my dad and I noticed my cousin and uncle on another tee that was adjacent to the fourth green. They witnessed the whole thing! Talk about small world. Now fourteen years later - and with a vastly improved game - I haven't had another one since. Oh well.

That wouldn't even be anything like a mulligan, because when the local rule is in effect, you are required to play another ball. The stroke with the original ball is canceled and you must play again from the same place. It's as if the first stroke never happened .[/QUOTE] Like a mulligan But seriously, all I was always trying to do was simply point to a rule that warrants the closest thing to a mulligan, even if it technically isn't.

There is one tiny loophole in the rules that might allow for a mulligan. Decision 33-8/13 states: "Q. An overhead power line is so situated that a perfectly played shot can be deflected. Would it be proper for the Committee to make a Local Rule allowing a player whose ball is deflected by this power line to replay the stroke, without penalty, if he wishes? "A. No. However, a Local Rule requiring a player to replay the stroke would be acceptable." Ultimately, it's up to your local course if they allow for this. If they do, then you actually have no choice but to replay your shot. http://golf.about.com/od/rulesofgolf...powerlines.htm

This sounds more like a Tin Cup moment.

For me, I like to keep it around 6,500 yards when I play a round but would like to keep gradually going up.

Shot 80 at Mill Creek GC http://www.millcreekgolf.com . Definitely bittersweet. It's my career low but putting was awful again. Had 39 putts with 8 three-putts. I had 15/18 GIRS so my tee to green game is fine. But my putting is crippling my game. Had a four foot par putt to break 80 but choked.

89 at Brookwoods Country Club. 71.1/132 8 GIRS 7/14 fairways 36 putts including 2 four putts I was hitting the driver solidly early but started push/slicing on the back nine. Hit two shots OB which killed me. All in all, I had 8 pars, 5 doubles, a triple, and the rest bogeys. Very erratic day.

Well, if you're talking about potential, then I think you would take the median of those numbers. But if you want to be honest on how you hit the ball overall, then you would average those numbers. I think that's right.

I've often wondered whether there are some golf courses that fudge the length of their holes and make them shorter than what they say on the scorecard so they can attract golfers who are insecure about their distance. Then after they play there, they'll brag about their distance based on a few holes where the yardage was probably a lot shorter that what was said on the scorecard. I certainly have played many courses where the distances on the scorecard just never made sense.

Just look at the poll results and you'll see what I mean. 33 say he didn't cheat while 27 said he did as I am writing this. That's a pretty polarizing stat and it certainly shows how up in the air this rule could be interpreted.

This rule is too ambiguous to interpret. Who is to say what an improved lie is after pressing down on the ground? What is the precedent behind this? You can't accuse someone a cheater by splitting hairs. The rules ought to define what an improved lie is before it wants to penalize you for it.

I'll sometimes mutter to myself at the range but I'm really trying to take bad shots in stride now. Just the other week, I saw someone muttering to himself at the range and looked absolutely flustered. I thought to myself, I'm glad I'm not like him. But then I realized, I was a lot like him! That was certainly a wake up call.

Shot 93. Putting was awful. Had 38 putts compared to 28 last week. I've had 5 rounds so far this year but still haven't broke 90.