reidsou

Great suggestion. Unfortunately, we did that and our offer was rejected. Regarding owing special support. Our experience has shown you are right, as management has not helped us promote the rules of golf. My (apparently unrealistic) thought is that should not be considered "special support" as they are running a golf course.

Thanks for the reply, but this is off topic. The posted question is about the whether we should expect course administrators to promote the rules of golf. LCP was just an example. (About that example, see Committee Procedures model local rules 8E-2 and 8E-3. Many clubs improperly combine these two rules, allowing LCP everywhere.)

Agree. But I actually don't think it's that difficult with a little practice. However, for me, unless it's a hard fairway (rare in Seattle!), my 3-wood travels farther because of the higher trajectory and my slow swing speed.

Fyi. New this year, if 10 to 17 holes were played, you are supposed to post hole- by-hole the holes played. Then software will compute the Score Differential for the holes played plus an "expected Score Differential" for the holes not played to produce an 18-hole Score Differential. See details here: https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/handicapping/world-handicap-system/2024-revision/10-17-hole-scores-FAQs.html

Great argument for not playing in handicap events with big prizes.

Played in a "three club challenge" tournament. My three clubs were driver, eight iron, putter. Hit the driver 27 times that day. I felt the extra distance off the tee was worth making it one of my three clubs. In a normal round, will hit driver off the deck from trouble when needing a *very* low shot under trees. It also works well from an uphill lie.

Giving each other free drops is not golf. And there's a whole USGA manual on the Committee. If golf is really "the game I love", then why not learn and follow the rules of that game?

We can do that in an individual event. The question is more about the ongoing debate within our club about what our local rules will be. What support should we demand and expect from the staff for the actual rules? Surely others have experience with this tension between business(?) and the rules?

Totally agree. And we are doing that. The problem is that we have a set of members who do not want to follow the rules (simplifying) and our committee is being undermined by the course professionals. Curious about other's experience that might help us win this ongoing argument.

This is a little like a debate in my club in which older players wanted free relief from steep banks for safety reasons. Instead of taking an unplayable lie, as is always an option. The debate was finally settled when someone pointed out that Sergio climbed a tree to hit his ball. It's up to the player to take the penalty if they don't want to play it as it lies.

Wondering about other's experience with course administrators. Do they promote the rules of golf? Should we expect them to? Background: I belong to a golf club that organizes tournaments at a municipal course. Our club is trying to popularize and enforce the rules of golf in our events, but the golf course staff is not on the same page. For example, the course manager just sent an email to our club suggesting we should lift, clean, and place throughout the general area year round, citing allegedly terrible course conditions and lack of staff. The conditions are the same as the other public courses in our area. Also, the greenskeeper has refused to mark GUR or to allow our club volunteers to do it. Not sure why, i think because he believes it is unattractive. He suggested we create a local rule essentially allowing players to decide for themselves what is GUR. To me, this is not appropriate for administrators of a golf course. But perhaps financial concerns are more important than the rules?

There is a lot that course management can do to improve pace of play. Here are some resources: R & A Pace of Play Manual. Quote, "it is wrong to think that players are the cause of all issues relating to pace of play, but, nevertheless, the behaviour of the players on the course also needs to be examined.... That said, it will often require another person, for example another player or an administrator, to advise a player that he or she needs to improve their pace of play." USGA Pace of Play Resource Center. All encompassing recommendations. Pope of Slope website. Entertaining!

FYI. If the leaf blower also removes sand from the fringe that is a two stroke penalty. Another question: would a local rule prohibiting leaf blowers be "authorized"? (See Committee Procedures manual.)

This was a big question in my club. Expanding on earlier answers... The definition of GUR says it has to be marked. Only exceptions are animal habitat, material piled for removal (like grass clippings), or a hole made for course maintenance. Unless it is one of these exceptions (or defined in a local rule), there is no such thing as unmarked GUR. This is a common misunderstanding of the definition of GUR - doesn't matter if it could be marked. The reason for this is to remove the gray areas. Same as the reason there is no free relief from divots. See "play the ball as it lies" in point 2 of this article,

According to rule 1.3b(1), the penalty for "deliberately fails to apply a penalty" is DQ. Good on you for standing up to him.

Here's a video showing the correct drop procedure when the relief area is on a cart path.

That is compelling. And your reference to rule 20.1b(3). FYI, I know it doesn't matter, but the player who gave strokes is new to our tournaments. My initial thought was the player who received strokes broke rule 3.1c. And the penalty for breach of a rule that gave a significant advantage is DQ - rule 1.3c. However, both players were unaware. And, as you stated, the criteria for reversing the match are not met. If two players knowingly ignore the rules in a match (rule 1.3b) are they both disqualified from the competition? Giving a forfeit to the next round opponent?

Two players played a match in a gross match play tournament. Before the round, not understanding the meaning of "gross", they compared handicaps and agreed player A should get 2 strokes. Afterwards, player A and B agreed that player A won the match on the second extra hole. They reported the result to the Committee, including that strokes were given and hole scores. Without the strokes, player B would have won the match 1 up. Should the Committee reverse the result and award the match to player B? If so, under what rule? I reviewed the rules and formed a tentative opinion. Rules that seem applicable are 1.3c, 3.1c, 20.1b, and 20.2d. But none of these rules is a good fit. Would like to see what others think.

Thanks! Rewording the question to remove ambiguity: Individual stroke play tournament. On the second tee you ask another player the yardage to the hole. The player responds, "My range finder shows 120 yards, slope adjusted. Very similar to the slope adjusted yardage it showed for my third shot on the first hole." What should you do now? The answer is that you must (rule 20.1c(2)) tell the player that he/she violated rule 4.3a at least twice. The penalty is disqualification for the second breach.

Broke par (finally!) with 69 from the white tees at Wing Point Country Club on July 25. It's a par 71 course. One eagle, 4 birdies, 9 pars, and 4 bogeys. Finished birdie, birdie, par on #16-18.

There's no need for a local rule to allow range finders. They are allowed by default since the rules overhaul in 2019. (Now there's an optional local rule to *dis*allow.) Also distance is public information, not advice. See the definition of advice.

I don't have Shot Scope, but log my putts in the GHIN app. It says I three-putt 4% of the time, which is 25 holes per three-putt by my math.

Yes, as Dave said, you MUST inform the player (see rule 20.1c(2)) that he broke rule 4.3a(1), and this the second instance. (Assuming the slope feature was enabled on the first hole.) Could let him look up the DQ penalty himself, but IMO you must verify that he takes the penalty. This answer may be a trigger for those who feel the rules are overly harsh. In my experience violations of rule 4.3a are common and there not many who would witness this and enforce the rule. Assuming you know rule 4.3a, to me this question is more about rule 20.1c(2). That rule says, "If a player knows or believes that another player has breached or might have breached the Rules and that the other player does not recognize or is ignoring this, the player should tell the other player, the player’s marker, a referee or the Committee. This should be done promptly..." [emphasis added] Unless a rules official is following the group around, IMO that means you have to tell the player immediately.

We are running a summer rules contest series. Here's a possible question, inspired by a real situation: Individual stroke play tournament. On the second tee you ask another player, "I noticed you used a range finder on the first hole, can you please laser the distance to the hole?" Player responds, "It shows 120 yards, slope adjusted." What do you do now? I will post my answer shortly. Curious what others think of the question and answer.

This is a difficult challenge. My best round ever last week, shot 69 and broke par and 70, both for the first time, but included a 6! Par 71, shot: Front: 3,2,4,3,6,4,4,3,5 Back: 4,4,3,4,5,4,3,4,4 An eagle, 4 birdies, 9 pars, and 4 bogeys. Lots of luck: 110 feet of putts made plus a chip in, but missed a 4' putt for a par 5 on #5.