Make Golf Easier with One Adjustment or Rule Change

[Canadan]

Don't people hit provisional balls any more? If you pump 2 out, ok, drop lateral. It shouldn't take too long to hit another ball off the tee.

I'm not in favor of the divot rule or raking the traps either. Some things are just bad luck, like in life, and we just have to deal with them.

I would like to restrict cart usage, but I know that's not going to happen. IMHO, that is what really slows down play. I almost never see anyone take a couple of clubs and walk to their ball while their cartmate is hitting their shot. Half of the time, it looks like a Keystone Kops movie out there with all the carts buzzing around.

I guess that's where we differ.. I see bad luck as hitting a sprinkler head or an overhanging tree branch. Dealing with someone elses poor etiquete isn't what I'd deem "bad luck" at all.

 

[rollin]

Don't people hit provisional balls any more? If you pump 2 out, ok, drop lateral. It shouldn't take too long to hit another ball off the tee.
.

I would agree but the problem in hitting provisionals especially for high and mid/high cappers when having a day where they may be struggling to hit well is that more often than not the second balls does similar to the first or on the complete oposite side so now they looking for two balls instead of one and possibly in the woods on both sides pf the fairway.

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

Great thread Canuck

Revise the OB rule for non tournament play.

That is the biggest. Also, stop worrying about anchored putters. They aren't that big of a deal.

I agree along with divots being ground under repair. On the other hand though, I have always agreed with playing the course as you found it, but they could do more to make the rules easier to follow and understand and worry less about what the player's are doing on tour.......

 

[rollin]

To be honest I havnt really met anyone (in non competative golf) that hits 4 after a drop because they lost one into the woods or weeds from the tee. I know that is the unofficial way of not going back to the tee but even so, most anyone I've ever seen do this will just take the one stroke penalty and hit 3. Alot of debate can go on with this as it has in the past. As said earlier, a hundred people are not seeing your ball and where it went. I never saw the reason for stroke and distance and dont understand why that rule existed. The drop should just be the same as if you chipped back out had you found the ball. 1 stroke.

Just think for a moment when one hits a big hook or slice that carries the next fairway over. They can just play the ball from there. And sometimes actually have a shot at the green with no penalty for anything. Heck, some people even purposely play the next fairway. But now do the same except this time there are woods there so you cant find the ball and so now its stroke and distance? How does this make any sense? By taking drop and stroke you already lost a stroke vs the other guy who hit the same ball but was fortunate enough to have a fairway next to the hole instead of woods. In fact he may have even hit a much worse slice/hook than you did. No penalty for that, but 10 feet into the woods and you get stroke and distance or the unofficial version of drop and hit4? Shouldnt be anything more than drop and one stroke, now playing 3. I think that fair. Dont understand the reasoning at all the other way.

 

[Tedfroop]

I think we need to do away with some of the legalism in the rule and decisions process. It has gotten to where there is a decision on the status of saliva?

Dump the decisions from amateur play. Let the referee at amateur tournaments make decisions themselves. Get rid of lawyer talk like the "knowledge or virtual certainty" stuff. Quit trying to "protect the game" and define everything within an inch of its life.

Make a separate rule book for public players than for pros. Consider the time it takes to play. Consider how friendly the guys behind you on a busy muni are going to be when you head back to the tee to hit another ball. Consider the time it takes to search for a lost ball or a ball anywhere on the course.

The 6 hole round thing fascinates me to. Breaking the course into three pieces rather than two would make green fees for 6 less, time to play 6 less and I think it would attract people to the game who don't want to go out for 4 hour rounds and people who can't afford to play much an opportunity to play more often. It could speed things up and attract people to the game. It could allow the physically limited to play too. I think the idea has a lot more upside than "tee it forward" ever did.

 

[Smudger]

great thread, Havent ever thought too much about making golf more "easier" "relaxed" "enjoyable" but after reading this thread I have to agree When OB a one stroke penalty with a lateral drop would suffice. I get stuck behing many a group of hackers searching for balls and it really drains the momentum of play. GUR for unraked bunkers and divots sounds like comon sense.

 

[fireitup]

Don't people hit provisional balls any more? If you pump 2 out, ok, drop lateral. It shouldn't take too long to hit another ball off the tee.

I'm not in favor of the divot rule or raking the traps either. Some things are just bad luck, like in life, and we just have to deal with them.

I would like to restrict cart usage, but I know that's not going to happen. IMHO, that is what really slows down play. I almost never see anyone take a couple of clubs and walk to their ball while their cartmate is hitting their shot. Half of the time, it looks like a Keystone Kops movie out there with all the carts buzzing around.

I agree with most of this. Everything except the position on the divot. I'm all for declaring (as is Jack Nicklaus) them ground under repair. But only in the fairway.

 

[Tadashi70]

I like the game the way it and how it evolves. I think people should improve their games and golf will be easier.

 

[Kobey]

I like the game the way it and how it evolves. I think people should improve their games and golf will be easier.

Easy for you to say, you've already done it.

 

[motoo344]

I think three and four are your best ideas. I think most people drop where they lose their ball anyway and it is good for speed of play to be honest,

 

[Music City]

Make the game as similar to miniature golf as possible...you only have greens and you only use your putter. My scores would drop dramatically

 

[McRock]

Just one change? It would have to be make the cups larger. But if there was an alternate or close 2d, it would be to play winter rules all year round.

~Rock

 

[the boss]

I've seen plenty of comments about the reduction in interest around golf being caused by how difficult it is. While I'm not sure that is the case, it really got me thinking about positive changes at the AMATEUR level that would make the game more enjoyable. Of those thoughts, I came up with a couple which I'll grade from impossible/unlikely to most likely:

- Widen fairways and greens, shrink traps and hazards, etc.
- Expand cup sizes
- Free drop when in divots, dry spots, and in bunkers in poor rake jobs
- OB off the tee = lateral, not a re-tee

I personally think it should go course by course, but there are three distinct changes i would make on my own.

First, I would refuse to allow the greenskeepers to place the pin on a noticeable slope. They suckered us weekend after weekend last year and it was brutal!!! Lagging for par from 10 feet is silly.

Second, I really like the idea of allowing players to drop out of dry patches or divot marks in the fairway. I believe it to be ground under repair and while the course makes a point of marking the dry spots during tournaments, they don't do it all the time. Tack on neglect from other golfers in bunkers, I see no real reason why a drop in a bunker when the ball is resting in a foot mark is so crazy.

Finally, rather than forcing an additional tee ball on OB, allow players to drop laterally. I think it's a great way to also pick up the pace of play.


But enough of my thoughts. What would you guys do if you could make one change to the game of golf to make it more appealing or playable?

I wouldn't change anything myself, I love the challenge of improving and enjoy trying to get better. Last few rounds I have only been missing 1 fairway per round 2 at most, If you expand the hole and put all holes on even patches you take the skill out of putting and reading greens. It doesnt matter how bad a round your having there is always one shot that keeps you coming back for more, if golf is to hard for you and you want it easy take up crazy golf.

 

[Tadashi70]

Easy for you to say, you've already done it.

It's not i was born shooting low scores. I worked and work at my game. Preferred lies, no penalty for OB and easy pins isn't doing anyone any favors. It's making any one better.

Ive been preaching lessons for the longest time and most would rather take short cuts but their game never changes.

 

[Rob Wedge]

I think if more beginners learned to tee it forward they would have a lot more fun.

 

[rollin]

Preferred lies, no penalty for OB and easy pins isn't doing anyone any favors. It's making any one better.

unless i misunderstand your thought, How is OB rule change thing not making anyone better? If one can drop a ball instead of stroke and distance, why would that make the game itself easier. It would help the score a bit but certainly not prevent anyone from getting better at golf. You still to have to make the shots. Its not like your being allowed to throw the ball on the green. You just dont have to go back to the tee or take 2 strokes inatead of one. I'm not sure I see where going back to the tee works to make anyone better.

 

[Speedliner]

I think "improvements" should be limited to lowering cost and improving the pace of play. So I think the OB rule is the biggest gain. Others like rolling a ball backwards out of a divot should be okay too, but I'd love the OB modification. For folks like me that want their score to be legit, it would be a lot easier and guilt-free to be valid.

Faster play, means more people can afford the TIME to play more frequently. Greater throughput for courses could mean lower fees per player, or greater profits for busy courses, which would hopefully mean better quality courses.

 

[Canadan]

It's not i was born shooting low scores. I worked and work at my game. Preferred lies, no penalty for OB and easy pins isn't doing anyone any favors. It's making any one better.

Ive been preaching lessons for the longest time and most would rather take short cuts but their game never changes.

Playing out of holes in the fairway doesn't really make someone a 'better' golfer does it? I'd be shocked if you could find a course designer who believes that being in their fairway should be 'punishing'

 

[Fourputt]

I would agree but the problem in hitting provisionals especially for high and mid/high cappers when having a day where they may be struggling to hit well is that more often than not the second balls does similar to the first or on the complete oposite side so now they looking for two balls instead of one and possibly in the woods on both sides pf the fairway.

By the time they've lost 2 and are ready to play a second provisional, they would be up to about a double par at best anyway, so who cares if they drop and add 2 more? It doesn't need to be put in the rules or as a special condition for the course. For pace of play, if the provisional is as bad as the original, then head up the fairway and make your drop, hitting 6 from there, but at least encourage the attempt to play by the rules.

 

[Tadashi70]

Playing out of holes in the fairway doesn't really make someone a 'better' golfer does it? I'd be shocked if you could find a course designer who believes that being in their fairway should be 'punishing'

I disagree, it teaches you to control the ball. How many times do you end up in a divot? Twice or three times a year for me and I play in area with tons of divots that are not repaired. No a foot print in the bunker is something completely different.

 

[Canadan]

I disagree, it teaches you to control the ball. How many times do you end up in a divot? Twice or three times a year for me and I play in area with tons of divots that are not repaired. No a foot print in the bunker is something completely different.

I played out of probably 8-10 divots last year. The most notable one was the round in which I shot my PB. The hole was obscene, unfilled, and the ground was hard. Even on a normal swing through it, the ball went well to the right into deep rough.

Call it what you want, it cost me a stroke on my PB and I was dead center of the fairway. Controlling the ball wasn't possible resting up against a wall of hard packed dirt.

 

[JTnumbers]

I have 2. Lift, clean and replace from EVERYWHERE. And no OB.

 

[Tadashi70]

unless i misunderstand your thought, How is OB rule change thing not making anyone better? If one can drop a ball instead of stroke and distance, why would that make the game itself easier. It would help the score a bit but certainly not prevent anyone from getting better at golf. You still to have to make the shots. Its not like your being allowed to throw the ball on the green. You just dont have to go back to the tee or take 2 strokes inatead of one. I'm not sure I see where going back to the tee works to make anyone better.

If I play a hole with OB I play differently than a hole with lateral hazards. Plus if you knock one out OB you have to bare down and hit a solid ball to avoid another OB. The second shot might tell you something about your swing.

plus is you question that you hit one OB, you should be playing a provisional.

 

[the boss]

The best feeling in golf is to see your work pay off, for me seeing a 5 iron land and hold the green on a par 3 is an amazing feeling knowing I ment to do that, but if i had to putt into a bucket after that shot for birdie I would feel deflated I would rather 2-3 putt on a undulating green into a regular cup and get a better feeling if I drain the birdie.

To me thoose who wish to make the game easier are lazy and cant be bothered to put the work in to get the rewards, I for one would feel cheated going round under par putting on flat greens wide open fairways and putting into buckets just because Tom,Dick and Harry cant be arsed to practice.

 

[anderjasonville]

I don't think gimmicks to make it easier (i.e. big hole, small traps) are purposeful, but I've always felt that amateurs on cheap courses should have the same benefits that professionals or folks on really nice courses do.

For that reason, I think you should be able to move out of a divot, rake and replace, and clean and replace in mud.

Another issue I've always had is that pros and those who can afford a fore-caddy almost never lose balls that are in play. They may have to declare it unplayable, but it's not lost. If I hit a ball 280 yards into unraked leaves, I may never find that ball. I know where it is, but I never find it. If you hit into an area that has no OB and you can't find it, it should be played with a stroke penalty and a drop nearest you can determine.

I also like the OB lateral-drop. Lots of mid-level courses do it anyway, and it just makes things simpler. It's silly that if I hit a bad shot into water, I get to hit three from the point of entry. If it hit the same bad shot 3 yards outside of a random white stake, I go back to the tee. It's arbitrary and silly.