We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Make up your own rules?

duckseatfree

duckseatfree

New member
Joined
May 14, 2012
Messages
81
Reaction score
1
Location
Charlotte, NC
Handicap
12.1
I was just thinking about this and thought it might be fun. Do you "create" your own rules when you're playing a round with your friends.

I've heard people do the double par rule where you can't score more than double par on a hole (cap at 8 on a par 4). I personally don't play that way, but could definitely understand the 110+ crowd doing that.

The rules I'll use with my buddies when we're not taking it serious:
- If you slice your drive and the ball goes OB you can take a drop where the ball crossed OB with a one stroke penalty. We used to use this one a lot because we didn't want to hold up the group behind us. Luckily now, we've improved enough where we don't use this as much.

- No Gimmie putts unless it's within the distance of the putter head. Otherwise it's not really a gimmie. I've played with people that have missed from inside the grip.

- If your ball lands on something where you think your club can be damaged from your downswing, you can drop the ball back to a point where it won't.

- 1 mulligan per 18

- If you're about to attempt a ridiculous shot you have to call it (i.e. out of the rough, below the tree branches, with a power fade and get with in x yards of the green [or on the fairway]). If you're successful, everyone else shotguns a beer. If not, then you do.
 
I am all for moving rocks and such in bunkers. I don't have a sponsorship deal so I can't get a new club when I put a huge gash in my current one.
 
We'll normally do two off of the first tee and the OB rule you talked about. And if there are roots or rocks or a ball is in a divot, we'll roll it. We try to be smart about gimmies. Putting out 2 footers all day is no fun. Nothing really serious, just common knowledge stuff. No need to be a rules official out there when you're with friends.
 
Definitely all for not damaging clubs, that's just stupid in my opinion to even try haha also we'll occasionally do another ball off the first tee if we didn't get to warm up before hand. I don't even care if someone pulls their ball out of a divot, we're not on tour and they still have to make the shot. I like to have fun
 
My friends and I typically will play two off the first tee. Sadly, for me my tee troubles don't start until around hole 6 or 7 and last until around 13 or 14.

We also play the "drop at the point it went OB", though I typically add two to my score (not one) figuring "stroke and distance" would cause me to use two shots (the penalty plus the re-tee) to get back to a similar point.

As far as gimme's ... if it's within the length of the putter (~3 feet), I give those to my playing partners.

If I or a playing partner is in a sand trap and there are loose rocks around, I move (or advocate my playing partners move) them. No point in damaging clubs, or sending an extra projectile into the field of play.

If a ball rests against a tree root, I also advocate a foot wedge (or a free drop) without penalty to get it into an area that won't cause damage to clubs or wrists.
 
jlukes said:
I am all for moving rocks and such in bunkers. I don't have a sponsorship deal so I can't get a new club when I put a huge gash in my current one.
Click to expand...

Right here. And I will add to this injury via anything that may seem potentially harmful. Don't want to see that at all if it's avoidable.
 
The group i play with will play lift,clean and place if its cart path only due to water on the course. Depending on the foursome i am in determines who plays this way. the one foursome we have matches going on so no rule changes. Since its match play we give putts that are within 3-4 or so or don't matter for the hole.

The other foursomes play games for money that include losing/winning money to the other members in the foursome. This includes losing $1 for 3putts, $2 for 4 or more putts. You can win money for sand saves, first putt made longer than flag pole, double money for holed shots from anywhere off the green and so on. So they give no putts.

No drops for OB or potentially lost balls, we play provisional balls off the tee.
 
We do a lot of the stuff that has been mentioned and we haven't done this lately, but when my buddies and I used to play years ago and none of us had very expensive clubs, we would play what we called "Battle Golf."
It was a team match play where if you and your partner won the hole, you would each take a club from the losers bag. The exception was that you had to leave the team with at least one putter to use between them.
My buddies and I also made our own rules concerning OB. If you could find it and play it, there was no penalty, but if you dropped back in bounds, there was a 1 shot penalty. This rule has brought about some crazy shots from deep in the woods, across highways, etc... It can make the game quite exciting at times!
Nothing like having to wait for a break in traffic to hit a shot across a busy U.S. Highway while dealing with the looks and honks from passing cars.
 
Probably the only rule outside of the norm is the cotton rule. We play a cottonwood lined river bottom course. During parts of the years it's sometimes hard to find your ball in the fairway with all the cotton on the ground. If everyone saw the ball down but we can't find it, the player can take free drop where they think it may have landed. Throughout the years everyone in the group has benefited from the rule. Nobody has ever abused it and it's become part of our game. No different than Breakfast Balls on hole #1.
 
On rule we play is if your ball is on, very close to or your forced to stand on a fire ant hill you get to move it.
 
definitely never hit off anything that can damage my club or myself. Other than that, we usually do one mulligan off the tee and gimme's generally within the leather. That's about it.
 
HoselRocket104 said:
Probably the only rule outside of the norm is the cotton rule. We play a cottonwood lined river bottom course. During parts of the years it's sometimes hard to find your ball in the fairway with all the cotton on the ground. If everyone saw the ball down but we can't find it, the player can take free drop where they think it may have landed. Throughout the years everyone in the group has benefited from the rule. Nobody has ever abused it and it's become part of our game. No different than Breakfast Balls on hole #1.
Click to expand...
We do the exact same here in NY during the fall with all the leaves. It can be impossible to locate a ball in the fairway lol. It speeds up play and I don't think takes anything away from someone's round
 
I am all for free drops that would prevent injury or club damage. But other than that I try and play by the book. The one where I am adamant about for my own game is no gimmes period. If others want to take gimmes that is fine, but I play all the way to the hole. I have missed too many shorties due to careless play to call anything a gimme for my own score.
 
Funny you mention the Double the par rule. If you use the US Handicap and if you score to high it will automatically do the ESC and give you a lower #. So if it's going to do that should you just play to that. Say on a par 4 for me it's max 7. And I forgot what it's on the par 3's and par 5's. probably 6/8/ I always put in my score so it doesn't really matter to me.
 
I've played just about every one of the rules you all have mentioned at one point or another. I can't think of another one to add to the list you all have mentioned.
 
I wonder what peoples scores would be if they played by the rules. I am betting a lot higher
 
Tadashi70 said:
I wonder what peoples scores would be if they played by the rules. I am betting a lot higher
Click to expand...
I whole heartedly agree with this but honestly I think there should be separate rules for pro's and armatures. Guys mentioning rules like not hitting off a rock or a root for example, we don't have the means or funds in a lot of cases to just get a new club. Or the rules to speed play.
 
Why not just take an unplayable lie. There aren't two sets of rules so people should take their miss shots and improve. Everyone is so quick to call this a gentlemen's game and jump on cheaters. But god forbid they call a shot on themselves when on a root or with a rock by their ball in the bunker. I don't hold it against anyone if that what they want to do but don't come and post your Hdcp knowing you follow your own rules.

jitzy said:
I whole heartedly agree with this but honestly I think there should be separate rules for pro's and armatures. Guys mentioning rules like not hitting off a rock or a root for example, we don't have the means or funds in a lot of cases to just get a new club. Or the rules to speed play.
Click to expand...
 
I kind of think taking two from where you smash one OB is a good idea. I went back to the box to do it right, once, and you would have thought I was committing a felony by the way the group up there was acting. Reallly, dude, it's only going to take a minute or two to hit this, go to it, and hit again. Chill out!!

And if I move the ball to get it out of roots/rocks, I try to keep it in the same 'type' of bad lie, at least. I'm not going to find a tuft of grass in the pile of nut shells and pine straw. I just don't want to screw up the club, but I should have to take the bad shot. The other day I hit a root buried under some pine straw and freaked out, but nothing bad happened. Whew.
 
My weekly game uses the double par rule to save time but everything else is by the book. It really doesn't come into play often though, only when multiple balls go in the $#!?. We are match play based anyway.
 
Tadashi70 said:
I wonder what peoples scores would be if they played by the rules. I am betting a lot higher
Click to expand...

Sure, the scores would be higher, and depending on the group I'm with, we will often play by the rules. Still, when I'm with group I started golfing with, we are just out to have a good time and goof off. Heck, it wouldn't be a surprise for us to end up having a club throwing contest at some point during the round. Oddly enough, alcohol is rarely involved in these rounds either. Go figure!
Also, bear in mind, these rounds take place on goat ranch muni courses in rural Arkansas where most anything goes.
 
Tadashi70 said:
Why not just take an unplayable lie. There aren't two sets of rules so people should take their miss shots and improve. Everyone is so quick to call this a gentlemen's game and jump on cheaters. But god forbid they call a shot on themselves when on a root or with a rock by their ball in the bunker. I don't hold it against anyone if that what they want to do but don't come and post your Hdcp knowing you follow your own rules.
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong, if your under a tree on the root then you should have to take the stroke but sadly I've played courses that have had roots extend out wayyyyy past the tree that just shouldn't be there. I'm just not for punishing a golfer if punishment isn't warranted. I look at the stick in the bunker thing though as a bad break for the golfer cause a lot of time they could blow in there and it's just something you gotta deal with.
 
Tadashi70 said:
Why not just take an unplayable lie. There aren't two sets of rules so people should take their miss shots and improve. Everyone is so quick to call this a gentlemen's game and jump on cheaters. But god forbid they call a shot on themselves when on a root or with a rock by their ball in the bunker. I don't hold it against anyone if that what they want to do but don't come and post your Hdcp knowing you follow your own rules.
Click to expand...

BTW. For me, these are rules when I play with good friends and copious amount of alcohol is involved. Don't think it would really be fair to take that into account for my Hdcp. Haha. But I get what your saying. On a more regular basis, I am fairly strict with how I interpret the rules.
 
Freddie I always try my hardest to play by the rules. And I think at some THP events I have played to strick, as putting out and being told to move my ball becuase it's not worth hurting yourself or your equipment. Im no Rule official but I enjoy the playing correctly and also enjoying it with all my friends.
Tadashi70 said:
Why not just take an unplayable lie. There aren't two sets of rules so people should take their miss shots and improve. Everyone is so quick to call this a gentlemen's game and jump on cheaters. But god forbid they call a shot on themselves when on a root or with a rock by their ball in the bunker. I don't hold it against anyone if that what they want to do but don't come and post your Hdcp knowing you follow your own rules.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top