Make Golf Easier with One Adjustment or Rule Change

During our last company golf club tourney the rules where drop where it went OB, pick up the ball at +3 on any hole and all putts in the leather (no chin putters) are good. This was done to speed up play which helps even though we waited on every tee after our 1st as the group ahead was very slow.
 
That's why 2 holes per green is such a wonderful idea.


I agree. And shorter tee boxes than the standard 'ladies' tees. A great deal of ladies I play with are outdistanced by 5,000 yard courses.
 
and I dont think these changes would make the game "easy" by any stretch, just less difficult
 
That is a rule for me if it lands in an unraked spot. The same goes for unrepaired divots. You wouldn't find that sort of thing in a competition on a nice course, so why should I be frustrated because some idiot can't be bothered to care for the course.

That's a great point. We played 2 weeks ago at a middle of the road club and a few of the holes were destroyed from divots. I'm not talking 10-15 i'm talking 60-80 with only a hand full of them actually being replaced by people. I was was lucky enough not to land in any but imagine how miffed you'd be if it happened more then once in a round
 
They need to speed up the game and figure out a way to lower the cost. I know young married guys that just can't leave their house for 5 hours at a time and drop $75 on green fees.
 
I agree with the lateral OB drop. In fact when I take out my brother in law who plays golf maybe 3 times a year, that's how we treat everything.

I remember a year or 2 ago I read an article about adding another hole on the green for those learning the game or those that struggle with it. The idea was to have the original hole on one part of the green and a slightly larger hole on the other side. The more I read in to it the more interesting I thought the idea was. The idea while not perfect seemed pretty sound. For those who struggle with the game they can putt to the larger hole and those who don't want that change still have their original sized hole to play for.
 
one of my golf leagues does lateral on OB and usually when we're just out there having a good time, we'll do the same.
it dramatically speeds up play and for certain cases other than tournaments or very serious league play, i just don't think it's necessary to be penalizing amateurs that much.

i'm such a nice guy, i probably let others break rules all the time...telling them to get a better lie for themselves, in the fairway, rough, bunker, off of a tree trunk, wherever...
but ultimately, when you do that, you're looking out of the prosperity of the game and ensuring that fun times are to be had.
 
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Nice as this idea might sound, i don't ever recall anyone ever saying golf was meant to be easy. As with most sports, golf is usually difficult to begin with, but once one grasps the concept of it all and takes a few lessons to improve their ability the game does become easier and more enjoyable.

We do seem to be in a world now where things of all nature get 'dumbed' down so that they are more accessable to the masses.

Why should the game of golf be brought down to the level of the guys who can't be arsed to get some lessons and improve. If they can't be bothered to make any effort to improve, and then b*tch about golf, go and play something that is easier.

It is the very fact that golf is difficult that brings each of us back week after week because we know that we can always improve. It is a game that can NEVER be mastered, no matter who you are.

While I agree with the more ridiculous adjustments like increasing the hole size would be dumbing down the sport, I have a pretty hard time with that statement on things like free drops in divots or unraked bunkers.. IMO all that's happening there is a reduction in an unnecessary punishment of a golfer. Why, if someone hits the ball down the center of the fairway, are they sometimes relegated to hit out of a hole? To me, it's ground under repair in its clearest form.
 
Why rule changes? 99% of amateurs just play casual rounds, so play your own rules, most do anyway.

Sent from my DROID X2
 
Nice as this idea might sound, i don't ever recall anyone ever saying golf was meant to be easy. As with most sports, golf is usually difficult to begin with, but once one grasps the concept of it all and takes a few lessons to improve their ability the game does become easier and more enjoyable.

We do seem to be in a world now where things of all nature get 'dumbed' down so that they are more accessable to the masses.

Why should the game of golf be brought down to the level of the guys who can't be arsed to get some lessons and improve. If they can't be bothered to make any effort to improve, and then b*tch about golf, go and play something that is easier.

It is the very fact that golf is difficult that brings each of us back week after week because we know that we can always improve. It is a game that can NEVER be mastered, no matter who you are.

I agree and said similar in my post. Make the game too easy and it loses inregrity.

However one thing is that there is a dfference in one who doesnt want to make the efforts and then ******* about it vs one (like many) who just dont have the resources of time and money to do so. Unfortunately where not all blessed with such to be able to do that. And i dont think most the ones who play the game without putting good efforts simply cause they dont care will b*tch much about it because as said, they dont care much.

However that also doesnt mean the game should be so much easier anyway. If I cant play/practice nearly as much as I would like to or should be doing due to resources i dont think they should make it easy for me. Thats just life and the thats the breaks I have (or dont have). I want to score well and when and if I do ever brake my personal best I dont want it to be because evrything was relaxed for me. heck, even the other day I broke 90 for first time in 6 yrs due to lack of play. I am extremely very happy about it but also feel tiniest bit guilty that i got away with a couple balls found in winter weeds that may never been found in summer weeds. So with that, would i wish for me to be able to just misshit almost anywhere and never be penalized for it? No not at all. The game would lose integrirty if that was the case.

But again as said in my last post, Stroke and distance is not a necessary penalty IMO. Strke and drop is more than sufficient IMO.
 
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?

Agreed, the hole should not be on a slope but I think there is already a guideline from the USGA that the hole should be put in a "relatively flat" area or some such wording. We have all seen numerous cases where that is disregarded. This is a real sore spot with me as well.

As for the rest of your list, there is no reason that your group you are playing with can not institute those "rules" when and where you wish. Of course, those rounds should not be submitted for handicap purposes. I turn in lots of rounds per year but I do not turn in quiet a few rounds where the group decides to do these things in order to speed up the game or have more fun. There is nothing wrong with playing in the manor which gives you the most enjoyment.

I like the rules as they are and understand the need for a standard. I also have nothing against anyone who wants to make these kind of changes, heck I don't care if they brag about shooting 75 when I know it was more like 85 or 90 as long as it doesn't cost me $. Yes, one group of guys I play with forgets strokes, has 3-4 foot gimmes, drops another ball etc. I enjoy playing with them, just overlook their transgressions, it is fun. I do not have any bets with them and I do play the rules so they always have better "scores" than I. Guess who wins in actual tournaments though?
 
I agree and said similar in my post. Make the game too easy and it loses inregrity.

However one thing is that there is a dfference in one who doesnt want to make the efforts and then ******* about it vs one (like many) who just dont have the resources of time and money to do so. Unfortunately where not all blessed with such to be able to do that. And i dont think most the ones who play the game without putting good efforts simply cause they dont care will b*tch much about it because as said, they dont care much.

However that also doesnt mean the game should be so much easier anyway. If I cant play/practice nearly as much as I would like to or should be doing due to resources i dont think they should make it easy for me. Thats just life and the thats the breaks I have (or dont have). I want to score well and when and if I do ever brake my personal best I dont want it to be because evrything was relaxed for me. heck, even the other day I broke 90 for first time in 6 yrs due to lack of play. I am extremely very happy about it but also feel tiniest bit guilty that i got away with a couple balls found in winter weeds that may never been found in summer weeds. So with that, would i wish for me to be able to just misshit almost anywhere and never be penalized for it? No not at all. The game would lose integrirty if that was the case.

But again as said in my last post, Stroke and distance is not a necessary penalty IMO. Strke and drop is more than sufficient IMO.

I guess I'm just never going to understand the integrity arguement. It's just a game for most people. Whatever makes it more fun, do it. Scrambles are great fun, but that format is not covered under the rules of golf. Do they make the game lose integrity? The rules are meant to promote fair play in serious competition. That's why there are so many of them, to try and cover any situation that may come up in a competition round. It wouldn't make much sense and would be confusing to have separate rules for recreational rounds but it doesn't hurt the game at all IMO to bend them or even ignore some of them when needed.
 
Theres some good ideas in here....USGA, are you seeing this? I know you have more pressing issues like banning media members from live tweeting a round and limiting the number of grapes they can eat at the media center, but this is the type of discussion you should be having. Let the PGA and Euro PROFESSIONAL TOURS worry about their own rules and whats best for their 500 or so members. You worry about whats best for the other 60 Million golfers in the world who play this for fun and need the game made more user friendly. The USGA needs to be much more actionary to the big issues in what they govern and much less reactionary to things that don't affect how I and 59,999,999 people play the game every day as an AMATUER.

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Agreed, the hole should not be on a slope but I think there is already a guideline from the USGA that the hole should be put in a "relatively flat" area or some such wording. We have all seen numerous cases where that is disregarded. This is a real sore spot with me as well.

As for the rest of your list, there is no reason that your group you are playing with can not institute those "rules" when and where you wish. Of course, those rounds should not be submitted for handicap purposes. I turn in lots of rounds per year but I do not turn in quiet a few rounds where the group decides to do these things in order to speed up the game or have more fun. There is nothing wrong with playing in the manor which gives you the most enjoyment.

I like the rules as they are and understand the need for a standard. I also have nothing against anyone who wants to make these kind of changes, heck I don't care if they brag about shooting 75 when I know it was more like 85 or 90 as long as it doesn't cost me $. Yes, one group of guys I play with forgets strokes, has 3-4 foot gimmes, drops another ball etc. I enjoy playing with them, just overlook their transgressions, it is fun. I do not have any bets with them and I do play the rules so they always have better "scores" than I. Guess who wins in actual tournaments though?

I'll need to find that rule, as I have every intention of presenting it to my general manager and asking in the politest way possible to get with the program.

As for the casual rounds, that's actually kind of my point. 95% of the people I play with are so focused on playing to the rulebook that it's just terribly unlikely. They all have GHIN, and they all have every intention of producing a legitimate handicap from a tee box that isn't ideal for them, because that's where the tournaments are played from. They end up losing some enjoyment from the game by hitting hybrids and woods into some par 4s solely because come tournament time, they won't be playing on a jacked handicap. I tend to think they are crazy, but I don't take the game or the tournaments as seriously as them.... at least until I end up in a fairway divot hahaha!
 
In our 9 hole league, the OB off tee is a lat drop, mainly to keep pace of play flowing.
I think restricting the ball would help also.
Its nice to hit it 300, but keeping it in play is a lot nicer.
That may increase the pace of play as well, if the avg guy would keep it in the short grass instead of
taking 5-10 min looking for a ball in the junk he'll never find.
 
Theres some good ideas in here....USGA, are you seeing this? I know you have more pressing issues like banning media members from live tweeting a round and limiting the number of grapes they can eat at the media center, but this is the type of discussion you should be having. Let the PGA and Euro PROFESSIONAL TOURS worry about their own rules and whats best for their 500 or so members. You worry about whats best for the other 60 Million golfers in the world who play this for fun and need the game made more user friendly. The USGA needs to be much more actionary to the big issues in what they govern and much less reactionary to things that don't affect how I and 59,999,999 people play the game every day as an AMATUER.

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I think that's why we need to do our part to relax a bit when it comes to the rules. When the average golfer gets told he isn't really playing golf or isn't a real golfer if he breaks a few rules, it puts unneeded stress on him. I know there are a lot of people that feel they have to follow every rule and are very competitive, but give the rest of us a break. I would gladly let a friend break as many rules as he wanted and even say he beat me if it made him happy. In fact, I think I even read a post by JB about one of the invitationals where he saw a few shenanigans on the course but didn't say anything. Life's just too short to worry about things that aren't going to hurt me in the long run. It's a lot better to laugh it off than to let it eat at you.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't think we need to change anything but our own attitudes to make the game more enjoyable for the average golfer. I'd much rather see people learning more about etiquette and care of the course than any rules.
 
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Sundays are always the worst at my place.. I often joke that he needs to find a lady friend hahaha!

Thanks for sharing the rule Toad, I appreciate it!

Time to get to work, give me a fighting chance out there, lord knows I struggle enough at ur place just to get to the greens
 
You know, I do agree with that to a point, mainly for the enthusiast. Part of the allure of the game is the difficulty.

At the same time, I think of somebody like my mom. She is interested in the game because of me and likes to go out occasionally, but won't ever become the golf nut that I am. If there were ways to make the game a little easier or enjoyable for that segment of golfers, I can't see a negative there.

Isn't that why we have par 3 courses, Executive courses that play to a par 31 or 32? My parents never played golf seriously and always played par 3 courses. Instead of dumbing down existing courses and reducing the enjoyment for those of us who like the challenge, build more short courses and strongly encoursge new players to do their learning on those.

As far as changing rules, I've never yet met a beginner who cared a hoot about the rules anyway, so why worry about it? I'll help a newer player with such issues if he asks or shows any interest, but as far as I'm concerned, he can do whatever is fun for him unless that means slowing down the pace of play or damaging the course. There is simply no reason to rewrite the rules for someone who really doesn't care anyway. A large number of players who play with friends on a regular basis have their own set of "competition" rules which are in effect whenever they play together. They may or may not resemble the real rules, but if that what works for the group, then I see nothing wrong with it. It's silly to try and dictate rules, whether genuine or invented, to someone who is probably going to ignore them anyway. Anyone who knows my philosophy on this knows that I believe in playing by the rules at all times, for myself and anyone I'm competing against. Beyond that, I don't care.

Golf is a difficult game. You can do a few things to make it somewhat less difficult, but in the end, it just takes time and effort to get reasonably proficient at putting a clubhead on a golf ball in an effective manner.
 
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Time to get to work, give me a fighting chance out there, lord knows I struggle enough at ur place just to get to the greens

I've already got it sent out to a guy on the rules committee.. They absolutely need to enforce it, and I think considering how ridiculous they are about most rules there, it is crazy it hasn't been yet.
 
I don't think the two have to be mutally exclusive, but yes - there are par three courses out there and I do think they make a good place for beginners/non-enthusiasts to play.
 
I've already got it sent out to a guy on the rules committee.. They absolutely need to enforce it, and I think considering how ridiculous they are about most rules there, it is crazy it hasn't been yet.

Id be interested to see what their response will be....denial perhaps?
 
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Id be interested to see what their response will be....denial perhaps?

I'm going to make it a point to highlight the rulebook and then take video of rolling the ball from above the hole and sending it to them regularly.

They can ignore it all they want, but I'm going to frustrate them with it all summer hahaha
 
I'm going to make it a point to highlight the rulebook and then take video of rolling the ball from above the hole and sending it to them regularly.

They can ignore it all they want, but I'm going to frustrate them with it all summer hahaha

I just emailed that link to our club manager and grounds super. I'm like look, it ain't just me, I play with different people almost every Sunday (as a singleton mix-in) and everyone complains about the placements.

Hope it helps.
 
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