Mickelson hits off cart path - who cares ... look at the lag!!!!

[JB]

But I realize that I play golf with a different outlook than most of the people on this forum. I'm out there to play golf, not keep my clubs all shiny clean.

That is not even close to a fair assessment. Sure some want to make sure that something they spend their hard earned money on stays good looking. Others use them as tools. Until you have played with the majority, its an unfair line to take.

 

[ArmyGolf]

I've played off a cart path, gravel path, rock garden or a sheet of ice with my wedges a few times, but NO WAY am I hitting an iron off the path. I expect to replace my wedges every 1.5 - 2 years and I don't expect them to hold any resale value by the time I'm done with them.

 

[evand23mc]

Great video, thanks for sharing!

 

[Spiritomb]

This is why I love Phil.

 

[blugold]

I don't get the big deal. I've played many times from a cart path(concrete, asphalt, gravel, packed clay) when the drop would have been unfavorable. It's not that hard a shot, and I've never done anything worse than a little scuff on the sole, something which I consider normal wear for most irons. But I realize that I play golf with a different outlook than most of the people on this forum. I'm out there to play golf, not keep my clubs all shiny clean.

I just avoid hitting it onto cart paths. That way I don't have to worry about where the nearest point of relief is.

 

[Fourputt]

That is not even close to a fair assessment. Sure some want to make sure that something they spend their hard earned money on stays good looking. Others use them as tools. Until you have played with the majority, its an unfair line to take.

I don't see how you can expect to keep them pristine unless you play an upscale private club where you never, ever have to worry about a rock under the grass. Or you're so good that that you never play out of the fairway. Then too, I don't buy clubs to resell them, I buy them to use them for anywhere from 5-10 years, by which time they will have zero resale value regardless of condition. I take care of my clubs by keeping them clean, keeping the grips fresh, but I don't baby them.

I just avoid hitting it onto cart paths. That way I don't have to worry about where the nearest point of relief is.

Would that I were that good. Even the pros hit cart paths on occasion. My home course has a gravel maintenance road that parallels the left side of a couple of holes. It's not hard to pull hook a shot in that direction. In both cases, the relief would be in deep rough - you could literally drop into an unplayable lie. It's a much easier shot to play from the road surface.

I've played with guys who ignore the rules and give themselves a favorable drop way back in the mowed rough, some 10 or 15 yards from the road, or even all the way back in the fairway. It doesn't matter to me, but that's not how I choose to play.

 

[deuce]

But I realize that I play golf with a different outlook than most of the people on this forum.

You mean that you don't care if you hit the shot wrong and sprain/fracture your wrist? #ManOfSteel

And yeah, I won't hit off a cart path because I don't want to ruin my clubs. The cart path is considered an obstruction, and you are allowed to take "complete relief". Why I would risk injury to myself and damage to my clubs when I can take a drop without penalty to give myself a better shot is beyond me.

 

[Sanzabar]

Just flat out incredible.

 

[Fourputt]

You mean that you don't care if you hit the shot wrong and sprain/fracture your wrist? #ManOfSteel

And yeah, I won't hit off a cart path because I don't want to ruin my clubs. The cart path is considered an obstruction, and you are allowed to take "complete relief". Why I would risk injury to myself and damage to my clubs when I can take a drop without penalty to give myself a better shot is beyond me.

As I said, I've played this shot many times and never hurt myself. You can't play the normal shot as if you are taking a divot - you just pick the ball off the surface.

Did you actually read my post, and do you know how to properly take relief from an obstruction? You only get relief from the obstruction itself, not from a tree or bush or 2 foot deep rough that's happens to dominate the one clublength dropping area at the nearest point of relief from the obstruction. If you won't play from the lie on the obstruction, and you can't play from the dropping area that's defined by the rules, then you either take a penalty drop as an unplayable lie, or you ignore the rules and do whatever you want.

 

[Agent Jay]

That's ONE way of working a little extra grind off your wedge.

Seriously though, we all know Phil is a short game genius and makes this shot look WAY easier than it truly is. Your timing and attack angle to hit that shot so you don't blade in on the bounce has to be perfect. Heck of shot!

 

[deuce]

As I said, I've played this shot many times and never hurt myself.

Lucky you, but just because you've never gotten hurt doesn't mean it can't happen. Pro's have hurt themselves doing that.

Did you actually read my post ...

No, I don't read anything other than what I write.

... and do you know how to properly take relief from an obstruction?

Yes, I do. I've read the rules.

 

[Fourputt]

Lucky you, but just because you've never gotten hurt doesn't mean it can't happen. Pro's have hurt themselves doing that.

No luck about it. It's called knowing how to adjust one's swing to compensate for lie conditions.

No, I don't read anything other than what I write.

Yes, I do. I've read the rules.

Then I guess you know all. See ya around.

 

[deuce]

Then I guess you know all. See ya around.

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

All of the courses I play within 20 miles of my home, a total of about 10 places, all have local rules that give free drops off of all paved cart path's. Always good to ask where you are playing for a local rules sheet.........

At my home course we also get free drops off any stone approaches to wooden bridges and the wooden bridges as well. It is all about taking care of the people, clubs and objects on the course. Free drops out of flower beds as well (this one is a must do) while the others are optional. If you want to hit off of asphalt or concrete, go for it, but as a working man that pays for my clubs, I'll take the free drop.

Golf is all about the rules, but there are local rules in place at most courses as well.

 

[Fourputt]

All of the courses I play within 20 miles of my home, a total of about 10 places, all have local rules that give free drops off of all paved cart path's. Always good to ask where you are playing for a local rules sheet.........

At my home course we also get free drops off any stone approaches to wooden bridges and the wooden bridges as well. It is all about taking care of the people, clubs and objects on the course. Free drops out of flower beds as well (this one is a must do) while the others are optional. If you want to hit off of asphalt or concrete, go for it, but as a working man that pays for my clubs, I'll take the free drop.

Golf is all about the rules, but there are local rules in place at most courses as well.

You don't need a local rule to drop from a cart path. Rule 24 for obstructions covers that. What you do need to take from what I'm saying is that the relief is only for the cart path. You aren't guaranteed that such relief will give you a shot, or even a playable lie. All you get is relief from interference by the obstruction for the lie of the ball, your stance, and the area of your intended swing. The drop is within one clublength of the nearest point of relief, not the best point of relief.

There are courses with local rules which specifically do not give relief from certain obstructions. The most famous of those is the Road Hole at St. Andrews, where the road behind the green on 17 is an integral part of the course, and as such is in play with no relief. You also do not get relief from an immovable obstruction if your ball lies in a water hazard.

 

[Vegan702]

A local rule that covers a rule already in place lol.

 

[Germerican]

Tried this the other day as I bounced one off the tree into the course mechanic parking lot. Shanked it bad, roughed up the sole. Never again. Good thing I didn't use a oft-used club.

 

[jrs362]

I love seeing the different opinions and views on how everyone plays the game. Some people are sticklers for the rules and want to follow every single rule to the T while others will make exceptions for safety, local rules, etc.

Personally, I play for fun. I'm not making a living playing golf. It's something I do to have fun and spend time outdoors. I'm not going to make myself miserable by following every little rule and making a hard game even harder. If I'm on a cart path or tree roots, you can bet your ass I'm kicking my ball a few feet in either direction to make sure I'm not going to hurt myself or damage my equipment. What fun would golf be If I was damaging clubs left and right or hurting my wrist/shoulder when I swing and catch a root or rock?

I'll take my penalty strokes if warranted (OB, hazard, etc) but I'll also take free relief from cart paths, tree roots, and rocks as a personal rule which warrants kicking the ball back to the nearest safe place to play from. Within the rules or not, I don't care because it makes my game enjoyable. As others have said, until I start getting free clubs, I'm not going to intentionally play a shot that could damage my club.