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New USGA Golf rules - what would you change now?

TLuke

TLuke

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For me, interpreting golf rules can sometimes be like prepping for a law exam. Here’s what I’d choose to change now.
1. Change local course rules for OB/lost ball from two to one stroke penalty. If red/yellow stake areas are only a one stroke penalty, why the more penalty for OB/lost ball? The fairways on my home track magically make golf balls disappear.
2. Ground your club wherever you like, even in bunkers.

Your ideas?
 
TLuke said:
For me, interpreting golf rules can sometimes be like prepping for a law exam. Here’s what I’d choose to change now.
1. Change local course rules for OB/lost ball from two to one stroke penalty. If red/yellow stake areas are only a one stroke penalty, why the more penalty for OB/lost ball? The fairways on my home track magically make golf balls disappear.
2. Ground your club wherever you like, even in bunkers.

Your ideas?
Click to expand...

Agree with 1 - shot, penalty, shot from approximate location.
I have always found #2 interesting because you get to test the lie in many other places.
 
Having lost a ball in a freaking fairway, getting a 2-stoke felt massively excessive.

I think there are a lot of tweaks that make sense. I can support the OB change. Most play it that way anyway. The one I think about is allowing amateurs to pick, clean and place the ball anytime on a fairway. There is nothing worse than striping a drive to have a ball in a divot or a weird section of grass and rut. I have also had some early season drives in the fairway where the ball ended up mud covered. In a fairway, I feel like we all deserve a reasonable lie and clean ball. Miss fairway, good luck. (y)
 
I agree with the OB rule. Not only is the penalty to severe, it slows the game down if you have to back to replay a shot.

I would allow for a free drop if your ball winds up in a divot in the fairway. If the premise of golf is to hit fairways & greens, then you should not be penalized for just that.
 
Change the "drop" to "place" the ball. Give yourself a nice lie and get on with the game.
 
Agree on OB. It should be just one penalty, not two. Can't agree on grounding clubs in bunkers, that would change the dynamics of the shot too much.
 
If they changed the rule for the Pros and allowed them to drop I'd go with it, but I have no interest in playing a different game than them so for me the two strokes is a gift, a generous ruling knowing I would probably not hit that spot with another swing, and could very well go OB again.

The fear of losing the two strokes is what makes the tee shot so tough, and rewarding, I don't want to swing like a wild man knowing it's only a stroke if the ball is lost and I can possibly still make par with a fluffy drop wherever I think it went out, that's weak IMO, the rule will never change.

And grounding the club in bunkers basically means we can take practice strokes, not going to happen.
 
MrDC said:
If they changed the rule for the Pros and allowed them to drop I'd go with it, but I have no interest in playing a different game than them so for me the two strokes is a gift, a generous ruling knowing I would probably not hit that spot with another swing, and could very well go OB again.

The fear of losing the two strokes is what makes the tee shot so tough, and rewarding, I don't want to swing like a wild man knowing it's only a stroke if the ball is lost and I can possibly still make par with a fluffy drop wherever I think it went out, that's weak IMO, the rule will never change.

And grounding the club in bunkers basically means we can take practice strokes, not going to happen.
Click to expand...
But if there is a lake adjoining the fairway and you hit it into the lake, it is only one penalty. The inconsistency is irrational.
 
Because the water hazard is in play, a good shot can still find the water, not such a bad offense, but OB is always wildly out of play, a very poor shot, hence the penalty.
 
MrDC said:
Because the water hazard is in play, a good shot can still find the water, not such a bad offense, but OB is always wildly out of play, a very poor shot, hence the penalty.
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A ball at the bottom of a lake is not in play. It is physically impossible to be played. Hitting it there is wildly out of the area where it can be physically, played, a very poor shot, hence one penalty. Just like OB should be.
 
Bifurcated rules. Let amateurs play under one set of rules and professionals play under another.
 
MrDC said:
Because the water hazard is in play, a good shot can still find the water, not such a bad offense, but OB is always wildly out of play, a very poor shot, hence the penalty.
Click to expand...

That isn't true. I'm sure we all have played holes where there is OB very close to fairways and even greens.
 
I'm going to be the draconian one here. Keep the 2 strokes for OB and lost balls because you get to drop on the fairway... otherwise you would have had to make the walk of shame back and hit another shot for stroke and distance unless you played a provisional ball. Be thankful they're giving you this option now. One stroke makes it too easy.

Bunkers.... if they're going to keep rakes out of them and make you play in them, you should be able to ground your club and play them like sandy waste areas. When the rakes come back, this changes.

Dropping the ball: Change it to anywhere above the knee.

Reverse the rule banning the anchored putting stroke. (controversy!!!)

Also most amateurs play under a bifurcated set of rules already. We have handicaps. Pros don't. Amateurs make "casual" drops for unplayable lies unless they're playing in a skins match or some other competition. Pros don't.
 
InTheRough said:
I'm going to be the draconian one here. Keep the 2 strokes for OB and lost balls because you get to drop on the fairway... otherwise you would have had to make the walk of shame back and hit another shot for stroke and distance unless you played a provisional ball. Be thankful they're giving you this option now. One stroke makes it too easy.

Bunkers.... if they're going to keep rakes out of them and make you play in them, you should be able to ground your club and play them like sandy waste areas. When the rakes come back, this changes.

Dropping the ball: Change it to anywhere above the knee.

Reverse the rule banning the anchored putting stroke. (controversy!!!)

Also most amateurs play under a bifurcated set of rules already. We have handicaps. Pros don't. Amateurs make "casual" drops for unplayable lies unless they're playing in a skins match or some other competition. Pros don't.
Click to expand...
Then why not make hitting into a lake a two-stroke penalty too, with a drop in the fairway?
 
LICC said:
Then why not make hitting into a lake a two-stroke penalty too, with a drop in the fairway?
Click to expand...

If you want to change the lateral hazard rule to a drop on the fairway with a 2 stroke penalty we can add that to the list of changes. Let's make that a fourth option. I have no objection. ;)
 
OB--if you find the ball, drop IB, take a one-stroke penalty, and play from there. If you can't find the ball, it's lost and the lost ball penalty applies--stroke and distance.
Dump the anchored putting rule entirely. You can anchor your driver for all I care.
 
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