Breaking the rules when you lose a ball

[copenhagerman]

If it's a recorded round we will drop from where we all agree the ball landed or entered the rough and take a stroke. If it is a s***s and giggles round we don't keep score anyway so we just drop and go.

 

[Scorp]

It's a game... some take it too seriously I believe...

 

[DG_1234]

If the group agrees the ball should not be lost though, then don't count it and move on. It's not like you are then dropping it in the fairway. Drop it in the long nasty rough and play it from there. We don't all play on pristine courses that all drain super well. I'm not going to take a penalty because my ball is plugging too deep in the fairway. If the group agrees and everyone is fine with it, then there is no issue. No one is being harmed in that situation but yourself if in tournament play that would take a stroke. But I would also feel a good amount of tournaments wouldn't be played at courses where that would happen.

I also wouldn't be playing often with someone that bent out of shape about that. You gotta take the conditions you get playing in Ohio, and I don't need to play with someone that is going to make that situation any less fun than it already is.

Individual players, foursomes, entire groups of players etc.... may make up whatever Rules they want to play, that's their business.
But the Rules of Golf are black and white and players either observe and honor the Rules or they don't.

 

[OGputtnfool]

It's a game... some take it too seriously I believe...

I'm sure I fit into that category, but I've always been that way with games. I mean, if we're not going to play by the rules, then how will we ever know if we're improving?

 

[CBaker]

Individual players, foursomes, entire groups of players etc.... may make up whatever Rules they want to play, that's their business.
But the Rules of Golf are black and white and players either observe and honor the Rules or they don't.

The rules of golf are absolutely not black and white. And if you think so, you're kidding yourself. See - entire list of "decisions". There wouldn't need to be any decisions at all if it was black and white.

 

[OGputtnfool]

Individual players, foursomes, entire groups of players etc.... may make up whatever Rules they want to play, that's their business.
But the Rules of Golf are black and white and players either observe and honor the Rules or they don't.

Exactly. I don't look down on people for playing fast and loose and I don't think anyone should look down on me for playing strictly by the RoG.

 

[DG_1234]

It's a game... some take it too seriously I believe...

Or, the Rules are an integral part of the game and following the Rules provides the richest, most fulfilling experience.

 

[CBaker]

if you ask anyone what the most important thing is about golf to them, I don't believe I've ever seen someone say "the rules". If you want to play completely by the book fine. but there are situations where it's just not worth it - IE balls completely plugging in the fairway. That's not what the game intended.

 

[DG_1234]

The rules of golf are absolutely not black and white. And if you think so, you're kidding yourself. See - entire list of "decisions". There wouldn't need to be any decisions at all if it was black and white.

The Rules of Golf are written in a book, literally black and white. "Decisions" are simply applying the Rules.

 

[DG_1234]

if you ask anyone what the most important thing is about golf to them, I don't believe I've ever seen someone say "the rules". If you want to play completely by the book fine. but there are situations where it's just not worth it - IE balls completely plugging in the fairway. That's not what the game intended.

The Rules allow for embedded ball relief without penalty.

 

[CBaker]

The Rules allow for embedded ball relief without penalty.

that's embedded. it Doesn't, to the best of my knowledge, allow for a drop in the fairway when it plugs so bad you, and no one else you're playing with, can even find it. To me and how we play, that's not a penalty if it's agreed upon where it should be but you're unable to find it. It sounds like you would be calling for a penalty stroke there.

 

[OGputtnfool]

if you ask anyone what the most important thing is about golf to them, I don't believe I've ever seen someone say "the rules". If you want to play completely by the book fine. but there are situations where it's just not worth it - IE balls completely plugging in the fairway. That's not what the game intended.

This thread has the potential to generate some serious posts. I like it.

So, if you (and that's not a personal attack) change the rules every time you play, how can you ever assess your improvement?

 

[G-Man]

Casual play and the group agrees that the ball is in that area but unable to locate no penalty, same for leaves (use bright yellows during fall)... I find a lot of it now is plugged balls because there has been so much rain in OH-IO!

 

[G-Man]

Exactly. I don't look down on people for playing fast and loose and I don't think anyone should look down on me for playing strictly by the RoG.

I am fine with playing strict rules as long as we set that up in the beginning. I think you have to walk in and know this is loose start to the weekend or we are keeping handicap score or playing for real.

 

[jvbart]

We play pretty casual golf so we just take a drop near where we think it was usually on the fairway with a penalty stroke. I keep a handicap but can't break 95 yet so I don't get too nitpicky with scores. Just like to keep pace up.

 

[Scorp]

I'm sure I fit into that category, but I've always been that way with games. I mean, if we're not going to play by the rules, then how will we ever know if we're improving?

I know I'm improving when it takes fewer foot wedges, hand wedges, mulligans, and lost balls to get from the tee to the hole


Seriously though. As I mentioned earlier, I'm willing to penalize myself twice if the course decides it likes my golf ball more than I do and hides it on me. Anything beyond that and I'm looking at it as I'm not a masochist. It would add to my frustration to continue having to penalize myself because the course conditions are too long in the rough.

 

[redneckwop]

If I'm counting the score for handicap, which I don't have an official cap, I'm taking the stroke. If I'm playing a fun round with my buddies & there is no money involved then will not count the stroke.

 

[OGputtnfool]

I am fine with playing strict rules as long as we set that up in the beginning. I think you have to walk in and know this is loose start to the weekend or we are keeping handicap score or playing for real.

I see that. My default is just to strictly by the RoG. Some people's default is elsewhere. I just know that once I see their default is to fast and loose that no score they ever tell me really means anything to me because I don't know which rules they were playing by... if any.

 

[OGputtnfool]

I know I'm improving when it takes fewer foot wedges, hand wedges, mulligans, and lost balls to get from the tee to the hole


Seriously though. As I mentioned earlier, I'm willing to penalize myself twice if the course decides it likes my golf ball more than I do and hides it on me. Anything beyond that and I'm looking at it as I'm not a masochist. It would add to my frustration to continue having to penalize myself because the course conditions are too long in the rough.

Penalize yourself twice? You mean a two stroke penalty or two separate times during one round?

 

[SlightDraw]

I've lost close to 10 balls in one round on a course just before a PGA tour event and none of them went OB. I simply couldn't find them in the thick thick rough. Some just a foot or two off of the fairway. I did not count those as lost balls. Simply just dropped a ball in the similar area and went about my round!

 

[Templet0n]

Nothing ticks me off like a lost ball in play. I play a lot of solo golf so, it happens. I generally add a stroke and play on. Sometimes when I feel that I hit a good shot, I drop and keep playing.

stroke and distance is something that should die a quite death and completely go away.

 

[OGputtnfool]

Nothing ticks me off like a lost ball in play. I play a lot of solo golf so, it happens. I generally add a stroke and play on. Sometimes when I feel that I hit a good shot, I drop and keep playing.

stroke and distance is something that should die a quite death and completely go away.

How do you know it's in play, though, if it's lost?

 

[oumagic]

I will always take a stroke if I can’t find my ball that I didn’t think was lost, but I just drop where I think it should be and take a penalty. I never go back to play from my last shot.

If it somehow affects a match or bet, I just tell them to put me down for one more than them on the hole. This is something that rarely happens to me (losing a ball that I didn’t see go into water, OB, trees). Maybe one ball out of 10 rounds for me?

 

[Templet0n]

How do you know it's in play, though, if it's lost?

Based on watching the ball and seeing it land in play but not specifically and then cant find it in the rough. If I am playing by myself and hit a bad shot, I re-tee at 3. I do really try to be honest with myself and say yeah thats probably gone and re-tee. If I find it in play great. But If I feel it was a good shot and just cant find it because I did not see it stop I play on most of the time.

Tour pros hit it all over the planet and almost never lose a ball because there are hundreds of people watching it live and millions round the world on tee.

 

[OGputtnfool]

Based on watching the ball and seeing it land in play but not specifically and then cant find it in the rough. If I am playing by myself and hit a bad shot, I re-tee at 3. I do really try to be honest with myself and say yeah thats probably gone and re-tee. If I find it in play great. But If I feel it was a good shot and just cant find it because I did not see it stop I play on most of the time.

Tour pros hit it all over the planet and almost never lose a ball because there are hundreds of people watching it live and millions round the world on tee.

I understand all that, but I'm saying if you didn't see it stop, then there's no way to know for certain that it's still in play. It's a lost ball until you find it.