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Do you have "relaxed" rules for normal golf?

ShootzGolf

ShootzGolf

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We do. Everyone I've ever played with does for non tournament play. Generous gimmies and everything is a lateral with a generous drop. For pace of play more than anything. OB off the tee is an obvious rehit but we don't go back to rehit. "Sunday rules".
 
I also score those rounds for hdcp. Not doing myself any favors but I do not care about low net prizes.
 
I post every score for Hcp, so not sure I can lighten up on the rules during non-tourney play. If others want to while I play with them, it's not a problem, but my pace of play is not affected by following the book. OB nowadays can be played from the search site with an extra stroke, so that is not a problem.
 
i do all of the above
 
I play by the rules but as stated above nothing I do impedes pace of play. I can make 6 at the same speed as the guy I'm playing with making 3.

The only rule I purposely break is not holing out after missing my third putt.
 
We do, it’s called the “Dont be a dick” rule set.

The point of the game is fun, so, we keep it fun.
 
Most of the time, yes. My days of chasing scores and trying to compete in tournaments are probably over, so when I'm out there, I just want to enjoy the round.
 
I try to follow the rules as much as possible. If I break one, it's typically out of ignorance. I don't do it from a soapbox stance, by any means, I just want to try and ensure that my handicap is as accurate as possible. The only rule that I knowingly break is recording a solo round to calculate my handicap. Because, F*** YOU USGA.
 
Jman said:
We do, it’s called the “Dont be a dick” rule set.

The point of the game is fun, so, we keep it fun.
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well put.
 
We (our group) plays, and stays with in the rules. That said, we don't encounter many regular rule infractions as it is.

If any, it's an inadvertent touch of the ball with the club head when addressing it. The ball doesn't move from it's original spot. Usually. Being good friends, and older guys, it's not a big deal for our group

Most of our goofs are associated with gamesmanship and screwing around with each other.

We I play with others I don't know, I take the rules very seriously, for myself. It's about respect for the game, and showing a good example.Then again as I mentioned before, rules issues are few, and far between.

What others do with the rules, is their business, and none of mine.
 
Jman said:
We do, it’s called the “Dont be a dick” rule set.

The point of the game is fun, so, we keep it fun.
Click to expand...
Pretty much this. I don't play much in the way of competitive golf. I don't keep a GHIN, and I don't expect my playing partners to play by the book. It would make for some long, boring, and sometimes rather tense rounds of golf. No thank you.
 
We play to have fun. When it’s tourneys then we pls by the rules.
 
Our league is by the book - with a local rule to play balls lost in the long native grass as lateral.

Weekend rounds with the guys? We definitely take liberties. We're so disrespectful and bring shame to our houses and those of our families.
 
For a few years, I was playing everything 100% by the rules as I knew, with the exception of pace of play trumping the rules. I never cared what anyone else did.

The reasons for this were 1) to become familiar with them in case I were to play in a tournament, and 2) I wanted my index to be correct.

Ironically, my playing partner hated it. If I hit two consecutive tee shots out of bounds, I'd count all the strokes. Make contact in a bunker, count it. I'd always leave the flag in (before the rule change). I wouldn't take a drop in the drop zone between the hazard and the hole... everything as I knew it. His argument was that "the ROG are for the pros".

Now, I don't know what I'll do if I start tracking my index again. I started to take some liberties last year (stopped posting at that point). The trouble is, it's a slippery slope. For example, in October the grounds crew had blown all leaves out of the fairway and along the tree line in an otherwise easy to find location. When a tee shot landed there I dropped next to the pile and hit my 2nd from there. That gained me a stroke when I believe under the new rule I could have just dropped and taken a penalty stroke. There is also my home course that doesn't mark hazards so it's up to interpretation on where to drop. Either way, it doesn't matter. Who cares if I shoot a crappy 98 or a slightly crappier 100?

Then there are some rules that just don't gain much, if any, advantage. Those are the type I don't feel bad about breaking. If climbing down into a hazard, I'm not going to worry about grounding the club. I might practice chipping on the tee while waiting for the fairway to clear. I don't listen to headphones while on the course, but it's a rule that doesn't really gain one much advantage. As @robrandalgz just posted above, I might even start posting solo rounds (90% of my golf). Those scores are the same as ones played with a partner so it doesn't offer any advantage or disadvantage. If someone doesn't want to play with me because of that, that's their prerogative.
 
I have not played in tournaments for close to ten years. I play close to the rules in the summer, but in the winter not so much. I play for enjoyment of the game and no longer strictly by the rules. I also no longer post scores as well.
 
I have relaxed rules for all rounds.

I consider the RoG, as determined by the USGA and R&A, to be relaxing as they are laid out.

I always play normal golf.

I'm not sure what "abnormal" golf is exactly.

I love golf.
 
I do not. If I'm keeping score I don't play with anything 'generous' and there are no gimmies. I don't care how anyone else plays, but I have to hold myself to the rules or not keep score. Rigorous honesty doesn't allow otherwise. I don't worry about slowing anyone down either way though. I play pretty quickly.
 
Very relaxed, I don’t care what rules people play with as long as pace is fast. If I’m playing with someone near my level and keeping score we will try and play by the same rules but we are just out there for fun
 
Ive played in a lot of amateur golf tournaments and continue to do so so I always follow the rules of golf.

The exception is when it would hurt pace of play or im just too lazy like going back to the tee after losing a ball or attempting to make a 3 footer for a double bogey after hitting 2 putts already. :ROFLMAO: Just pick up and move on.
 
My normal group is my dad, 2 oldest boys, and me. My middle son plays in tournaments and maintains a legit HC so he plays by the rules as do I as I wanted to have a legit HC in case I made a THP event. I did and played like a turd but my HC was legit, ha. If I don’t play exactly to them it’s due to ignorance but I know most of the basics.

My oldest boy and my dad don’t play by the rules, they’ll fluff lies, sometimes take a mulligan, etc. I don’t care in the least and I even let dad’s claim of beating me for 9 holes stand even though he was fluffing lies and I wasn’t. No biggie as he hasn’t beat me in probably 85 rounds together since he came back to the game. He’s progressed and I’ve regressed. He’s just lucky that a storm was blowing in as I’d have got him overall had we played the back. He’s never been so happy that a storm cancelled part of our round, lol.

We had a kid that was paired with my son in his first ever tournament blatently chest. He turned in a score at least 10 strokes lower than what he had the first day. I wasn’t keeping his score that first day but I think his mom thought I was as she basically begged him to change his back nine score. He turned in a back nine 3 strokes lower than my son. There was one hole where he was behind a tree for 5 strokes or so and three putted but he put down a double bogey.

In doing this he qualified for the final group on day two. He was out of contention by the 4th hole as I informed the other parents in the group so they could keep his score. So he had no choice but to put the correct score down as everyone said his score to him when he holed out. “Hey that was an 8, right?”
 
Smiter said:
My normal group is my dad, 2 oldest boys, and me. My middle son plays in tournaments and maintains a legit HC so he plays by the rules as do I as I wanted to have a legit HC in case I made a THP event. I did and played like a turd but my HC was legit, ha. If I don’t play exactly to them it’s due to ignorance but I know most of the basics.

My oldest boy and my dad don’t play by the rules, they’ll fluff lies, sometimes take a mulligan, etc. I don’t care in the least and I even let dad’s claim of beating me for 9 holes stand even though he was fluffing lies and I wasn’t. No biggie as he hasn’t beat me in probably 85 rounds together since he came back to the game. He’s progressed and I’ve regressed. He’s just lucky that a storm was blowing in as I’d have got him overall had we played the back. He’s never been so happy that a storm cancelled part of our round, lol.

We had a kid that was paired with my son in his first ever tournament blatently chest. He turned in a score at least 10 strokes lower than what he had the first day. I wasn’t keeping his score that first day but I think his mom thought I was as she basically begged him to change his back nine score. He turned in a back nine 3 strokes lower than my son. There was one hole where he was behind a tree for 5 strokes or so and three putted but he put down a double bogey.

In doing this he qualified for the final group on day two. He was out of contention by the 4th hole as I informed the other parents in the group so they could keep his score. So he had no choice but to put the correct score down as everyone said his score to him when he holed out. “Hey that was an 8, right?”
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Playing high school golf, I learned to keep score for the entire 4-some as there were many kids who didn't have good counting skills. It is probably why I'm such a stickler to this day. Tell your son not to be afraid to call his competitors on a wrong score in the same way you describe above.
 
Just to be clear I play strictly by the rules in any event where there are prizes. But I'm gonna take a drop at nearest relief on Sunday. We also pick up after a snowman, doesn't matter if it's a par 3 or par 5.
 
Another point being the best round of my life had no penalties or rules to consider. No lost balls no OB.
 
ShootzGolf said:
Another point being the best round of my life had no penalties or rules to consider. No lost balls no OB.
Click to expand...

Every round has rules to consider. I agree with the premise, though, that most great rounds are pretty cut and dry.
 
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