What rule did you misunderstand / not understand well?

[wadesworld]

Anyone got a rule of golf they played wrong for years? Or a rule they're still not sure they understand?

For me, it was red/yellow stakes. I could never quite remember which was which, and always got it wrong when I guessed. After 40+ years, I've finally got it.

And of course for years I didn't understand the most important rule: have fun!

 

[Smallville]

My bet is that we all do things wrong a lot and never know about it. If the PGA tour guys don't know the rules of the game they play for a living, us regular guys can't think we know all the rules.

 

[sabig27]

The one I dont get is you cant ask fellow golfers what club they hit. I get that in tourneys you shouldnt, but I do not see the point of the rule for non-tourney rounds. I see this happen all the time because it is called human conversation.

 

[Barberakb]

I would add if you have one and post it plz post the whole rule so people can find out.

I am now looking up what yellow stakes mean since I never see those...

 

[wadesworld]

The one I dont get is you cant ask fellow golfers what club they hit. I get that in tourneys you shouldnt, but I do not see the point of the rule for non-tourney rounds. I see this happen all the time because it is called human conversation.

I have never, ever seen someone have a problem with giving or receiving advice in a casual round. I guess if someone thought you didn't know it was against the rules they might say something like "You know in a tournament you can't say that..." but if someone actually has a problem with it in a casual game, they've got their priorities way out of whack.

 

[wadesworld]

I would add if you have one and post it plz post the whole rule so people can find out.

I am now looking up what yellow stakes mean since I never see those...

Yellow stakes are a "regular" water hazard. Which means if your ball is in the hazard, you must drop behind the hazard on a line between the flag and the point at which your ball last crossed the margin of the hazard, going as far back as you wish. Where this becomes important most often is a hazard in front of a green with a steep bank. If your approach shot clears the hazard but then rolls back down the slope into the hazard, you cannot go to the green side and drop within 2 club lengths no nearer the hole as you could with a lateral (red stakes) hazard. You must play again from the far side of the hazard.

 

[tgtt]

I have never, ever seen someone have a problem with giving or receiving advice in a casual round. I guess if someone thought you didn't know it was against the rules they might say something like "You know in a tournament you can't say that..." but if someone actually has a problem with it, they've got their priorities way out of whack.

Here's how it goes with my friends...

Friends: "what club did you use"?
Me: "you know I'm not allowed to tell you (joking, of ckurse).
Friends: look in my bag to see what's missing, "oh, an X. Thanks, I'll take one more".

 

[Scrap Iron]

Anytime a drop is involved I either ask someone in my group what the right play is and more than 60% of the time they don't know either so we just agree on something that makes sense to us.

 

[sabig27]

I completely agree with you. My point though is the rule for tourneys only, or anytime you post a handicap? I dont follow the rule but it silly if a golfer is supposed to follow it for posting rounds as well.

I have never, ever seen someone have a problem with giving or receiving advice in a casual round. I guess if someone thought you didn't know it was against the rules they might say something like "You know in a tournament you can't say that..." but if someone actually has a problem with it in a casual game, they've got their priorities way out of whack.

 

[wadesworld]

I completely agree with you. My point though is the rule for tourneys only, or anytime you post a handicap? I dont follow the rule but it silly if a golfer is supposed to follow it for posting rounds as well.

Officially, by the letter of the law, you are supposed to play handicap-posted rounds according to the rules of golf. All of them.

However, where most people get confused is they think if they break a rule, they cannot turn in that round. In fact, sandbaggers will sometimes use this misconception to legitimize their sandbagging. "Oh, I can't turn this one in. I took a gimme on 16."

In fact, you can turn it in and should. From the Handicap Manual:

4-2. Holes Not Played or Not Played Under The Principles of The Rules of GolfIf a player does not play a hole or plays it other than under the principles of the Rules of Golf (except for preferred lies), the score recorded for that hole for handicap purposes must be par plus any handicap strokes the player is entitled to receive on that hole. This hole score, when recorded, should be preceded by an "X."
Example: A player with a Course Handicap of 10 receives a handicap stroke on the first 10 allocated handicap-stroke holes. If the player does not play the sixth allocated handicap-stroke hole, which is a par 4, because of construction on the green, the player must record a score of par plus one for handicap purposes, or X-5. (See Decision 4-2/1 and Section 5-2b.)

Now, that's the "by the book" game. I would say most people can and should play the "lets have fun and not over-analyze everything" game. Ask a friend what club he hit? No big deal. Accidentally, nick your ball with your putter causing it to move a dimple? Just putt. Go ahead and turn the round in. Or, if you want to be 100% correct, follow the procedure above.

Of course that's only if it stays small stuff that has no real impact. If it suddenly becomes "Ah, I don't want to count that OB ball" or "That 5-footer I raked towards the hole and missed by a foot was good," you might find people against whom you may compete in a handicapped tournament having a problem with it.

 

[sabig27]

That is a good viewpoint, thanks for sharing.

Officially, by the letter of the law, you are supposed to play handicap-posted rounds according to the rules of golf. All of them.

However, where most people get confused is they think if they break a rule, they cannot turn in that round. In fact, sandbaggers will sometimes use this misconception to legitimize their sandbagging. "Oh, I can't turn this one in. I took a gimme on 16."

In fact, you can turn it in and should. From the Handicap Manual:






Now, that's the "by the book" game. I would say most people can and should play the "lets have fun and not over-analyze everything" game. Ask a friend what club he hit? No big deal. Accidentally, nick your ball with your putter causing it to move a dimple? Just putt. Go ahead and turn the round in. Or, if you want to be 100% correct, follow the procedure above.

Of course that's only if it stays small stuff that has no real impact. If it suddenly becomes "Ah, I don't want to count that OB ball" or "That 5-footer I raked towards the hole and missed by a foot was good," you might find people against whom you may compete in a handicapped tournament having a problem with it.

 

[bhilton]

Yellow stakes are a "regular" water hazard. Which means if your ball is in the hazard, you must drop behind the hazard on a line between the flag and the point at which your ball last crossed the margin of the hazard, going as far back as you wish. Where this becomes important most often is a hazard in front of a green with a steep bank. If your approach shot clears the hazard but then rolls back down the slope into the hazard, you cannot go to the green side and drop within 2 club lengths no nearer the hole as you could with a lateral (red stakes) hazard. You must play again from the far side of the hazard.

Just to add on to this...

I think the bolded part is what gets messed up more often than anything. 9 times out of 10, I hear people say to drop the ball on the line of flight. There is nowhere in the rulebook that says anything about line of flight. It's always the point of entry. I see a lot of people that know the difference between yellow and red stakes but still drop incorrectly because the use line of flight.

 

[Lynchburg14]

The following happen to my friend in a tourney we were playing in college and it has to due with taking full relief.

Ball was laying on the cart path so he took his driver out and took relief from the lie. Everyone in the group said yeah looks good to us and he went on and hit his second shot. At the end of the round we were signing cards and our coach comes over and tells him to add 2 shots to his score. One of the other teams players ask why and this is what we were told. "One of the other schools coach saw the action and when he took relief his right heel was still touching the cart path and therefor he did not take full relief". We were mad but the other two guys in our group were even more mad because they had no problem with how he took relief in the first place.

So I guess it is a good thing to understand how to correctly take relief.

 

[Phil75070]

Thew biggest problem I see that so many have is understanding and finding the "nearest point of relief". Many times using nearest point of relief and having to take full relief can lead to a worse situation. Taking relief is just about always optional.

 

[darnall]

The one I screwed up the most frequently was how to handle a shot that goes OB... I thought in every situation when your shot went OB that you were supposed to just go to the place closest to where it ended up, drop, take an extra stroke and play from there. I had no idea that in some situations you were supposed to return to the tee or the spot you just played from and hit another shot plus take a penalty.

 

[tequila4kapp]

I can get the colored stakes confused and not know the details about where I can / should drop the ball.

 

[JB]

I have never, ever seen someone have a problem with giving or receiving advice in a casual round. I guess if someone thought you didn't know it was against the rules they might say something like "You know in a tournament you can't say that..." but if someone actually has a problem with it in a casual game, they've got their priorities way out of whack.

I agree, but doesnt this go with the whole follow all or else mentality that some seem to have when turning in cards for index purposes? Here one is choosing what should or should not be enforced and then preaching to others the same thing.

 

[CAA_Beat]

Good Topic!!

I was embarrassed because i incorrectly called someone for a rules violation during a tournament round several years ago. We finished a hole and he threw his ball down and putted the putt he had just missed again. I had seen many people do this during a casual round, but I never said anything. This was a tournament and I felt compelled to "protect the field" When i told him (incorrectly) he couldn't practice on the course during a round, he asked me to show him where. I always have a copy of the rule book, I found this rule, and then had egg on my face. He was a good sport about it, and I apologized profusely.

Where I got it wrong, is the PGA Tour has a competition rule that that it is not allowed during an official PGA Tournament. I knew it could be done in Match Play, but thought it was prohibited in Stroke play. Since then, I have been hesitant to call anyone for an infraction, even If I was sure.

Good news is, I now know I can do this should the need arise.

7-2. During Round

A player must not make a practice stroke during play of a hole.
Between the play of two holes a player must not make a practice stroke, except that he may practice putting or chipping on or near:
a. the putting green of the hole last played,
b. any practice putting green, or

c. the teeing ground of the next hole to be played in the round, provided a practice stroke is not made from a hazard and does not unduly delay play (Rule 6-7).
Strokes made in continuing the play of a hole, the result of which has been decided, are not practice strokes.
Exception: When play has been suspended by the Committee, a player may, prior to resumption of play, practice (a) as provided in this Rule, (b) anywhere other than on the competition course and (c) as otherwise permitted by theCommittee.

 

[emart2173]

The one I screwed up the most frequently was how to handle a shot that goes OB... I thought in every situation when your shot went OB that you were supposed to just go to the place closest to where it ended up, drop, take an extra stroke and play from there. I had no idea that in some situations you were supposed to return to the tee or the spot you just played from and hit another shot plus take a penalty.

For OB there is no situation to take a drop from where it entered,crossed,etc. OB is always stroke and distance. What some people do and everyone i play with on a regular basis will play a provisional so that we don't have to go back to the tee and slow down play.

 

[Canadan]

I bet you a very very small percentage of golfers understand the stake system and subsequent drop system well enough to properly adhere to it. That said, in a casual round, I genuinely don't care how my round mates are dropping. It's a stroke plus a drop and it's going to hurt them, I say "there is good" and we move on quickly.

It's not that I don't understand the drop system personally, it's that I'm not demanding someone pull out their driver and drop pegs into the ground at 7:30 on a Thursday night haha

 

[blugold]

Thew biggest problem I see that so many have is understanding and finding the "nearest point of relief". Many times using nearest point of relief and having to take full relief can lead to a worse situation. Taking relief is just about always optional.

A lot of people don't understand either that the rule is nearest point of relief, not "nearest point of relief with a clean lie."

 

[moosejaa]

For OB there is no situation to take a drop from where it entered,crossed,etc. OB is always stroke and distance. What some people do and everyone i play with on a regular basis will play a provisional so that we don't have to go back to the tee and slow down play.

Not sure if it's an actual rule but for the sake of keeping up pace of play, if you did not realize your ball went OB and did not take a provisional that you drop and take a 2 stroke penalty instead of going all the way back to where you hit from.

 

[blugold]

Not sure if it's an actual rule but for the sake of keeping up pace of play, if you did not realize your ball went OB and did not take a provisional that you drop and take a 2 stroke penalty instead of going all the way back to where you hit from.

You could in a casual round. But a competitive round or a round for handicap consideration, no way. If it is a handicap round, if you do that, the hole gets an X.

 

[Canadan]

For OB there is no situation to take a drop from where it entered,crossed,etc. OB is always stroke and distance. What some people do and everyone i play with on a regular basis will play a provisional so that we don't have to go back to the tee and slow down play.

For the most part it's probably true, however between this and heather lost balls, check the scorecard. There are plenty of courses who dictate local rules based on OB/LB. Some allow stroke and distance parallel to entry into the hazard.

 

[gizmo3putt]

Not sure if it's an actual rule but for the sake of keeping up pace of play, if you did not realize your ball went OB and did not take a provisional that you drop and take a 2 stroke penalty instead of going all the way back to where you hit from.

My buddies & I do the same thing, ball barely roles out of bounds, we'll take the 2 strokes and drop there to keep it going.