- Thread starter
- #51
By the book, yes. If you ignored a rule during the play of a hole, you would record par + the handicap strokes you're allotted, prefaced with an X. So if you got a stroke on a par 4, it'd be an "X-5".
What rule did you misunderstand / not understand well?
By the book, yes. If you ignored a rule during the play of a hole, you would record par + the handicap strokes you're allotted, prefaced with an X. So if you got a stroke on a par 4, it'd be an "X-5".
I'll take the x over getting hit into for pace of play!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
jhstew1
Idiot Free
i thought a player should take the max allowed under USGA Equitable Stroke Control(ESC)
Mystery Meat
Ben Hogan Fan
There was an old playing partner/golf club professional , and he had a quick antidote for everyone that was big in the rules . And I quote " guys that are big in the rules books are usually the sorry @@sses that need golf lessons more than anyone " . When I would read between the lines I really agree with him
- Thread starter
- #55
I'm not an expert, but I don't think so. The goal of ESC is to keep your handicap from getting too high because of scoring anomalies (aka blow up holes).
The par+handicap strokes for holes not played under the rules or holes not completed is essentially requiring you to write down a score exactly in-line with your handicap. Your handicap is not going to be affected in a positive or negative direction as a result.
- Admin
- #56
Man my card would look weird because I constantly discuss what clubs I am playing with my partners. I should probably not keep score.
- Thread starter
- #57
It depends.
I'm a person that enjoys learning about the rules. It's fascinating to me the myriad of situations to which a simple rule has to apply. Call me weird - it appeals to my intellectual side.
However, I think anyone at THP that has ever played with me will tell you that in casual play, I could care less what you do and I just relax, play and have fun. Even in tournament play, the only rules violations I've called are on myself. It's not worth ruining the fun of the event to try to be "that guy" unless you were convinced someone were blatantly cheating.
With that said, occasionally you come across the guy who tries to "game the game" by calling a rules violation at just the right moment, to break your mental concentration or win based on penalty strokes. Fortunately, those people are far and few between. In fact, if the committee should realize that's what they're doing, they should disqualify that person. I suspect that's the type of person to whom your pro was referring.
Wake
Active member
Lynchburg14
New member
Is there a rule on how you are suppose to mark score on the card? Most of my friends put down the number they scored but I will put plus or minus the number I am over or under for that hole. It lets me do simple math faster. Example: +1, +1, +1, -, +1: So I am 4 over through 5 holes. I had a guy tell me one time that I was doing it wrong.
- Admin
- #60
Thats the part I struggle with. People always say "You should not pick and choose which rules to use" and then pick and choose to discuss clubs. While its not necessarily the same thing, they are both rules.
emart2173
#journey2017
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2014
- Messages
- 32,082
- Reaction score
- 7
- Location
- North of my desired location
- Handicap
- 10
- Admin
- #63
As a "rules guy" how do you pick and choose what rules are important enough to abide by?
- Thread starter
- #64
If there is truly no marking, the right thing to do in a stroke-play situation would be to play another ball under rule 3-3 and then let the committee decide if it was out of bounds or not.
In a casual round though, if there truly is no marking and no fence, but something makes you think it's the edge of the course property, you'd have to use your best judgement.
jhstew1
Idiot Free
i have heard that scoring process used if you have played a minimum of 13 holes & can't finish due to weather/darkness/etc.
But not on hole that you have played incorrectly. It makes no sense that someone hits a ball OB and could take a score of par plus any stroke they would have received when frankly they are on there way to a double bogey or higher
- Thread starter
- #66
That's a tough question JB.
I think you've been around me enough to know that in real life, I'm relaxed and have fun.
In fact, I debated whether I should even start this thread because it's easy to get a "bad name" as a "rules guy" even if that's not what you're about on the course. There's a big difference between a person who enjoys learning about the rules, and one who would actually be enough of an ass to dress someone down over a golf rule or try to misuse the rules to gain an advantage in a tournament situation. As I've said before, in a casual round, I could care less what others do. Go drop the ball on the green for all I care. I only care that we have fun together.
I started the thread though just because I thought it would be an interesting topic (for me at least). But it appears some people have been getting something out of it.
As for what rules to ignore, I just use common sense. In casual play, if someone asks me what club I used, I'm going to answer. If I hit a ball I was SURE I could find and did not hit a provisional but can't find it, I'm not going to go back to the tee.
Does that mean my handicap is less than legit? According to the letter of the handicap manual, yes. But I'm not going to be that fanatical about it. As I said, I'm more worried about having fun and each person doing whatever it takes to have fun. On the other side of the equation though is the question, at what number of rules violated should a person feel they're cheating if they turn in the score? I don't have an answer for that one either. If someone violates every rule in the book, is it really no big deal if they turn in a handicap score?
Context is also important. I would likely never call rules violation on someone in a THP event other than myself because that's not what the spirit of the event is about. If I were ever playing in a USGA-sanctioned event however, then I would feel a responsibility to play within the rules, including protecting the field.
It should be noted that the true "rules guys" would chide me for my lackidasical attitude. In their eyes, there is no difference between a THP event, a casual round with a handicap posted, or the US Open. I disagree. I think the spirit of the event is important.
- Admin
- #67
I dont think someone caring about the rules should make them less liked or have a bad name. If they bring that to others, or preach it to others regardless of setting that is a different animal.
Nothing wrong with this thread, in fact its a good thread.
- Thread starter
- #68
Ah, but remember that par+stroke is essentially penalizing you. It will likely keep your handicap the same, or at worse LOWER.
moosejaa
Mr. Inconsistent
I've enjoyed the thread so thanks for starting it. I'll admit I'm pretty ignorant to all but the basic rules of golf so It's been fun to read and I've learned some things too.
You actually have three options with an unplayable lie:
- drop a ball within two club lengths
- go back and play from where you originally hit the shot....and
- drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point between you and the hole. No limit on how far back you can go.
All of course under penalty of one stroke.
- Thread starter
- #71
In a tournament round, you are required to write down the number of strokes you took on the hole. Note you are not required to add the strokes up. That's the committee's job.
In a serious tournament, the committee might ask you to correct your card before turning it in, but if they couldn't find you, they'd be required to use what you wrote down. Since that obviously would be below what you actually shot on the hole, they'd have no choice but to disqualify you for signing for a score lower than than your actual score.
In casual play, mark it however you want, unless you're required to turn in your card for handicap entry. However, the days of the staff at your course doing all the handicap entry are pretty much over. Most systems nowadays just require you to enter the final score, not hole-by-hole.
Lefty78
Have clubs, will travel
Some other interesting quirks and comments on some things previously mentioned: Most of these would be a caveat for tournament play rather than everyday play.
"Nearest point of relief" could be a different point for me than it is for you (if you are a right handed player)
It has been mentioned regarding a cart path but also applies to abnormal ground conditions such as casual water, if you take relief for casual water it must be total relief, so sometimes it's just as well to hit it out of standing water.
Also previously talked about, the committee may make a "condition of competition" that practice is prohibited between holes, so don't assume that practice putting is allowed after you hole out. It's always a condition of competition here to help with pace of play. Read the sheet of rules they give you with the "Conditions of Competition", they are legal rules for that particular competition.
Be careful taking relief from obstructions, obstructions at a course are designated by the local committee and may not be consistent with other courses you play. Don't assume that relief will be granted just because it is at your course.
Know when it's ok to clean a lifted ball and when it can not be cleaned. That one is the easiest for me to violate because rubbing the dirt off is automatic. Remind yourself if someone asks you to mark off the green, that's the most likely place for me to mess up.
Related to cleaning, many people aren't aware that an imbedded ball (not on the green) may only be lifted, cleaned, and dropped if it is embedded in it's own pitch mark in a closely mown area, not in the rough or lower cuts of rough and certainly not in hazards (I had that asked of me a couple of weeks back.) Don't patch the pitch mark (or any other) until after you hit the shot either. If you drop it back in the pitch mark, drop again since it is your own pitch mark. If it drops into another pitch mark, ya gotta play it.
The last two times I've taken penalty shots other than the usual with hazards and such, is failure to identify my ball in the rough. You can as long as your opponent has the opportunity to watch you do it and you replace it into the exact same lie.
"Nearest point of relief" could be a different point for me than it is for you (if you are a right handed player)
It has been mentioned regarding a cart path but also applies to abnormal ground conditions such as casual water, if you take relief for casual water it must be total relief, so sometimes it's just as well to hit it out of standing water.
Also previously talked about, the committee may make a "condition of competition" that practice is prohibited between holes, so don't assume that practice putting is allowed after you hole out. It's always a condition of competition here to help with pace of play. Read the sheet of rules they give you with the "Conditions of Competition", they are legal rules for that particular competition.
Be careful taking relief from obstructions, obstructions at a course are designated by the local committee and may not be consistent with other courses you play. Don't assume that relief will be granted just because it is at your course.
Know when it's ok to clean a lifted ball and when it can not be cleaned. That one is the easiest for me to violate because rubbing the dirt off is automatic. Remind yourself if someone asks you to mark off the green, that's the most likely place for me to mess up.
Related to cleaning, many people aren't aware that an imbedded ball (not on the green) may only be lifted, cleaned, and dropped if it is embedded in it's own pitch mark in a closely mown area, not in the rough or lower cuts of rough and certainly not in hazards (I had that asked of me a couple of weeks back.) Don't patch the pitch mark (or any other) until after you hit the shot either. If you drop it back in the pitch mark, drop again since it is your own pitch mark. If it drops into another pitch mark, ya gotta play it.
The last two times I've taken penalty shots other than the usual with hazards and such, is failure to identify my ball in the rough. You can as long as your opponent has the opportunity to watch you do it and you replace it into the exact same lie.
- Thread starter
- #73
The PGA Tour and European Tour have a permanent condition of competition extending embedded this to "through the green, except in sand." You should check with your tournament whether they want to do the same. While most small tournaments probably wouldn't think about it, if you bring it up, they may extend it to "through the green"
SaffaClint
New member
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2013
- Messages
- 2,732
- Reaction score
- 1
- Location
- Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
- Handicap
- +2.3
For the longest time I marked my ball incorrectly on the green if I had to move it out of someone's line. I used to put the toe of my putter on the ball and then a coin where the heel landed, instead of marking the ball first then moving the marker. Lol. Simple but oh so wrong.
Actually, as long as you reverse the process exactly in placing your ball again, this is ok. http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Decision-20/#d20-1-16