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Change One Rule

And if your ball goes inside a tomato, you still have to play it. you cannot remove it from the tomato!
 
I'd make sure players would get a free drop when finding a divot in the fairway. You should never be punished for hitting a good shot.
 
Id like to see them add a rule. How about penalizing tour pros if a twosome doesn't finish in 3 hours.
Ya know, when you think about it, its not like they are hitting many balls that go astray, don't have to search for anything anywhere and the ball is always and usually immediately found for them. Being very consistent, never having to look for any ball, and taking only 60 something strokes vs many of us taking 90 strokes, having to search for balls even when simply in the rough not to mention the few that go astray, and also playing as 4somes. I just don't see any reason if we can or are suppose to play in about 4hours, how in the world can a 2some with 2/3 the strokes and no ball looking cant it done so much faster. Even being as errant as we sometimes can be, if every ball was located before we even got to it, I'll bet many our pace issues as 4somes would be cut way down.
 
rollin said:
Id like to see them add a rule. How about penalizing tour pros if a twosome doesn't finish in 3 hours.
Ya know, when you think about it, its not like they are hitting many balls that go astray, don't have to search for anything anywhere and the ball is always and usually immediately found for them. Being very consistent, never having to look for any ball, and taking only 60 something strokes vs many of us taking 90 strokes, having to search for balls even when simply in the rough not to mention the few that go astray, and also playing as 4somes. I just don't see any reason if we can or are suppose to play in about 4hours, how in the world can a 2some with 2/3 the strokes and no ball looking cant it done so much faster. Even being as errant as we sometimes can be, if every ball was located before we even got to it, I'll bet many our pace issues as 4somes would be cut way down.
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If I was playing for millions I would take my sweet time like they do. Also they are walking really long and sometimes hilly golf courses, that takes a long time.
 
Mash said:
I'd make sure players would get a free drop when finding a divot in the fairway. You should never be punished for hitting a good shot.
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I have a hit a lot good shots into peoples back yards ... :drinks:
 
For all those advocating free drops from divots...Is there a way to define a "divot" that covers most circumstances? I can see a lot of arguments brewing up over balls in divots that are partially filled in by grass, and it boils down to one person thinks it's a divot and another person doesn't. How do you determine who is correct?
 
LeftySean said:
For all those advocating free drops from divots...Is there a way to define a "divot" that covers most circumstances? I can see a lot of arguments brewing up over balls in divots that are partially filled in by grass, and it boils down to one person thinks it's a divot and another person doesn't. How do you determine who is correct?
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I define a divot as the clump of dirt and grass that goes flying, leaving a divot hole, where a lot of balls end up.
 
natehargis said:
If I was playing for millions I would take my sweet time like they do. Also they are walking really long and sometimes hilly golf courses, that takes a long time.
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Are you kidding me?, with due respect I'm not buying any of that.
As for walking, I am 50 and been doing that most every round I play and on hills too and that's after days and week long worth of physical work. Pus they are not carrying anything or even pushing/pulling anything. You want to be and stay a tour pro than you make sure you are fit enough to walk any course or you just don't play. Its that simple. Try to tell anything otherwise to any football player, hockey player, etc... and they would laugh.

As for the money, sure they will take their time and so would just about anyone but (probably including myself) but that's only because the powers to be let them get away with it. If speedy time limits were in place and strictly enforced they would simply have to play within those limits or be penalized. Again, it really is just that simple.
 
Smallville said:
I define a divot as the clump of dirt and grass that goes flying, leaving a divot hole, where a lot of balls end up.
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Yup, that's what a divot hole is, but (assuming the divot itself does not get replaced) eventually fresh blades of grass start growing in it. Is it still a divot hole? Does that patch of turf have to become completely indistinguishable from the rest of the fairway grass for it to no longer be a divot hole? If yes, does that not open a door for all sorts of shenanigans? (I honestly don't know the answer to that...) If no, how do you write a rule that clearly defines what a divot hole is? Does a single blade of fresh grass make it no longer a divot hole? Or maybe it has to be 1/2 filled by fresh grass? Or 3/4 full of fresh grass? Or 15/16th full of fresh grass?
 
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LeftySean said:
Yup, that's what a divot hole is, but (assuming the divot itself does not get replaced) eventually fresh blades of grass start growing in it. Is it still a divot hole? Does that patch of turf have to become completely indistinguishable from the rest of the fairway grass for it to no longer be a divot hole? If yes, does that not open a door for all sorts of shenanigans? (I honestly don't know the answer to that...) If no, how do you write a rule that clearly defines what a divot hole is? Does a single blade of fresh grass make it no longer a divot hole? Or maybe it has to be 1/2 filled by fresh grass? Or 3/4 full of fresh grass? Or 15/16th full of fresh grass?
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Yea, I suppose it can open a can of worms. Even an imperfection in the fairway (non divot related) could then potentially lead to controversy as well. I guess nothing is as simple as we think it is.
 
I'm assuming it's the relatively fresh divot hole. You know the beaver tail sized trough some hacker left and you can see the foot long chunk of sod laying on the ground about 12 feet in front of you. Or the pork chop sized hole left by another person with similar result. We're not talking about the bacon strip trimming of the grass.

After several days or weeks when grass starts to fill in these things they're really no longer considered "holes". They're unevenness of the fairway.

In certain parts of the country, you should fill in these holes with a mixture of sand and seed. In others replace the divot. It depends upon the type of grass.

But seriously, if your ball lands in something I mentioned in the first paragraph.
 
For everyone who thinks that shots in the fairway should have a fair lie, how do you feel about a side hill on the fairway vs a flat lie in the rough?

There might be some bias around where you usually play. Most muni courses are chewed up and there's not much sympathy if you're in a divot or a gopher hole or a waste disposal vent.

Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk
 
Tom V said:
For everyone who thinks that shots in the fairway should have a fair lie, how do you feel about a side hill on the fairway vs a flat lie in the rough?

There might be some bias around where you usually play. Most muni courses are chewed up and there's not much sympathy if you're in a divot or a gopher hole or a waste disposal vent.

Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk
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A divot and angle of lie are two completely different things. Apples to oranges
 
Tom V said:
For everyone who thinks that shots in the fairway should have a fair lie, how do you feel about a side hill on the fairway vs a flat lie in the rough?

There might be some bias around where you usually play. Most muni courses are chewed up and there's not much sympathy if you're in a divot or a gopher hole or a waste disposal vent.

Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk
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The question of fairness of results does imply that if you hit it in the rough and the ball is sitting pretty as if teed up then one should step on it and make sure that it is deep in the stuff. :wink:
 
I personally would like to see the 14 club rule relaxed to 16 for amatures. If you want to get people to play let them load up on clubs till they learn the shots necessary to play properly.

I also would like to ditch the lost ball rules too. I play mostly as a single and loosing balls in the rough costs me 5 strokes or more a round. I simply cannot see where the balls come to rest by myself. I don't think you should be penalized because you are playing as a single.

Mark Shuman
 
The biggest difference between good lie in the rough/sidehill in fairway vs divot hole is that the former are breaks based on the natural state of the hole. The latter is based on disruption of the course by another golfer (who may be a competitor/opponent). It's the same reason we can repair ball marks and the rationale behind those who favor repairing spike marks.

The challenge from a true rules perspective would be defining what's a divot hole and what is natural (a small spot of winter kill, for example) but the argument makes sense to me.
 
Caddie standing in your line through the green. You know how the caddies step to the side when the player is about to strike the ball. Let them watch where they want. This one botheres me because it took me out of a Monday morning qualifying event when I was 2 under. My caddie had been doing it for what was called 6 times by another player. After the seventh hole I went from 2 under to 10 over, just like that!. His watching in my line made absolutely no impact on my game what so ever.

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TheWoo said:
The biggest difference between good lie in the rough/sidehill in fairway vs divot hole is that the former are breaks based on the natural state of the hole. The latter is based on disruption of the course by another golfer (who may be a competitor/opponent). It's the same reason we can repair ball marks and the rationale behind those who favor repairing spike marks.

The challenge from a true rules perspective would be defining what's a divot hole and what is natural (a small spot of winter kill, for example) but the argument makes sense to me.
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Yup. Exactly my thoughts. Can anyone write a rule in a reasonable number of words that defines exactly what a divot hole is AND when it ceases to be a divot hole once grass starts growing in it? My feeling is this would be difficult. Not that I've tried, but I suspect others have tried and found it challenging. Otherwise I agree with the sentiment that divot holes should be considered GUR.
 
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