The thing that drew me to this game of golf 3 years ago was......the challenge and the ability to set goals against all odds of ever achieveing the ultimate goal..... becoming a scratch golfer.

As with everything else in life, there are 2 ways to achieve your goals. You can lie to yourself and take short-cuts to get there or you can play by the rules and learn all the lessons that golf has to offer.

I play about 2-3 rounds a week under USGA rules with an ever changing group of golfers. We play a different course every week in SC. The one thing I have noticed over the last 3 years is the amount of dishonesty in scoring with some of the lower handicapped players.

......they routinely move their ball and fluff it up in the rough before they hit shots.

......they pick up 2-4 footers and give themselves par or even birdies.

......if their shot gets blocked out, they routinely give themselves unfair advantage by taking lateral relief (25 yards to the left or right in the fairway) so they can see the flag.

......they drop balls and forget to add strokes or take full penalties on out of bound markers.

When you ask these guys about the rules...they just look at you like you're from another planet and declare immunity from the rules of golf......because.... "We're not professionals!"

Well I've got news for all you guys out there that aren't professionals.........the rules of golf are for everyone.

We have 2 rules (not found in the rulebook) in our games each week. We don't hit off rocks and roots - to protect our equipment - we take relief according to the rules but we don't count a stroke, and you can pick-up a putt only if it's inside the leather on your putter and someone in your group gives it you. The only exclusion is birdies and eagles...you have to hole it out.

My question to all the serious golfers and weekend warriors alike....."Do you play by the rules?" If not, how can you live with your handicap?

Brad [b]

"we take relief according to the rules but we don't count a stroke,"

I don't understand this? So if I hit it into the woods I can drop behind in a straight line from where it crossed into the hazard no closer to the whole but it isn't one in and two out?

I follow all the rules with the exception of any penalties that are stroke and distance. I feel this slows down the round to much.

Myself and the fluctuating group of guys I play with play, for the most part by the rules. Our only exception, that I know of, is with out of bounds. When hitting off the tee we do hit provisionals if we think it went OB, but in the rare event it looked good to everyone from the tee but when we get up to where it was thought to be and it's nowhere to be found, we don't make the guy drive all the way back to the tee and re-tee. It's just not feasible on a packed golf course to drive back and hold up the group behind you.
Other than this, we're pretty much sticklers on the rules, as far as I know.

bradclardy wrote: "we take relief according to the rules but we don't count a stroke,"

Possngk wrote: "I don't understand this? So if I hit it into the woods I can drop behind in a straight line from where it crossed into the hazard no closer to the whole but it isn't one in and two out?"

bradclardy wrote:I guess what I meant was.....If our ball comes to rest on a root or rock where there is no out of bounds we move the ball a few inches off the root or rock (even if the new position is hard-packed red clay) without advancing the ball forward under the USGA Unplayable Ball Rule.

USGA Unplayable Ball Rule
The player may deem his ball unplayable at any place on the course, except when the ball is in a water hazard. The player is the sole judge as to whether his ball is unplayable.

If the player deems his ball to be unplayable, he must, under penalty of one stroke:

a. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or

b. Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped; or
c. Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.


The only difference to this ruling is... our group doesn't require a player to take a stroke in this situation, because we are just trying to protect our equipment. We don't pull the ball back out in to the fairway and give ourselves unfair advantage if the ball is playable.

I think the penalty you are referring to is a "out of bounds" ball. If you play a provisional from the point where it crossed out of bounds then you have to take strokes for distance and penalty. Normally our guys will hit a provisional in this situation whenever possible.

I agree that speed of play is very important to the game...but not at the expense of throwing rules out the window with loose play......if you're posting scores for the purpose of a handicap.

That makes sense thanks for the clarification.

I find that very few players actually know most of the rules.

The Stroke & Distance penalty is probably the one that is abused the most. I have had people swear that the USGA rule for OB & Lost ball is 1 stroke, hit from where the ball crossed the OB or where the ball was lost - & these are people that play alot of golf.

The other abuse I see is where players take relief from Hazards & unplayble lies. I have seen some very favorable drops locations.

If most golfers played by strict USGA rules - like the pros - I would bet scores would go up at least 10% at a minimum.

I think it comes down to ego in many circumtances - Some players don't want to know what the true rules are - that way they can take advantage & still claim they are playing by the rules.

I don't claim to understand all the rules - but I know most of them & try to play according to USGA rules.

Wow 10% at a minimum! That's kind of harsh. A 90 becomes a 99 at a minimum. The guy cheated, whoops, mis-counted, forgot a rule, something, by 9+ strokes! My 83 today becomes a 91, ouch. Not the guys I play with, you could never get away with it. Not everyone knows all the rules but they know most and there are several guys that are the 'go to' guys for rules questions. I will say that it would be interesting to have a USGA official follow our group just to see where we're missing those 8-9 strokes. I'm willing to learn more.

Blinded eyes are starting to open.................and see. I agree with the last two replies...100%.

The guys I play with carry rule books with them. I think they read them on the toilet. We don't give anything and don't get away with anything. OB is played from the spot of the shot. 1 stroke penalty (hit OB, drop, hit). From the tee it's hitting 3, for example. In the fairway it's a stroke for hitting OB, dropping the ball, and hitting the next shot. Rules are rules.

Now that I think of it ...10% missed or omitted strokes on a score card whether intentional or not is pretty exaggerated. I'm thinking more in the 3-5 stroke range for the average golfer who plays an average of 2 blow-up holes per side on every card.

Kidave........you are correct about the OB ruling and they way it should be played. One stroke penalty from the tee box....when the ball is "known" to be out of bounds ...so you'd be hitting #3 from the tee.

If you elect to locate your ball because you're not sure and find it out of bounds.......then you have to take 2 strokes....one for the distance of not having to go back to the tee box (speed of play) and one for the ball being OB. In this case you'd be lying 3 hitting 4 assuming this whole mess started at the tee box.

Rule 27 of the USGA rules only accounts for playing another ball back from the original spot you struck the ball before going OB..........
but to speed up play and not backlog the course with all us high handicappers.....playing another ball from a drop, two club lengths, no closer to the hole where it crossed the OB is fair because you are being penalized an extra stroke anyway for the distance you gained on an errant shot.

I still argue the point that even though I play by the rules....the only one we really fudged on is a root or rock situation in the rough, fairway.....or in bounds wood-line. I can't afford to be replacing clubs for hitting shots off these lies and more importantly I don't want to see anyone crack their wrist or hand or worse.....tear a ligament trying to make a hero shot that a pro can be compensated for with his/her endorsements while they're out of work. It just makes good common sense.

For anyone intersted in the recent posts on OB penalties.

Rule 27. Out of Bounds

Definitions
All defined terms are in italics and are listed alphabetically in the Definitions section.

27-1. Stroke and Distance; Ball Out of Bounds; Ball Not Found Within Five Minutes a. Proceeding Under Stroke and Distance
At any time, a player may, under penalty of one stroke, play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5), i.e., proceed under penalty of stroke and distance.

Except as otherwise provided in the Rules, if a player makes a stroke at a ball from the spot at which the original ball was last played, he is deemed to have proceeded under penalty of stroke and distance.

When we play, to keep things at a reasonable pace, if you think your ball is OB hit a provisional ball. That way, if you did go OB, you won't have to return to the tee box. If you're out, the provisional is stroke 3. If not, pick up the provisional and play the original.

Kidave.....That is the way my group handles OB's also. Unless you're in a sanctioned tourney.....it would be time consuming to head back to the last place you hit your last shot.

Yes - I would say 10% easily - The other abuse I see is not playing the ball down.

Making that nice fluffy lie when you just hit your tee shot into the rough is easily worth a 1/2 stroke on average.

Also Gimmies & Mulligans - all this stuff adds up

I played today with some guys I work with - the whole gimmie thing was out of control by the end of the round - 4 & 5 foot putts on tough greens were being conceded. That is total BS

4 and 5 ft putts conceded????? Can I come play with your group???

I feel your pain with the rollin the ball issue. It drives me crazy when I see players do this....hit the green and shout out "birdie" if they make their putt!

They might as well sticj a tee in the fairway.

Give me a break...lol