Your ball lands on a rock or root, you hit it off with your putter toward a more friendly patch of grass, record another stroke, and try not to land on a spot like that again. That just might be the stroke that costs you the tournament. You make a 40 foot double breaking putt that stops a mere 14 inches from the hole, line it up and knock it in. If you miss this simple putt, you lose, that's the way it goes.

merlindriver.....probably the most honest answered approach to this thread...so far.Thanks!

I do take drops off of roots if it is reasonable...not if I hit it in the woods and have no angle at the green. Today I played with someone who got unlucky with some lies (i.e. 4 inch divots in the middle of the fairway) and dod not cheat and shot par...only took 1 putt that stopped on the lip of the hole and he picked it up.

Define "Reasonable"

Hit onto a root in an otherwise open area (ie. first cut of rough on rock/root or on fairway on a rock)

We call it a scorecard bump. I believe the actual term is "Winter Rules" or "Preferred Lies."

http://golf.about.com/cs/rulesofgolf/a/winterrules.htm

Well all the courses I play are usually crowded, so as far as I'm concerned the most important rule in recreational golf is to be considerate to the golfers behind you. If that entails some bending of the rules - free drop when you can't find a ball right away, double par for new players, etc - then please, by all means bend them.

mr_hungry wrote:

Well all the courses I play are usually crowded, so as far as I'm concerned the most important rule in recreational golf is to be considerate to the golfers behind you. If that entails some bending of the rules - free drop when you can't find a ball right away.

I agree on speed of play considerations but to give free drops for lost balls just to hurry up...is pushing it a little ...don't you think? ....sure ...if you're playing weekend golf with your drinking buddies and golf is not the only thing on your mind.

Otherwise...if you're playng for the purpose of posting scores for a handicap....I just can't agree with that.

We are not professionals, We play golf for recreation, to have a good time, enjoy fellowship consume a few beverages. We all know there are rules, penalties for some of the most inane circumstances. I don't care if you putt with another ball in the hole, or the flag in your hand, or your d**k in your hand or someone else's d**k in your hand. Fluff up your lie if you want to. You still have to hit the ball toward the green. But don't stop counting strokes till the ball is IN THE HOLE.

M.Nugent wrote:

Hit onto a root in an otherwise open area (ie. first cut of rough on rock/root or on fairway on a rock)

Also it is to protect equipment...In a real competition or match I would try to hit the shot and pick it clean off the rock/root

I'm really talking about if it's a busy day and someone hits an approach shot in the rough and can't find it. Are you really returning to where the player hit his last shot to rehit? Seems a little unfair to the group behind you and you'd definitely wind up out of position.

If it's not crowded then whatever.

I just care about pace of play, but that's what happens when you play crowded munis.

mr_hungry wrote:

I'm really talking about if it's a busy day and someone hits an approach shot in the rough and can't find it. Are you really returning to where the player hit his last shot to rehit? Seems a little unfair to the group behind you and you'd definitely wind up out of position.

All I'm saying is....if you make that decision based on courtesy to the group behind you...it still doesn't erase the rule.

27-1/3 Ball Dropped in Area Where Original Ball Lost; Ball Then Played

Q. A player, unable to find his ball, drops another ball in the area where his original ball was lost and plays that ball. What is the ruling?

A. In match play, the player loses the hole ù Rule 20-7b.

In stroke play, the player incurs the stroke-and-distance penalty prescribed by Rule 27-1 and an additional penalty of two strokes for a breach of that Rule. If the breach was a serious one, he must rectify the error as provided in the second paragraph of Rule 20-7c; otherwise, he is disqualified.

Everyone agrees that when you fail to hit a provisional, when you can't find a ball. You should not go back to re-tee. Unless you want those big hitters behind you to give you that look like "What is your sorry ass doing on my golf course". Lots of players drop and hit 3, including some of those big hitters. They take the stroke not the distance.
I assume my provisional, ( a perfect drive) then hit 4.

Speaking for myself and the guys I play with, I'd say the only time we fail to hit a provisional is on courses we're completely unfamiliar with. Tee shot looks good off the tee, then you get up there and it's nowhere to be found. In this situation, with a crowded course, yep, we break the rules, take the stroke but not the distance.
However, on the few courses we play quite regularly, this never happens. Knowing the course well, you can always tell those borderline shots, tee up a provisional and play on.

From all the information this post has recieved, I have listened to most of the opinions and advice listed here on the subject of rules....and I have come to one conclusion (if I choose to follow said advice)

.......I should be shooting in the 70's if I shave all the strokes I counted trying to play by the rules