If You Could Change One Rule...

Mister Sifter

There are a lot of stupid rules in golf, but if you could change one of them, which one would it be?

I'd go for...

- the ball moving in the wind when your about to putt
- if the ball hits off the lip the bunker or a tree and then comes back and hits you, you get penalised. At times this can be pretty unfair.
- if a leaf or drop of rain falls off a branch before you hit the ball it's a penalty. Within reason this should be ok.

stringy

no jeans in the clubhouse!!

I'm a keen golfer and this wrecks my head. For example I'm goin to a birthday party over the weekend and its been held in a golf club but no denims allowed!

Now I'm not going to look scruffy, I'll have my glad rags on but this is just total bollix!!!

When I finish a round of golf, have a shower and go to get changed so I can go in for a drink or food, no jeans allowed.

In this day and age, this just gets me big time

Rant over.

WHIP IT!

stringy wrote: »

no jeans in the clubhouse!!

I'm a keen golfer and this wrecks my head. For example I'm goin to a birthday party over the weekend and its been held in a golf club but no denims allowed!

Now I'm not going to look scruffy, I'll have my glad rags on but this is just total bollix!!!

When I finish a round of golf, have a shower and go to get changed so I can go in for a drink or food, no jeans allowed.

In this day and age, this just gets me big time

Rant over.

Me too... I can wear my ten-euro Dunnes trousers than I just wear for golfing into the clubhouse, but not a pair of €100 jeans... Go figure.

I also walked into Naas GC clubhouse a few months back with my hat still on and was told immediately I must remove it. It was about 12.0pm on a Wednesday afternoon, there was about six people in the place.

Mister Sifter

WHIP IT! wrote: »

I also walked into Naas GC clubhouse a few months back with my hat still on and was told immediately I must remove it. It was about 12.0pm on a Wednesday afternoon, there was about six people in the place.

That's absolutely appalling behaviour... you'd wanna be ashamed of yourself carrying on like that!!

WHIP IT!

Graeme1982 wrote: »

That's absolutely appalling behaviour... you'd wanna be ashamed of yourself carrying on like that!!

I know...... to be honest, I think he was more annoyed by the fact I was naked from the waist down and had my "NO FAT CHICKS" t-shirt on... but still - why take it out on my Yankees hat?

One Cold Hand

Graeme1982 wrote: »

There are a lot of stupid rules in golf, but if you could change one of them, which one would it be?

I'd go for...

- the ball moving in the wind when your about to putt
- if the ball hits off the lip the bunker or a tree and then comes back and hits you, you get penalised. At times this can be pretty unfair.
- if a leaf or drop of rain falls off a branch before you hit the ball it's a penalty. Within reason this should be ok.

Thats 3 rules!! Don't say 'if you could change 1 rule,' then name 3!! Tut!!

Anyhoo I'd change the number of clubs allowed, to maybe 10. I think this would make golf more interesting and you would have to be more creative, instead of having a club for every situation.

Mister Sifter

One Cold Hand wrote: »

Thats 3 rules!! Don't say 'if you could change 1 rule,' then name 3!! Tut!!

Anyhoo I'd change the number of clubs allowed, to maybe 10. I think this would make golf more interesting and you would have to be more creative, instead of having a club for every situation.

apologies... i was just getting the ball rolling.:o

WHIP IT!

One Cold Hand wrote: »

Thats 3 rules!! Don't say 'if you could change 1 rule,' then name 3!! Tut!!

Anyhoo I'd change the number of clubs allowed, to maybe 10. I think this would make golf more interesting and you would have to be more creative, instead of having a club for every situation.

Interesting point that... fella I work with, a very good five handicapper, carries his bag and more often than not just takes half a set... probably a better golfer for it too...

Of course, Seve famously learned to play every shot in the book as a child using just an old 3iron.

Mister Sifter

If i'm going to play a few holes at night in the summer or in the winter, i often just take 5-10 clubs and a little pencil bag. Makes you play inventive shots.

At my old club in scotland they used to have 3-club competitions every now and then where you could only take 3 clubs (and a putter) and it was played over 7 or 9 holes. Was quite interesting.

One Cold Hand

Yeah my club has a 3-club comp, as in 3-club inc putter.

Wonder what clubs i'd bring (if I'm made king of the world and allowed to change the rules!)
I'd reckon:
Driver
4 W
4 I
6 I
7 I
8 I
9 I
PW
SW
Putter.

Mister Sifter

10 clubs? I think i'd go for...

Driver
Rescue 3 iron
5 iron
6 iron
7 iron
8 iron
9 iron
52 degree
56 degree
Putter

3 Clubs?

Driver
7 iron
56 degree

WHIP IT!

You'd surely have to drop the driver for the 3-club challenge lads, no?

Pick a more versatile club?

For me:

1) Rescue Club
2) 6 Iron
3) SW
and me putter...

For One Cold Hand's new ten-club rule (which I can see facing staunch opposition from the manufacturers Mate - you better have your case set in stone! )

1) Driver
2) Rescue
3) 5Iron
4) 6Iron
5) 7Iron
6) 8Iron
7) 9Iron
8) SW
9) LW
10) Putter

FRM

Oh its been a while since I played a good old 3 club challenge.... must be a Scottish thing !!!

3 Wood
3 Iron
7 Iron
Wedge

3 Iron doubled as my putter ! I could putt with a baseball bat and it would make no difference anyway.....

One Cold Hand

WHIP IT! wrote: »

(which I can see facing staunch opposition from the manufacturers Mate - you better have your case set in stone! )

Once they didn't have to drop their prices they wouldn't give a ****. Sure as it is a lot of sets only have 7 clubs anyway!

As for the 3 clubs:

4-wood
9 Iron
Putter.

Sandwich

Graeme1982 wrote: »

- the ball moving in the wind when your about to putt
- if the ball hits off the lip the bunker or a tree and then comes back and hits you, you get penalised. At times this can be pretty unfair.
- if a leaf or drop of rain falls off a branch before you hit the ball it's a penalty. Within reason this should be ok.

Agree fully with your top two.
The drop of rain/leaf falling has already been softened in the decisions by the USGA/R&A even though its not explicitly spelt out in the rules. I cant remember the wording, but its something about whether you have improved your stance or not - ie knock one leaf or drop from a tree on your practice swing is OK - slash away for 20 practice swings to clear a path is penalised.


Im not sure Id like to change the rules so fundamentally but wish the following had been so for the history of the game :

- distance only for an OB : stroke and distance is excessively harsh punishment for what could be a small error.

- a bigger hole : lessen the importance of putting and more on tee-to-green skill : tee-to-green is why we play golf

Par72

I'd change the penalty for hitting a ball out of bounds, instead of 3 off the tee I'd make it 2.