What's The Most Stupid Rule In Golf?

Atlantic1

Where does your vote go?

For me, it's having to play a ball out of a divot on the fairway.

I can't understand why a hole on the fairway has to be made bigger.

Whyner

Go to sleep dude. Or, find a spare sod and repair both.

Mr. Rager

Atlantic1 wrote: »

Where does your vote go?

For me, it's having to play a ball out of a divot on the fairway.

I can't understand why a hole on the fairway has to be made bigger.

Yeah i agree. just don't get it either.

soundsham

Wow........ The looney bin is missing another gobsh1te !

antoobrien

how about the one that isn't in the rulebook - when a group falls one clear hole behind the group on front, each member gets a 2 shot penalty. It's a disgrace that a 4ball in stableford takes 4 hours on a course of 5800m and this would cut out slow play very handy

danthefan

antoobrien wrote: »

how about the one that isn't in the rulebook - when a group falls one clear hole behind the group on front, each member gets a 2 shot penalty. It's a disgrace that a 4ball in stableford takes 4 hours on a course of 5800m and this would cut out slow play very handy

Absolutely not. One player can hold up a fourball, yet you'd penalise his/her playing partners.

GreeBo

1 shot penalty for hitting your own bag, caddie, equipment.

I have never encountered a scenario where this was anything other than already a bad thing. Why is another penalty required? Its not like you'd do it on purpose.

Miley Byrne

GreeBo wrote: »

1 shot penalty for hitting your own bag, caddie, equipment.

I have never encountered a scenario where this was anything other than already a bad thing. Why is another penalty required? Its not like you'd do it on purpose.

I can think of certain scenarios where fellas might use it to their advantage. Like laying the bag at the far side of the green before chipping to create a backstop in the event of the chip going too far. You think there should be no penalty for this? How do you define what's to your advantage and what's not to your advantage?

Gophur

The Law was introduced after the killing of seven caddies in the South Clare Jummy Bruen quarter finals in 1966. Only for it the poor caddies would be extinct!

GreeBo

denisoc16 wrote: »

I can think of certain scenarios where fellas might use it to their advantage. Like laying the bag at the far side of the green before chipping to create a backstop in the event of the chip going too far. You think there should be no penalty for this? How do you define what's to your advantage and what's not to your advantage?

I would see a difference between this and accidentally hitting your bag.
I would define the difference in the same way as the rules define the difference between touching the putting surface and touching the putting surface to test it. Its up to the golfer to play responsibly and ethically.

mike12

Getting a penalty for saying take your time over that putt

Miley Byrne

GreeBo wrote: »

I would see a difference between this and accidentally hitting your bag.

That's just it though, it's easier to penalise any shot hitting your bag than just penalising someone "accidently" hitting his bag.

soundsham

thought this rule was gone...??

GreeBo

soundsham wrote: »

thought this rule was gone...??

Just reduced, used to be 2!

denisoc16 wrote:

That's just it though, it's easier to penalise any shot hitting your bag than just penalising someone "accidently" hitting his bag.

But the rest of the rules dont follow that logic (take my example above)
Unless you are deliberately doing it then it shouldnt be a penalty.
I would see it in the exact same way as accidentally hitting your opponents ball, sometimes it hurts, sometimes it helps. If you do it deliberately then its a penalty, otherwise its not.

dotcom13

Surley the double hit rule. Penalty of 1

If you hit a good strike out of the bunker but you double hit the ball i.e. second hit in mid air!! I played the other day and it happened to in deep rough. Find it very unfair.

Daithio9

dotcom13 wrote: »

Surley the double hit rule. Penalty of 1

If you hit a good strike out of the bunker but you double hit the ball i.e. second hit in mid air!! I played the other day and it happened to in deep rough. Find it very unfair.

So you think you should be allowed to pick up your with your club face and then hit it again in mid air ala hurling?.

Daithio9

GreeBo wrote: »

Just reduced, used to be 2!

But the rest of the rules dont follow that logic (take my example above)
Unless you are deliberately doing it then it shouldnt be a penalty.
I would see it in the exact same way as accidentally hitting your opponents ball, sometimes it hurts, sometimes it helps. If you do it deliberately then its a penalty, otherwise its not.

Unfortunately there is no possible way to prove intent, so the rule has no other option but to be in the form it is.

KP81

It's not a current rule but until 1952 there was the "Stymie". This was where if an oppenent's ball was in your way on the green it was not lifted but had to be played around, a bit like a snooker. See link.

dotcom13

Daithio9 wrote: »

So you think you should be allowed to pick up your with your club face and then hit it again in mid air ala hurling?.

Obviously not, thats not a proper golf stroke (the picking up of the ball part.)

be realistic please.

Daithio9

dotcom13 wrote: »

Obviously not, thats not a proper golf stroke (the picking up of the ball part.)

be realistic please.

Nothing is obvious only what's obvious, and it's obvious the people who seem to question the wisdom of the rules are seriously lacking in the IQ department.

heavyballs

dotcom13 wrote: »

Obviously not, thats not a proper golf stroke (the picking up of the ball part.)

be realistic please.

ok he's not bein realistic but the point is it has to be a penalty,you hit the ball twice,agree that's it's impossible to do for gain but it could help ala Peter Hansen and imo he knew it but that's another topic for another day

oh and btw a double hit isn't a proper golf stoke either

dotcom13

Well I just think for a totally innocent and unintentional mistake is a need less penalty.

It is a proper golf stroke (by way of the swinging action), you swing the club the exact same way as any other shot, it's the way the ball reacts after that that is the difference. The ball come out slowly out of the bunker, but the club head speed catches up with it and hits it again. That why I think it's a stupid rule. Everyone I'm sure has some gripe about the rule thats mine. And it never happened to me (yet)!

GreeBo

Daithio9 wrote: »

Unfortunately there is no possible way to prove intent, so the rule has no other option but to be in the form it is.

disagree with this totally. As described already, other rules are based on intent, so why the lack of uniformity?
Same for the double hit, though thats an even clearer case imo

Daithio9

GreeBo wrote: »

disagree with this totally. As described already, other rules are based on intent, so why the lack of uniformity?
Same for the double hit, though thats an even clearer case imo

Ok tell us how you prove intent then?.

GreeBo

Daithio9 wrote: »

Ok tell us how you prove intent then?.

Its up to the player to govern themselves.
The rules should be consistent throughout the game; in the same way that
- testing the surface of a bunker with your feet
- testing the surface of the green with your hand
- grounding your club in a hazard to stop yourself falling over

are all examples of being a penalty ONLY if there was intent.
Why should one rule be different than so many others?

heavyballs

GreeBo wrote: »

Its up to the player to govern themselves.
The rules should be consistent throughout the game; in the same way that
- testing the surface of a bunker with your feet
- testing the surface of the green with your hand
- grounding your club in a hazard to stop yourself falling over

are all examples of being a penalty ONLY if there was intent.
Why should one rule be different than so many others?

because you've hit the ball twice,different than all the above

GreeBo

heavyballs wrote: »

because you've hit the ball twice,different than all the above

First of all, Im talking about the penalty for hitting your own equipment/caddy

But anyway, why should hitting it twice need "another" penalty? You are already screwed 99% of the time you hit it twice, the other 1% of the time is a pure fluke.
Also, it would be pretty difficult to deliberately double hit, thus rendering the question of intent a moot point...

Obni

I think the whole 'non-contact' element of the rules should be dropped for people taking more than two practice swings, or wiggling their club head for longer than 10 seconds. I also believe that if I were standing behind them with a 7-iron in my hand ready to administer the appropriate penalty, it would help them focus on their game.

dotcom13

I'm with you GreeBo, the rules do have an inconsistant flavor in some areas, if they didn't this thread would not have been posted in the first place.

How you could consitantly and or intentiantly double hit (or hit equipment) and expect a better outcome on a regular basis is beyond me.

I very much doubt players would intentially double hit (or hit equipemnt) on a regular basis to gain a better outcome, if they do they are cheaters and you will always have cheaters in very game, no need to penalise every other player to cater for a few...

What goes around come around in my opinion! if you decide to cheat it will come back to bite you else where. :pac:

heavyballs

dotcom13 wrote: »

I'm with you GreeBo, the rules do have an inconsistant flavor in some areas, if they didn't this thread would not have been posted in the first place.

How you could consitantly and or intentiantly double hit (or hit equipment) and expect a better outcome on a regular basis is beyond me.

I very much doubt players would intentially double hit (or hit equipemnt) on a regular basis to gain a better outcome, if they do they are cheaters and you will always have cheaters in very game, no need to penalise every other player to cater for a few...

What goes around come around in my opinion! if you decide to cheat it will come back to bite you else where. :pac:

i'm not arguing the case of intent ,i agree with the above,although even though it's impossible to do it on purpose you could (ala P Hansen) gain an advantage from it
We could go on forever,some of the rules are a joke but i still reckon a double hit is straightforward,2 shots,if it was allowed you would get some cheatin cnuts scoopin the ball out of the rough claimin it was a legal double hit,and beleive me there are a lot of them around

GreeBo

heavyballs wrote: »

i'm not arguing the case of intent ,i agree with the above,although even though it's impossible to do it on purpose you could (ala P Hansen) gain an advantage from it
We could go on forever,some of the rules are a joke but i still reckon a double hit is straightforward,2 shots,if it was allowed you would get some cheatin cnuts scoopin the ball out of the rough claimin it was a legal double hit,and beleive me there are a lot of them around

But you can equally gain an advantage by hitting your opponents bag for example and there is no penalty. If you really wanted to you could each leave your bag in a position to help someones else ball..where do you draw the line?

I dont believe you need to penalise everyone to prevent some people who will cheat anyway. As above, you are already screwed 99% of the time so why add the extra +1. RANDA might be thinking along the same lines as they areduced it from +2 to +1 already.