'Mythical' rules

denishurley

Anybody ever come across these, where a lot of people have an idea that something is a rule when it really isn't?

Most common one I've come across is that a worrying number of players (those that I play with anyway, maybe I need to find new partners!) seem to think that if you're putting from the fringe then the flag must be left in or else taken out, i.e. that it cannot be tended.

The Rules of Golf allow for the flag to be tended for a shot from anywhere on the course, once that it is taken out before the ball goes in.

dnjoyce

taking two club lengths for an unplayable from where the gorse/rough/bush etc ends instead of measuring from the ball.

GreeBo

denishurley wrote: »

Anybody ever come across these, where a lot of people have an idea that something is a rule when it really isn't?

Most common one I've come across is that a worrying number of players (those that I play with anyway, maybe I need to find new partners!) seem to think that if you're putting from the fringe then the flag must be left in or else taken out, i.e. that it cannot be tended.

The Rules of Golf allow for the flag to be tended for a shot from anywhere on the course, once that it is taken out before the ball goes in.

Yeah but that was a recent enough change, previously it couldnt be tended if you were off the green.

What I see probably every week is people assuming that "Nearest point of relief" means "the best place for me to drop so that I have a clear shot to the green and the tree isnt in my way and I have a nice stance". Once you have relief from the initial situation thats all you are entitled to people!

lowelife

Nearest point of relief from a path
Oh look there is some nice grass to play from.

Not the ****ty stuff that is by the actually nearest point.

T.C.O.B

A lack of understanding of Winters Rules a real bug bear of mine.

I don't know how many people of played with who just go ahead and decide that Winter Rules are in place in the middle of a round and then proceed to pick and place in all manner of hazards!

PRAF

denishurley wrote: »

Anybody ever come across these, where a lot of people have an idea that something is a rule when it really isn't?

Most common one I've come across is that a worrying number of players (those that I play with anyway, maybe I need to find new partners!) seem to think that if you're putting from the fringe then the flag must be left in or else taken out, i.e. that it cannot be tended.

The Rules of Golf allow for the flag to be tended for a shot from anywhere on the course, once that it is taken out before the ball goes in.

I must admit, I had believed that rule myself until I saw Phil Mickelson getting his caddie to tend the flag anytime he was within 100 yards of the green with a wegde in his hand!

Another 'mythical rule' is that you cannot hold the flagstick in one hand and putt one handed with the other. I still wouldn't do it for fear of missing a 'tap in' but according to the R&A it is perfectly legal.
http://www.randa.org/en/Rules-and-Amateur-Status/Rules-of-Golf.aspx#/rules/?ruleNum=17&subRuleNum=1

denishurley

Also, that if you hit your bag it's a penalty but if you hit a playing partner's it's not. Penalty regardless of whose equipment

GreeBo

denishurley wrote: »

Also, that if you hit your bag it's a penalty but if you hit a playing partner's it's not. Penalty regardless of whose equipment

Depends on how you define playing partner. If its a singles comp then its no penalty, but if its someone on your "team" (fourball, foursomes, team, etc) then it is a 1 shot penalty (used to be 2!)

denishurley

GreeBo wrote: »

Depends on how you define playing partner. If its a singles comp then its no penalty, but if its someone on your "team" (fourball, foursomes, team, etc) then it is a 1 shot penalty (used to be 2!)

My mistake so, I took partner on RANDA site to meet another player in singles group!

kagni

denishurley wrote: »

Anybody ever come across these, where a lot of people have an idea that something is a rule when it really isn't?

Most common one I've come across is that a worrying number of players (those that I play with anyway, maybe I need to find new partners!) seem to think that if you're putting from the fringe then the flag must be left in or else taken out, i.e. that it cannot be tended.

The Rules of Golf allow for the flag to be tended for a shot from anywhere on the course, once that it is taken out before the ball goes in.

You are not alone Denis - almost everyone I play with thinks the same thing. Even when I told my regular playing partners this they still are doubtful about it and won't have the flag tended when they are putting/chipping from off the green.

One that annoyed me was a fella telling me once that my driver was illegal because it had no lines on the face, he didn't seem convinced when I told him he was wrong.

fullstop

denishurley wrote: »

Also, that if you hit your bag it's a penalty but if you hit a playing partner's it's not. Penalty regardless of whose equipment

No that's not the case, it's only if you hit yours or you partners (foursomes/4BBB etc) equipment

denishurley

fullstop wrote: »

No that's not the case, it's only if you hit yours or you partners (foursomes/4BBB etc) equipment

Yep, I've just learned, so it looks like I had a mythical rule of my own

BigChap1759

That you're allowed relief if a sprinkler head is in your line just off the green - tough luck unless your course has a local rule

8under

The "attending the flagstick" rule changed fairly recently so that the flag can be attended while a stroke is made from "anywhere on the course"

What many people don't realise however is that anyone "who stands near" while a stroke is played is "deemed to be attending the flagstick".

So if your playing partner is standing near but not holding the flagstick and you hit the flagstick, you should be penalised under the rule. (Rule 17-1)

newport2

That if you hit your first shot of the day out of bounds, that you can pretend it didn't happen and start your round again.

8under

I am amazed that I still very occasionally come across a player who takes a drop "as close as possible" to where his ball went out of bounds.

8under

Another common one is where a player wants to play his provisonal ball even after his original ball has been found on the course within the time limit.

Corkblowin

If I hit into a water hazard running alongside the fairway I can walk on and drop roughly level with where it splashed!

8under

A GUI rules official once told me that seeing a splash in a water hazard is not sufficient evidence that the ball "has come to rest " in the hazard. For example, the ball could make a splash and skim on outside the hazard. Makes you think !!

Myksyk

I agree that there seems to be various rules that seem to become 'fact' as passed along. One guy who doesn't actually know the rule tells another who tells another etc etc. I was approached three times this year after or during competition rounds by different members of my club to tell me (incorrectly) that I had done something which could've cost me penalty shots are a lost hole. I took pleasure in correcting their long held and erroneous ideas about the rules. They were:

1. You can't tap a conceded putt back to your opponent along the surface of the green.
The decisions on golf (Rule 16-1d) say that such casual action is not a breach of the rule.

2. You can't fix a pitch mark on the green if you're off the green.
You can in fact repair ball damage to a green at any time.

3. You MUST use a club to measure one/two club-lengths when dropping
Funny one this but in fact you can estimate one/two club-lengths if you wish .. the ball needs to be actually within one/two club-lengths but you are not bound to use a club to measure it. Therefore if I mark my ball and drop within what is obviously within two club lengths, let's say within a couple of feet for argument sake, this is a valid drop and the ball is in play. It is up to your opponent to question whether you have in fact dropped within the required distance but you cannot be pulled for not using a club to measure. Not good practice probably but not illegal as some would have you believe. It's a bit like the the requirement to place the ball on the tee box no more than two club-lengths back but no-one ever measures it. Again its up to your opponent to question it if unsure.

BoardsMember

Declaring your ball lost...or dare I bring up that old chestnut??!!

slave1

Misconception: You have to call your ball off the tee
Rule: You (just you) need to be able to identify your ball, you do not need to call if off the tee.
I've teed off before new playing parters in the past and have them tell me I was supposed to call the make/number of the ball before tee off.


Misconception: Plugged ball in closely mown area is a free drop.
Rule: Must be a local ruling

Misconception: You get to hit your provisional ball once, then look for your original
Rule: Keep the game moving, keep hitting your provisional until you get to where your first ball went missing.

Misconception: Lost ball gives you 5 minutes to look for it and then you have to call those behind you through.
Rule: You should call them through before you embark on a 5 minute look through heavy rough

Misconception: I'm a lower handicap than you so I know more about the rules

Myksyk

slave1 wrote: »

Misconception: Plugged ball in closely mown area is a free drop.
Rule: Must be a local ruling

Nope. Rule 25-2: A ball embedded in its own pitch mark in the ground in any closely mown area through the green may be lifted, cleaned and dropped without penalty, as close as possible to where it lay but not nearer the hole.

I think you might be confusing this with embedded ball in the rough, which does in fact require a local rule to be in place.

Sandwlch

8under wrote: »

I am amazed that I still very occasionally come across a player who takes a drop "as close as possible" to where his ball went out of bounds.

I know, happens all the time. And when you explain that they have to drop withing a club length of the out of bounds, and add a penalty shot, they get stroppy.

diarmuid05

Sandwlch wrote: »

I know, happens all the time. And when you explain that they have to drop withing a club length of the out of bounds, and add a penalty shot, they get stroppy.

:eek:

Sandwlch

Myksyk wrote: »

Nope. Rule 25-2: A ball embedded in its own pitch mark in the ground in any closely mown area through the green may be lifted, cleaned and dropped without penalty, as close as possible to where it lay but not nearer the hole.

I think you might be confusing this with embedded ball in the rough, which does in fact require a local rule to be in place.

Closely mown, is fairway height or less, is the bit they seem to mis. Some people know that they cannot drop in the rough without a local rule. But think they can drop anywhere the grass is cut, for eg, light rough outside a green apron. Without a local rule, they cannot.

alxmorgan

diarmuid05 wrote: »

:eek:

Assume he is messing

I played with a lad before who hit first ball into water.
Second off tee went wild right so could have been lost
We went to look for second and couldn't find it.
He proceeded to go drop where the first had crossed the hazard.
Chipped and two putted. Stated his score was a 5 i.e. second ball off tee never happened

Whyner

Myksyk wrote: »

Nope. Rule 25-2: A ball embedded in its own pitch mark in the ground in any closely mown area through the green may be lifted, cleaned and dropped without penalty, as close as possible to where it lay but not nearer the hole.

I think you might be confusing this with embedded ball in the rough, which does in fact require a local rule to be in place.

Too funny.......

Warning: If you're going to post in this thread check the rule first.

So have ever taken an unplayable because your ball was plugged in the fairway with no local rule? Where did you get your info? Off a friend or mis-interpreted from the rule book?

I'm not prefect with the rules either but I would check something after being told. That's a really bad one not to know, could have ruined your day with the soggy fairways lately

Miley Byrne

BigChap1759 wrote: »

That you're allowed relief if a sprinkler head is in your line just off the green - tough luck unless your course has a local rule

If the sprinkler head is within 2 clublengths of the green and your ball is within 2 clublengths of same sprinkler head, then you have free relief.

stockdam

Not stating that you are playing a provisional.........if you don't state it then the 2nd ball is in play.

Edit....Saying "I'll hit another" isn't clearly stating a provisional.....it could mean that you believe the first to be lost and so you are playing stroke and distance. You should clearly say....."that one may be lost so I'll hit a provisional".

Corkblowin

D'oh - forgot what the thread was about

stockdam

Preferred lies - The player is only entitled to prefer the lie once, so the spot on which to place the ball must be chosen carefully! The ball is in play as soon as it is placed on the ground. If the player picks it up again and moves it, he would incur a penalty stroke for moving his ball in play and the ball must be replaced

Edit - the above is the rule.

The Mythical Rule is that you can place the ball and if you don't like it or see a piece of dirt on it then you can replace it. It's one that has caught me out before but not in a competition!

GreeBo

I think everyone should try to phrase their posts in such a way that its obvious they are posting a mythical rule and not posting an actual rule in reply to someone else...otherwise this is going to get very confusing!

slave1

Myksyk wrote: »

Nope. Rule 25-2: A ball embedded in its own pitch mark in the ground in any closely mown area through the green may be lifted, cleaned and dropped without penalty, as close as possible to where it lay but not nearer the hole.

I think you might be confusing this with embedded ball in the rough, which does in fact require a local rule to be in place.

Yes, correct, my bad, too quick on the typing there on my behalf

Myksyk

Whyner wrote: »

Too funny.......

Warning: If you're going to post in this thread check the rule first.

So have ever taken an unplayable because your ball was plugged in the fairway with no local rule? Where did you get your info? Off a friend or mis-interpreted from the rule book?

I'm not prefect with the rules either but I would check something after being told. That's a really bad one not to know, could have ruined your day with the soggy fairways lately

I presume you're talking to Slave as opposed to me!?

Whyner

Myksyk wrote: »

I presume you're talking to Slave as opposed to me!?

Yeah

PARlance

Quiet an interesting piece here from last nights John Deere Classic playoff.

A lot of rules explained... even if I am still a little confused.

Also pretty strange the way Zach Johnson hits his tee 5 times in a row while dropping!

http://www.aussiegolfer.net/2012/07/zach-johnson-drops-ball-again-and-again.html

GreeBo

ajcurry123 wrote: »

Quiet an interesting piece here from last nights John Deere Classic playoff.

A lot of rules explained... even if I am still a little confused.

Also pretty strange the way Zach Johnson hits his tee 5 times in a row while dropping!

http://www.aussiegolfer.net/2012/07/zach-johnson-drops-ball-again-and-again.html

He had to keep redropping because he kept dropping it outside of the 2 clublengths, not because he hit the tee.

PARlance

GreeBo wrote: »

He had to keep redropping because he kept dropping it outside of the 2 clublengths, not because he hit the tee.

Was that clarifying something I said or something said on the video?

My understanding is
The tee itself and outside of that represents area that ball cannot be dropped.
Anything inside tee (but not including tee) is ok.

He had to re drop as he kept hitting the tee (which is outside permitted area)!

SnowDrifts

Myksyk wrote: »

Nope. Rule 25-2: A ball embedded in its own pitch mark in the ground in any closely mown area through the green may be lifted, cleaned and dropped without penalty, as close as possible to where it lay but not nearer the hole.

I think you might be confusing this with embedded ball in the rough, which does in fact require a local rule to be in place.

I regularly play with a sub scratch handicap (not being specific in case identity revealed) who was "100% certain, not a shadow of doubt" that the embedded ball rule has recently been changed to include rough and semi.

I told him he must have been confused with the local rule provision but he was having none of it. I even showed him the rule on the RANDA site. He insisted that he got a ruling by an official in a GUI comp and said the rule had changed.

So somewhere out there, there is a sub scratch golfer getting alot of help when his ball embeds in rough.

phkk

SnowDrifts wrote: »

Myksyk wrote: »

Nope. Rule 25-2: A ball embedded in its own pitch mark in the ground in any closely mown area through the green may be lifted, cleaned and dropped without penalty, as close as possible to where it lay but not nearer the hole.

I think you might be confusing this with embedded ball in the rough, which does in fact require a local rule to be in place.

I regularly play with a sub scratch handicap (not being specific in case identity revealed) who was "100% certain, not a shadow of doubt" that the embedded ball rule has recently been changed to include rough and semi.

I told him he must have been confused with the local rule provision but he was having none of it. I even showed him the rule on the RANDA site. He insisted that he got a ruling by an official in a GUI comp and said the rule had changed.

So somewhere out there, there is a sub scratch golfer getting alot of help when his ball embeds in rough.

But how can you play a shot if it's plugged be it in fairway or rough... seems a ridiculous rule to me!

SnowDrifts

phkk wrote: »

But how can you play a shot if it's plugged be it in fairway or rough... seems a ridiculous rule to me!

It is a ridiculous rule but it is the rule. Only happened me yesterday. If you dont want to hack it out, then take an unplayable.

cadobady

SnowDrifts wrote: »

It is a ridiculous rule but it is the rule. Only happened me yesterday. If you dont want to hack it out, then take an unplayable.

any club that doesn't have a local rule to this effect probably deserves to hacked up considering the weather we are getting!

SnowDrifts

cadobady wrote: »

any club that doesn't have a local rule to this effect probably deserves to hacked up considering the weather we are getting!

Again totally agree, but I have yet to play in a course where this local rule is in effect during the summer months.

Sandwlch

SnowDrifts wrote: »

I regularly play with a sub scratch handicap (not being specific in case identity revealed) who was "100% certain, not a shadow of doubt" that the embedded ball rule has recently been changed to include rough and semi.
So somewhere out there, there is a sub scratch golfer getting alot of help when his ball embeds in rough.

Want to be the most successful golfer you can be ? Dont read the rules - knowing them can be seriously harmful to your score!

Pacly

Local rule for a plugged ball is in place all year round in our club. Its needed too, especially this past few weeks.

I always have to remind myself of the rule whenever I play any other courses though!

GreeBo

ajcurry123 wrote: »

Was that clarifying something I said or something said on the video?

My understanding is
The tee itself and outside of that represents area that ball cannot be dropped.
Anything inside tee (but not including tee) is ok.

He had to re drop as he kept hitting the tee (which is outside permitted area)!

It doesn't matter about hitting the tee, the problem was that the tee was outside of the area. If it was inside then it isn't an issue. If the tee was inside then there is no issue.

Tones69

Im not gonna lie, i thought the "flag cant be attended if you're off the green" rule was still the same! Didnt know that at all now

fullstop

8under wrote: »

A GUI rules official once told me that seeing a splash in a water hazard is not sufficient evidence that the ball "has come to rest " in the hazard. For example, the ball could make a splash and skim on outside the hazard. Makes you think !!

Those GUI officials tend to like the sound of their own voices! That's just silly, are you going to wade into a lake to identify your ball to be sure it went in?!

denisoc16 wrote: »

If the sprinkler head is within 2 clublengths of the green and your ball is within 2 clublengths of same sprinkler head, then you have free relief.

This is wrong. A local rule needs to be in place for this to be the case. It is a local rule on tour.

SnowDrifts wrote: »

I regularly play with a sub scratch handicap (not being specific in case identity revealed) who was "100% certain, not a shadow of doubt" that the embedded ball rule has recently been changed to include rough and semi.

I told him he must have been confused with the local rule provision but he was having none of it. I even showed him the rule on the RANDA site. He insisted that he got a ruling by an official in a GUI comp and said the rule had changed.

So somewhere out there, there is a sub scratch golfer getting alot of help when his ball embeds in rough.

There was definitely talk of this maybe 18 months or 2 years ago. I'm not sure if they brought it in but I think they may have to GUI sanctioned events.

GreeBo wrote: »

It doesn't matter about hitting the tee, the problem was that the tee was outside of the area. If it was inside then it isn't an issue. If the tee was inside then there is no issue.

It matters about hitting the tee as well, when dropped the ball must first strike a part of the course.

diarmuid05

fullstop wrote: »

There was definitely talk of this maybe 18 months or 2 years ago. I'm not sure if they brought it in but I think they may have to GUI sanctioned events.

Found this

http://www.hollywoodlakesgolfclub.com/members/competitions/mensdocs/Rule%20change.pdf

Pretty old, 2007. but according to this the GUI did intend to amend the rule

Davidth88

Ill be totally honest . I thought the rule regarding tending the stick was still valid

Ill have to go back to the rule book

I play a lot of pitch and putt, so that rule is actually very valid in that game