Can anyone recommend a good golf net/cage? I've a large area out the back garden that could fit a cage or a net, and want a good quality one for some practice. The area has a concrete foundation, so i'll need a mat as well.
Was thinking something like this, but not sure if its overkill.
https://www.networldsports.ie/freestanding-golf-cage-net-professional-range.html+golf_bays_number-1~Bay+cage_tube_thickness-34mm+impact_panel_type-Standard~-~10x10~Green
Query on rules with balls on the green. If player A chips it on and its within 2 feet, and player B then chips and hits the ball on the green and gains an advantage (say using it as a backstop of sorts), is there any penalty? I know you can't ask for someone to not mark their ball, but I can't see anything in the rules saying you have to mark it, just that "you may"
All good, once there is no agreement prior to hitting, then player A replaces his ball back on its original position and player B plays from where it finished up after hitting player A's ball
You're supposed to mark if you think the position of your ball is potentially giving an unfair advantage to another player.
It's probably the least obeyed rule in golf tbf
From going through the rulebook, its on player B to identify the risk and ask player A to mark it, but is under no obligation to ask, and receives no penalty if he hits the ball. Thought this was strange, was playing with 2 lads who are friendly and they wouldn't mark the balls like the above scenario, and then gave me a funny look when I made a point of marking my ball that was behind the cup on one hole.
I'd always ask if someone wants me to mark it, there's nothing wrong with giving your playing partners the option of benefiting from having something to aim at or backstop.
My understanding is that in matchplay is different to strokeplay, if I want your ball to remain unmarked then I get to choose that, you "own your opponents ball" on the green, and he cannot choose to mark if you want it to remain.
That seems incorrect to me on both counts. It is against the rules to have an agreement about leaving the ball unmarked. Once you ask the question then you will have to mark the ball. If your playing partner said to leave the ball unmarked then you both have agreed to give him an advantage. That would be a 2 shot penalty to each of you. In matchplay, both players can agree to leave the ball unmarked. However I don't see any rule that compels a player to not mark a ball on the green just because it suits his opponent.
On the first point, I don't see anything approaching wrong. I'm chipping into the green, another in the three ball is waiting ahead greenside and offers to mark his ball. I am perfectly entitled to accept or reject his offer. There's no agreement here, it happens all the time. It could be that I benefit from the ball onnthe green, or it gets in my way. I'm not obliged to accept the offer if it might act as a backstop. I certainly can't ask him to leave it there.
Re the matchplay scenario, my Dad always said that you own your opponents ball on the green, but I don't know the detail. He played senior cup golf and was pretty good on the rules.
You can't ask and he can't offer is the point.
He can absolutely leave it there, unspoken. But as soon as there's a discussion you're breaking the rules
https://www.randa.org/en/rog/the-rules-of-golf/rule-15 section 15.3a
https://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/rules/rules-of-golf-clarification-backstopping/
Wow, I just read the clarification above. So my scenario is wrong. The ball should be marked if I might benefit from it. I should ask for it to be marked, and the player shouldn't offer, they should just do it, if it might benefit someone else.
Yeah, they could play dumb, and pretend not to have noticed that you'll benefit from it.
There was a big issue with it a couple of years ago on LPGA if I remember correctly
To be honest it’s still a bit of a grey area, even if it shouldn’t be. You’ll see occasions where someone hits the shot before someone has time to mark it, or the person playing the shot says that’s ok there or it’s not in my way etc knowing it may benefit them.
there is no way you can make a player not mark their ball in matchplay. Your old man has to be wrong on that one
In strokeplay if my ball was in a position that it might help a partner I’d always just not mark it until after he has played his shot but I wouldn’t ask him if he wants me to leave it there (I believe that is illegal) but I would just make my own judgement on whether or not it’s helpful to him and if I think it is I would do and say nothing. He may still ask me to mark if he finds it distracting or something and in that case I’d obviously then mark.
For matchplay for obvious reasons I would not leave the ball there and would mark immediately if I saw it might benefit my opponent.
On the next bit however I’m much less sure. I too have never heard the “you own your opponent’s ball” line. However the following situation I’m not sure on. Say in match play I’ve hit my approach shot close but 3 feet past the hole. My opponent is short and is ready to hit his chip shot before I reach the green. Can I stop him from chipping until I mark my ball? I never would in this situation to be honest I would just suck up the small advantage he’s getting but I don’t know the rule?
If I was allowed to stop him and mark it then to bring this to extremes say if I hit first on a par 3 and hit it just past the hole am I then entitled to tell him to wait on his shot until I go up and mark it? That would seem ridiculous!
Was there something on the PGA Tour last year where someone played their chip before their playing partner had time to mark it?
I'm a bit confused.
I've always just left my ball without touching it if someone is playing from off the green, and will only mark if they ask me to mark it. I never offer or make any inference about the ball being in the way or anything like that.
Are we saying I am wrong here? If I think my ball might stop their ball in an advantageous position, the onus is on me to mark?
Yes, that looks to be the case. You need to protect the field by ensuring your playing partner doesn't have an advantage that others won't have.
Fair enough, it does make sense.
I have been politely pulled up on marking my ball on the green before when someone was playing from off the green, they said I should leave my ball alone in case the player wants to use it as a marker for their shot, in my naivety I never questioned this!
The rule states "the player may", not "the player must" so it remains a grey area once there is no agreement made to leave it unmarked.
15.3aBall on Putting Green Helping PlayRule 15.3a applies only to a ball at rest on the putting green, not anywhere else on the course.If a player reasonably believes that a ball on the putting green might help anyone’s play (such as by serving as a possible backstop near the hole), the player may:Mark the spot of the ball and lift it under Rule 13.1b if it is their own ball, or if the ball belongs to another player, require the other player to mark the spot and lift the ball (see Rule 14.1).The lifted ball must be replaced on its original spot (see Rule 14.2).In stroke play only:A player who is required to lift a ball may play first instead, andIf two or more players agree to leave a ball in place to help any player, and that player then makes a stroke with the helping ball left in place, each player who made the agreement gets the general penalty (two penalty strokes).
15.3a
Ball on Putting Green Helping Play
Rule 15.3a applies only to a ball at rest on the putting green, not anywhere else on the course.If a player reasonably believes that a ball on the putting green might help anyone’s play (such as by serving as a possible backstop near the hole), the player may:
Mark the spot of the ball and lift it under Rule 13.1b if it is their own ball, or if the ball belongs to another player, require the other player to mark the spot and lift the ball (see Rule 14.1).
The lifted ball must be replaced on its original spot (see Rule 14.2).
In stroke play only:
A player who is required to lift a ball may play first instead, and
If two or more players agree to leave a ball in place to help any player, and that player then makes a stroke with the helping ball left in place, each player who made the agreement gets the general penalty (two penalty strokes).
And again, in the best practice guidance, the refence is "should" not "must"
As a result, the following guidance and explanation of best practice is available for Committees to provide to players to help prevent backstopping:In stroke play, the competition involves all players and, because each player in the competition cannot be present to protect their own interests, protecting the field is an important responsibility that all players in the competition share.Therefore, in stroke play, if there is a reasonable possibility that a player’s ball close to the hole could help another player who is about to play from off the green, both players should ensure that the player whose ball is close to the hole marks and lifts that ball before the other player plays.If all players follow this best practice, it ensures the protection of the interests of everyone in the competition.
As a result, the following guidance and explanation of best practice is available for Committees to provide to players to help prevent backstopping:
In stroke play, the competition involves all players and, because each player in the competition cannot be present to protect their own interests, protecting the field is an important responsibility that all players in the competition share.
Therefore, in stroke play, if there is a reasonable possibility that a player’s ball close to the hole could help another player who is about to play from off the green, both players should ensure that the player whose ball is close to the hole marks and lifts that ball before the other player plays.
If all players follow this best practice, it ensures the protection of the interests of everyone in the competition.
My guess is that from a pace of play perspective they don't want to harden up the rule to "must", as it conceivably brings up the situation where someone will complain about shots from 100m+ hitting another ball on the green.
Id only mark a ball if in the way of the line they are taking and if requested it to be marked
Difficult rule in fairness, as the same rules would need to apply from 150 yards out to 10 yards.
i.e. you are not going to ask your playing partner to mark the ball after hitting the green with a 7 iron.
Cant have two different rules for different distances from the hole ( when not on the green)
If it's in the way I'll try to mark it quickly. If it's potentially going to help him, I'll think of the rest of her field and not mark it unless he's a while from playing his shot or he asks me to. The chances of him actually hitting it are low and even then it only might help him. The rest of the field would rather we kept things moving.
"If it's potentially going to help him, I'll think of the rest of her field and not mark it"
This makes no sense? That's the opposite of protecting the field
As in I'm not going to delay our group for me to run up and mark my ball because of a small chance he could hit it. If I saw someone chip on and then another in the group wait to play their shot because he could hit their ball if he goes by the hole( or way off line or whatever) I wouldn't be impressed.
If I can mark it without delaying him take his shot I'll mark it.
Connemara Isles and land on the market for €1.25m
In fourball match play, can I pick up my ball once I can no longer beat my partner's score no matter where I am on the green and what the state of play is?
Yes. You are then out of the hole.
You can pick your ball up whenever you want on the hole.
You can also concede a competitors shot at any point.
For example, if they're out of a hole, but their putt could give a read to their team mate who is still in the hole
