5 Rules Golfers ALWAYS Break!

[@joeldriver-sp2rg]

As somebody who plays tournament golf the main rule guys break is going over time looking for their ball. The change from 5 minutes to 3 did absolutely nothing whatsoever. Guys still look for many times 7 to 8 minutes.

[@si777]

At our local the driving range aligns one of the holes. The hole is protected by a massive net. OB post are on the hole side of the net meaning if you go into the range you're OB. Many times including me I've hit it close to OB but not quite. However, when taking the next shot I'm hampered by the big net. Would you get relief from the net? No local rule about it so I'm not sure.

[@Barlow260]

Could you clarify if an immovable object in a hazard (bouyancy ring and stand within the red line of a water hazard (penalty area) ) gets free relief?

[@kenbrown2808]

and remember: if you hit five, then card a four, and then change it to a three, that's a two stroke penalty for improving your lie.

[@rantsfromthesofa4653]

That was funny

[@psrpete]

In example #1, if in the normal course of a swing to hit your ball, the out of bounds stake is touched and/or moved, is there a penalty?

[@JakeCamo]

I think of it like a tree or bush, you can’t move it, but you accidentally hit it with your club during the swing then that’s fine

[@anthonycoleman1909]

That is correct Jake

[@Bluntobject]

Good to know. I think I moved an ob this year. I doubt it ended up helping me 🤣

[@paramedicbarber974]

Can you move you body into a branch/bush to improve you swing path to a shot?

[@GolfMonthly]

Jezz Ellwood says... It's all about whether what you are doing is considered to be reasonably taking a stance. Rules 8.1b(6) says you may fairly take a stance by taking reasonable actions to get to the ball and take a stance. But when doing so you.. * are not entitled to a normal stance or swing, and * must use the least intrusive course of action to deal with the particular situation. And remember, Rule 8.1a says you are not allowed to move, bend or break any growing or attached natural object.

[@Betleyman7853]

If in the ball on the path scenario you opt to take an unplayable lie can you drop the ball on the grass verge and play your shot standing on the path, I would say as you are playing under penalty this should be OK.

[@bradbradshaw3444]

In that last explanation, he should have mentioned not being able to ground your club if it improved the lie.

[@JohnGarry-z5x]

I think that provisional ball rule should be opt out and not opt in. Too many golfers don't declare a ball provisional unwittingly, and I don't want to be the one to call them out for it.

[@martincraig9613]

If someone hasn’t stated that, then I’ll always ask before they hit. Saves a lot of hassle.

[@JohnGarry-z5x]

@@martincraig9613 Yeah, that is what I generally do. Unless I dislike them 🙂

[@jevaughnlayne7258]

Nearest point of relief, trips me up

[@unrealtimepcr4661]

can you take an unplayable lie from the cart path, take two club lengths and bring myself at the other side of the path, and then get free relief onto the nice part of grass?

[@johnmerriam8661]

Yes. It's a penalty stroke for the unplayable and 2 club lengths. Then you probably have to drop twice before placing on the path (as the ball will probably bounce and roll off the path). Then, if nearest point of *full* relief is on the other side you can drop there. A lot of people don't realise there is only ever one nearest point, it's not a matter for negotiation!

[@GolfMonthly]

From Jeremy Ellwood... You could take a two club-length unplayable lie from the path and then proceed from there. If that drop got your clear of the path (not sure if it quite would have done in our scenario) you could then play on from there for just that one-shot penalty. If it didn't, you could then take free relief from the cart path to then get yourself clear of it (but you would have to carry out both stages of the dropping separately).

[@G.5.B.H.M]

​@@GolfMonthlyAnd is it not also alright to drop it onto the verge nearest the ball and play your shot while still standing on the road? Surely that's no different to playing it as it lies. You would still be standing on the road.

[@ruatoomey9107]

The 3 minute rule for finding a lost ball should only apply to tour players. They have thousands of people watching the ball and lots more grass trampled. A much higher % of finding the ball. The ordinary Joe has none of that and I can’t see how this is fair and equal. Also I remember Tiger Woods getting a group of 15 men move a big boulder out of the way of his ball. Unless you can do it yourself then that shouldn’t be allowed. Don’t even get me started about divots or channels washed away in bunkers after heavy showers. Also is the ball in play on the green if the marker is behind it. I had an incident where my opponent played the ball with the marker behind it thinking he had lost the hole. The R&A said once the ball was on the green it was in play. So I guess I can play with the marker behind the ball when it’s extremely windy.😮

[@anthonycoleman1909]

Some good points there. I never understand why courses have long grass in the rough. They know we are not professionals, they know we hook and slice the ball, they know we don't get free balls from a sponsor so we are going to look for it, they know it slows play looking for the ball. I feel clubs should cater for normal players. Sure have rough so that you can't advance the ball as far down the fairway, but grass that is 6 feet tall is a joke.

[@WarrenVanWyck15]

Question regarding improving the condition of your lie: Does this also pertain to tee boxes when the ball is not yet in play? My home course does a poor job of keeping our tee boxes mowed and the whole thing often looks like the first cut of rough. When I tee my driver up as high as the tee will allow, the grass makes it appear to be teed up quite low still. Am I allowed to trample the grass behind the tee?

[@tomrogers7301]

You are allowed to improve the condition of the tee box

[@si777]

@@tomrogers7301 Yeah the best person to look at for an example is Laura Davies when she used to bash a club in the ground to tee the ball off the deck with a driver.

[@kevinjhuffman5009]

Your friends field does not count. Spend some money and go to a real course. 😂

[@stevetierney2630]

It's about time the R&A and the USGA got rid of some of these more stupid rules. Golf is hard enough as it is, without some of these idiotic extra rules. I'm sure changes are afoot.

[@deenehd1069]

That 1st rule is so dumb

[@bensolo2000]

so even after the gods of golf tried to make the rules simpler, they still chose to make them more complicated -

[@mosshopper7932]

This is exactly why I play casually. Mulligan - who cares. You want to throw your ball out of the trap and take a birdie - I could care less. I cannot be bothered to try and learn all these nuanced rules. Golf needs fewer rules, or I can just play with Jez every time.

[@bradbradshaw3444]

And there you have it. Learn to play golf under the rules and enjoy playing with others in real competition, or hack around with Jez for the rest of your life!

[@neiltaylor1765]

Unbelievable venue, always very supportive #eastanglianairambulance #togetherwesavelives #edga #disabilityawareness #shotscope #vicegolf #cobra #disabilityinsport