3 minute search rule

[67 under par]

You come 2nd in a big competition. The person that wins, beating you on countback, spends 5 minutes looking for his ball, and then finds it and plays on. It is obvious he has had over 3 minutes, and many people have witnessed it, as perhaps it happened on the 1st holes when groups behind, and people at clubhouse, saw it unfold.

It is decided that his win stands, as nobody wants to be considered a c**t (your words). Are you happy with the outcome. If you are, I think many others would not be happy. If you are not happy with the outcome, at what point would you be happy (i.e. not happy with 2 minutes over the timeframe, but happy with 10 seconds. Where do you draw the line?"

I believe the worst thing in golf, outside blatant cheating, is people that bully and criticise others who call out rules infringements. Most who do so are protecting the rights of themselves and the rest of the field. Fair enough, there may be one or 2 who take delight in penalising players, and don't try and warn players they are about to break a rule before they do so (i.e. only wait until after the shot before telling a player they are playing off the wrong tee), so I understand criticism of that type of behaviour. But not simply for calling a breach of a rule if it is clear that that rule has been broken

I take your point. I wasn’t funny with him although the rest of our group was. I simply asked him if he was happy with me recording a birdie, he was not exactly quick to answer so I said, we will call it a blob then, I went on to explain that no one actually times themselves and I was surprised he had. I realise now that some do. I sent him a WhatsApp this morning telling him no hard feelings after the backlash I received last night on here it made me think maybe he’s right. So whilst I agree with your scenario, unfortunately it’s very rarely done at this time of year.

 

[67 under par]

I think you'll find that was me, and all I was doing was suggesting that there's a lot better than you out there who aren't critical of high handicappers (and plenty of them are older than you too), so perhaps you shouldn't have tried to come across as the big I am.

Yes I did sound like that, but I had the hump. No excuse. I realise of course there are players better than me and older. I’m not the second coming. But there’s a lot more who are worse and younger. I’m proud of my golfing career as an amateur I kept at it to make my dad proud and back in the day if you were plus one that was a real achievement. Nowadays it’s ten a penny. After my family and business it’s my greatest achievement.

 

[User20204]

We're having a right old love in here aren't we 😍

 

[67 under par]

I'd agree that most people don't time themselves and hence the 3 minutes are exceeded on occasion but this is not done knowingly and so isn't breaking the rules as far as I'm aware (correct me if I'm wrong), in exactly the same way as the 5 minute rule used to be exceeded.

If I were timing myself or someone else was timing me and I found my ball after 3 minutes had elapsed then I wouldn't play it as I would know that I was breaking the rules.

The three minute rule was brought in to try and speed up play, whether that was a good decision or not is another argument altogether, but to complain that you're being penalised for breaking a rule that you're well aware of is not something I'd expect of a golfer, whatever their handicap.

I think they brought it in because when it was 5 mins people took 7 mins before they gave up( not everyone but a lot ) so they though make it 3 mins and it will be 5 the original time. I break many rules in actual life don’t you. You probably don’t , but I’m afraid to get on in life you can’t live by the rules the sheep live by. But golf is different. It’s a gentleman’s sport that breaking a serious rule is like being a kiddy fiddler as in your name is lost all your previous great days put down to”oh he must of cheated” I live on a Golf Course you know round the edge and the other day I was walking the dog and saw a blatant act of cheating. This bloke was oob and his playing partner was the other side of the fairway looking for his ball. He picked his ball up but only flung it just in bounds, he still had a restricted back swing. So not only a cheat but a thick one. This sort of behaviour is bang out of order. I didn’t say nothing, I just smiled to myself and thought what an idiot. The point is that’s cheating, not going 10 secs over 3 mins when you oblivious to how long you’ve been looking. I’ve seen the chairman of our club put his foot behind the ball to improve his lie. He saw me see him, I didn’t drop him in it but gave him a look. Suffice to say he never hit a good shot or putt for the rest of the round. It’s rife so keep your eyes peeled and you’ll be surprised. Marking the ball nearer. They mark behind the ball then put the ball back 2 inches nearer( as if this is going to help ) desperate behaviour, we call that out as a little joke and start calling them Mark O’Neara this embarrasses them severely and they don’t do it again.

 

[robinthehood]

I think they made it 3 as many often give up pretty quickly anyway

 

[Swango1980]

I think the point Crow was making was, only if you knew that you were over 3-minutes, then you should accept the ball is lost, as that is the rule. I'd expect that from a respectable golfer.

Also, are you saying that in the past when the Rule was 5 minutes, the R&A found people looked for 7 minutes. Therefore, they changed it to 3 minutes to ensure people only spent 5 minutes? In other words, the R&A would be happy with 5 minutes, just not 7 minutes? Where did you see this written down?

 

[Foxholer]

I'd agree that most people don't time themselves and hence the 3 minutes are exceeded on occasion but this is not done knowingly and so isn't breaking the rules as far as I'm aware (correct me if I'm wrong), in exactly the same way as the 5 minute rule used to be exceeded....

Not 'knowingly' breaking the Rules (so not cheating!), but breaking the Rules all the same!

 

[Maninblack4612]

I think they brought it in because when it was 5 mins people took 7 mins before they gave up( not everyone but a lot ) so they though make it 3 mins and it will be 5 the original time. I break many rules in actual life don’t you. You probably don’t , but I’m afraid to get on in life you can’t live by the rules the sheep live by. But golf is different. It’s a gentleman’s sport that breaking a serious rule is like being a kiddy fiddler as in your name is lost all your previous great days put down to”oh he must of cheated” I live on a Golf Course you know round the edge and the other day I was walking the dog and saw a blatant act of cheating. This bloke was oob and his playing partner was the other side of the fairway looking for his ball. He picked his ball up but only flung it just in bounds, he still had a restricted back swing. So not only a cheat but a thick one. This sort of behaviour is bang out of order. I didn’t say nothing, I just smiled to myself and thought what an idiot. The point is that’s cheating, not going 10 secs over 3 mins when you oblivious to how long you’ve been looking. I’ve seen the chairman of our club put his foot behind the ball to improve his lie. He saw me see him, I didn’t drop him in it but gave him a look. Suffice to say he never hit a good shot or putt for the rest of the round. It’s rife so keep your eyes peeled and you’ll be surprised. Marking the ball nearer. They mark behind the ball then put the ball back 2 inches nearer( as if this is going to help ) desperate behaviour, we call that out as a little joke and start calling them Mark O’Neara this embarrasses them severely and they don’t do it again.

Could you enlighten us all as to which rules are "serious" ones & which are not, I can't find a definition on the R & A website.

 

[Foxholer]

...I live on a Golf Course you know round the edge and the other day I was walking the dog and saw a blatant act of cheating. This bloke was oob and his playing partner was the other side of the fairway looking for his ball. He picked his ball up but only flung it just in bounds, he still had a restricted back swing. So not only a cheat but a thick one...

Perhaps he was (not particularly 'advantageously'!) applying the new (Local) Rule for OOB - that, I trust, you know about!

 

[cliveb]

From Nov 20
Single strokeplay will be 95%
Single matchplay - 100%
4ball stroke - 85%
4ball match 95%

Someone else asked why strokeplay is 95%, and the answer I saw is that this is to take account of a "reward for excellence".
Presumably the idea here is that better players deserve the playing field to be tilted just slightly in their favour - have I understood that correctly?
If so, then fair enough - I can see why this makes sense.
The obvious question now is why should there not be the same "reward for excellence" in matchplay?

 

[Crow]

Not 'knowingly' breaking the Rules (so not cheating!), but breaking the Rules all the same!

But as nobody timed it you can't categorically say that the 3 mins was exceeded or not, and hence can't prove that the rule was broken.
One of those rules that relies on the integrity (and mental time keeping ability!) of the competitor.

 

[Foxholer]

But as nobody timed it you can't categorically say that the 3 mins was exceeded or not, and hence can't prove that the rule was broken.
One of those rules that relies on the integrity (and mental time keeping ability!) of the competitor.

True. But you did specify that the 3 min limit was occasionally, unknowingly, exceeded. On those occasions, a Rule would have been broken, though, imo, unenforceable.

 

[67 under par]

Well thank you very much sir😂. I’m fed up with saying it was 10 sec. Not timed just an estimate by the man very similar to you. If that makes me a cheat even though I agreed to it with no real fuss. Me and you mate are oil and water.

 

[Colin L]

. This bloke was oob and his playing partner was the other side of the fairway looking for his ball. He picked his ball up but only flung it just in bounds, he still had a restricted back swing. So not only a cheat but a thick one. This sort of behaviour is bang out of order.

It's never a great idea to judge a situation without knowing all the pertinent facts. The two players might just have been out for a casual game, not a match and not bothering about their scores. That would certainly be the case if you saw me out with a friend and doing that, or dropping another ball and playing it because I was dissatisfied with the first one etc.

 

[67 under par]

I’m going now for good anyway. May I say before I leave that a lot of you have been real arseholes. It’s not your fault you are probably in a *** job with a fat bird and not much money and *** at golf. Absolutely no understanding of what actually happens in the real world. I think at all clubs you get a dozen or so numpties who proper people don’t give the time of day to. This site seems to be a home for the underachievers. See ya enjoy your mundane existence. Don’t lose your stopwatches.

 

[chrisd]

Well thank you very much sir😂. I’m fed up with saying it was 10 sec. Not timed just an estimate by the man very similar to you. If that makes me a cheat even though I agreed to it with no real fuss. Me and you mate are oil and water.

If he didn't time it then he couldn't or shouldn't call you on it. The 3 minute time is absolute and there is no way that you should accept a guess by someone as being any more accurate than your guessed time. I personally believe that timing your own search is the best way to avoid this sort of issue. Add to that the fact that, unless he is an appointed referee, he is NOT a referee even when he may be marking your card. He can refuse to sign it and ask the committee to adjudicate, but as has been said before, he would be unlikely to carry the burden of proof necessary to convince the committee imo.

 

[chrisd]

I’m going now for good anyway. May I say before I leave that a lot of you have been real arseholes. It’s not your fault you are probably in a *** job with a fat bird and not much money and *** at golf. Absolutely no understanding of what actually happens in the real world. I think at all clubs you get a dozen or so numpties who proper people don’t give the time of day to. This site seems to be a home for the underachievers. See ya enjoy your mundane existence. Don’t lose your stopwatches.

👋👋👋👋👋👋

 

[Swango1980]

I’m going now for good anyway. May I say before I leave that a lot of you have been real arseholes. It’s not your fault you are probably in a *** job with a fat bird and not much money and *** at golf. Absolutely no understanding of what actually happens in the real world. I think at all clubs you get a dozen or so numpties who proper people don’t give the time of day to. This site seems to be a home for the underachievers. See ya enjoy your mundane existence. Don’t lose your stopwatches.

That is the most hilarious post I've ever read. A 51 year old, clearly with the mind of an 8 year old. It makes you wonder what his handicap would be if he played under all the rules, and wasnt selective on which ones should and shouldn't apply. Mind you, more than likely it was an 8 year old just trying to wind people up

 

[williamalex1]

W

👋👋👋👋👋👋

Well that blows my Cabbie theory oot the water, he would never have tossed his toys oot the pram or left voluntarily.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Fat bird? I haven't heard that since watching The Sweeney on UK Gold 🤣.

Talking of gold, this has been comedy gold 😁