Are you cheating if you don't know the rules?

MendieGK said:
I personally think that every golfer should take time to understand and learn the rules. If you are not sure, ask.

WOuld i brand the person a cheat if they had no idea they broke the rule, but should they be penalised/dq'd from the competition? 100%

Sometimes, a harsh penalty is the only way to learn!

i got dq'd (Well, dq'd myself) in a junior club champs i won many years ago because i didnt know that once you had left the teeing area, if you return to hit another one, it can no longer be a provisional a ball. I walked back, hit what i thought was a provisional. In the mean time my playing partners found my original, therefore i carried on with that.

I was heart broken when i found out, but had no choice but to DQ myself

I wonder how many forumers actually know that rule?
Click to expand...

Or the one that says you can't DQ yourself, you simply declare your breech and the DQ is applied to you (sorry couldn't resist)
 
MendieGK said:
I personally think that every golfer should take time to understand and learn the rules. If you are not sure, ask.

WOuld i brand the person a cheat if they had no idea they broke the rule, No. but should they be penalised/dq'd from the competition? 100%

Sometimes, a harsh penalty is the only way to learn!

i got dq'd (Well, dq'd myself) in a junior club champs i won many years ago because i didnt know that once you had left the teeing area, if you return to hit another one, it can no longer be a provisional a ball. I walked back, hit what i thought was a provisional. In the mean time my playing partners found my original, therefore i carried on with that.

I was heart broken when i found out, but had no choice but to DQ myself

I wonder how many forumers actually know that rule?
Click to expand...

I knew that one but I'm sure many don't.
 
I think cheating is deliberately not playing within the rules. It is a player's responsibility in golf to have a good understanding of the main rules and certainly carry a rule book to check those they are unsure of.

I partnered a 3 handicapper in our recent mixed foursomes. Has played for years and I sadly put him in the lateral hazard on the 17th (he did put me in one on the 16th!!). He was debating the drop as it was rough ground and I queried why he was only taking one club length when 2 got him in a better spot. He replied that red stakes meant only 1 club length. I had to get the rule book out to prove to him it was in fact 2. So all his golfing life he was playing to the rule he believed to be correct.
 
Smiffy said:
I didn't! I thought you could stripe one off at anytime prior to your original being found whether you had left the tee or not
Click to expand...

hmm - I think I thought so too - if the original ball was found within 5mins of starting to look for it. But thinkinig about it - having left the teeing ground you can't play a provisional (tick); so any ball subsequently played from the tee becomes the ball in play - regardless of whether of not the original ball is found within 5mins of starting to look for it?
 
Slab said:
Or the one that says you can't DQ yourself, you simply declare your breech and the DQ is applied to you (sorry couldn't resist)
Click to expand...

well technically they couldnt DQ me, as the ruling discussion didnt come about until about a week after the event. They contacted the R&A and i think the response (i may be wrong) was that once the trophy presentation has been completed and the event is closed, nothing can be done.

Obviously i didnt want my name on the board (whole other discussion on the forum) whilst people knew i had broken a rule. So i technically withdrew.

As you can appreciate, it wa quite messy!
 
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
hmm - I think I thought so too - if the original ball was found within 5mins of starting to look for it. But thinkinig about it - having left the teeing ground you can't play a provisional (tick); so any ball subsequently played from the tee becomes the ball in play - regardless of whether of not the original ball is found within 5mins of starting to look for it?
Click to expand...

I knew someone would query it, so i left the rule open on my desktop.

This is on the R&A site Rule 27-2

If a ball may be lost outside a water hazard or may be out of bounds, to save time the player may play another ball provisionally in accordance with Rule 27-1. The player must inform his opponent in match play or his marker or a fellow-competitor in stroke play that he intends to play a provisional ball, and he must play it before he or his partner goes forward to search for the original ball.
If he fails to do so and plays another ball, that ball is not a provisional ball and becomes the ball in play

 
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
hmm - I think I thought so too - if the original ball was found within 5mins of starting to look for it. But thinkinig about it - having left the teeing ground you can't play a provisional (tick); so any ball subsequently played from the tee becomes the ball in play - regardless of whether of not the original ball is found within 5mins of starting to look for it?
Click to expand...

Sorry just properly read this, and i noticed you agreed with me :)

anyway, the actual ruling is copied above now.
 
MendieGK said:
If a ball may be lost outside a water hazard or may be out of bounds, to save time the player may play another ball provisionally in accordance with Rule 27-1. The player must inform his opponent in match play or his marker or a fellow-competitor in stroke play that he intends to play a provisional ball, and he must play it before he or his partner goes forward to search for the original ball.
If he fails to do so and plays another ball, that ball is not a provisional ball and becomes the ball in play
Click to expand...

Ah it's all coming back to me now
:o
 
MendieGK said:
Sorry just properly read this, and i noticed you agreed with me :)

anyway, the actual ruling is copied above now.
Click to expand...

Thanks - yes I agree.

I was thinking back to a mixed foursomes match a few years ago when we were looking for blokes tee shot; couldn't find it so his lady partner headed back to the tee and played another ball. As she was walking back to us we found original ball - 'roughly' within 5mins of starting to look - so bloke claimed ball was found within 5mins so could play on using that ball, and not the one his partner had played. Apart from the fact that we must have spent a lot longer than 5mins looking for it - he was the current club captain so I didn't question as I wasn't 100% sure. I am now. And we lost. No hard feelings - now - some years later.
 
Someone I know plays football to a pretty high level and I asked him hat the ruling would be if the goalkeeper kicked the ball from a goal-kick and the wind blew the ball back towards him and into the goal.

He didn't know the ruling.

Cheat.
 
virtuocity said:
Someone I know plays football to a pretty high level and I asked him hat the ruling would be if the goalkeeper kicked the ball from a goal-kick and the wind blew the ball back towards him and into the goal.

He didn't know the ruling.

Cheat.
Click to expand...

I will tell you that one. GOAL :D
 
Last edited:
So are you cheating if you don;t know the rules - no - but you are a bit silly if you don't bother at least having an idea of the basics. That said - what 'serious' competition situation could you find yourself in if you DIDN'T have even a knowledge of the basics.
 
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