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

[JustOne]

I thought you would know. Which bear out what I was saying. A 12 handicapper who had been playing a fair number of years should also know. He was a knob

These are some recent ones..... I'm getting to the stage where I almost KNOW someone is going to cheat...... normally they just need to miss a fairway and something is going to 'occur'....

Moving obstacles in hazard - 5 h/cap
Moving obstacles in hazard - 9 h/cap
Illegal drop - 20 h/cap
Illegal drop - 16 h/cap
Illegal drop - 7 h/cap
Illegal drop - 2 h/cap
Couldn't count his strokes properly 7 h/cap

Yesterday I shagged up my wedge hitting a stone behind my ball whilst in a hazard and I couldn't stop thinking about it last night just how many people would choose to 'cheat' if (let's say) no one was around.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

And in doing so you would end up with a worse score than you need to.
The rules are there to assist as well as penalize.

Absolutely - almost certainly a worse score - but you will never go wrong. Two Rules is all you need to know. Which is where we came in. Not knowing the rules doesn't make you a cheat.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Point of the thread.....

Based on a few occurrences (both in comps and in friendly play) I have a feeling when I play a comp that I'm playing against 100 other golfers and AT LEAST HALF of them, if not more, are playing a totally different game to me.... one where they can move obstacles in hazards, ground their clubs, build stances in bunkers and take illegal drops all over the course that either afford them a good lie or line of sight to the flag....

....and it's beginning to grate on me.

Well best thing that you can do is to continue to play as you do - accept that you cannot change what others do - but appreciate that what all you can do is have the courage to raise your suspicions with your club secretary. Then it is out of your hands.

 

[guest100718]

Absolutely - almost certainly a worse score - but you will never go wrong. Two Rules is all you need to know. Which is where we came in. Not knowing the rules doesn't make you a cheat.

2 rules isn't all you need, otherwise that's all there would be. How do your 2 rules deal with say playing out of turn in matchplay?

 

[Marshy77]

so if the keeper kicks it all the way into the other goal without touching someone its a goal kick? That can't be right!

sorry for off topic OP

thats different, that would be a goal. In your own goal it would be a corner in your oppo's goal its a goal but you'd have to have either a decent dead ball kick or against a sh*t keeper lol

 

[Hacker Khan]

Yesterday I shagged up my wedge hitting a stone behind my ball whilst in a hazard and I couldn't stop thinking about it last night just how many people would choose to 'cheat' if (let's say) no one was around.

If I was playing with someone and it was pretty obvious they would in all probability knacker a club by hitting a stone, I would use common sense and tell them to move the stone.

A stone is moved which in all probability would make very little if any difference to their score. A club is shagged and a new one needs to be bought then that is not funny. At times common sense over rides silly rules that will result in someone being severely out of pocket. And if someone complains that they did not win some obscure meaningless club comp because of it and they call you a cheat then they need to get a life. And a bit of perspective.

 

[guest100718]

If I was playing with someone and it was pretty obvious they would in all probability knacker a club by hitting a stone, I would use common sense and tell them to move the stone.

A stone is moved which in all probability would make very little if any difference to their score. A club is shagged and a new one needs to be bought then that is not funny. At times common sense over rides silly rules that will result in someone being severely out of pocket. And if someone complains that they did not win some obscure meaningless club comp because of it and they call you a cheat then they need to get a life. And a bit of perspective.

Thats a risk you take any time you play from a hazard. There are other options open to you. You're both cheating in this instance...

 

[JustOne]

Thats a risk you take any time you play from a hazard. There are other options open to you. You're both cheating in this instance...

Indeed, I totally agree.... like I said it feels like 50% of my opponents are playing a different game to me (as proved by Hacker Khan's post).

If you hit into a hazard and it looks like you might knacker your club you have 3 options...

1. Don't hit it into hazards
2. Take a penalty drop
3. Play it as it lies.

You don't change the rules!!

 

[Birchy]

The ball technically isn't in play from a goal kick until someone touches it so it would be a corner kick.

The ball is in play once it leaves the penalty area.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

2 rules isn't all you need, otherwise that's all there would be. How do your 2 rules deal with say playing out of turn in matchplay?

you don't play matchplay...

Either that or you play out of turn once - get informed by your opponent of what you have done - and you don't do it again as you now know the rule.,

 

[Hacker Khan]

Thats a risk you take any time you play from a hazard. There are other options open to you. You're both cheating in this instance...

Probably, but at least someone will not be £100 out of pocket. And I know which one I can live with.

 

[JustOne]

Probably, but at least someone will not be £100 out of pocket. And I know which one I can live with.

If it's that important then take a drop and play within the rules... what's ONE SHOT?????

You can't 'live' with a one shot penalty?

 

[Birchy]

If I was playing with someone and it was pretty obvious they would in all probability knacker a club by hitting a stone, I would use common sense and tell them to move the stone.

A stone is moved which in all probability would make very little if any difference to their score. A club is shagged and a new one needs to be bought then that is not funny. At times common sense over rides silly rules that will result in someone being severely out of pocket. And if someone complains that they did not win some obscure meaningless club comp because of it and they call you a cheat then they need to get a life. And a bit of perspective.

If your that bothered about common sense then surely its best they take an unplayable rather than make their own rules up?

 

[rickg]

If I was playing with someone and it was pretty obvious they would in all probability knacker a club by hitting a stone, I would use common sense and tell them to move the stone.

A stone is moved which in all probability would make very little if any difference to their score. A club is shagged and a new one needs to be bought then that is not funny. At times common sense over rides silly rules that will result in someone being severely out of pocket. And if someone complains that they did not win some obscure meaningless club comp because of it and they call you a cheat then they need to get a life. And a bit of perspective.

Is this post a wind up?

 

[Jimbooo]

Yesterday I shagged up my wedge hitting a stone behind my ball whilst in a hazard and I couldn't stop thinking about it last night just how many people would choose to 'cheat' if (let's say) no one was around.

You might have knackered your wedge, but it made an awesome sound!

 

[sev112]

This one grates with me, as golf seems to be the only game that its acceptable to play in competitions with no idea of the rules.

I'm not going as far as to say its cheating, but ignorance of the rules can only be an excuse for so long.

Football, most people can't explain offside, and most don't know the definition of a foul
Cricket - most dont know LBW
Rugby -nobody knows any rules about penalties and scrums

 

[painterboy]

Play the ball as it lies. Unless you DEFINITELY know a rule to get you relief.

 

[Robobum]

Football, most people can't explain offside, and most don't know the definition of a foul
Cricket - most dont know LBW
Rugby -nobody knows any rules about penalties and scrums

Again, there is someone there to officiate for you, who's decision (whether correct or otherwise) is final

 

[rosecott]

It depends on whether its a lateral water hazard I think, if its off the tee you can take 3 off the tee, you can take 1 drop shot in the line of the ball entering the water hazard. But I would revert to the rule book for dropping options.
By the way at my club there are no water hazards at all but I still have a basic understanding

I've been in water at Seacroft.

 

[chrisd]

Come on - that's daft - cheating is an active and deliberate activity. Not knowing the rules is passive - you are absolutely NOT a cheat if you do not know the rules. Ignorance is no defence if you are pulled on something you did because you did not know the rules. If I claim an interpretation of a rule that others disagree on, then the only person who knows whether or not I am trying to cheat is me.

Even I get a rule wrong and my PPs are fully aware of what I am doing and they don't question me - then I am not a cheat - I've just got a rule wrong. And if I am subsequently pulled on it and suffer the penalty - that is my own fault. And I will be more diligent about learning the rules - but I am only a cheat if I do something that I know breaks the rules and I do it without seeking advice from PPs. And surely that is all there is to it.

The premise of your argument is that you arn't a cheat if you don't know any rules and that my playing partners will put me right. So, what about a four ball where nobody has learned any rules?