Asking for advice

[ventura]

I'm playing in a competition this week at a course I've not played before. I'm playing with a member who knows the course but what can I ask during the round?

I think location of hazards and distances are fine but what about blind tee shots? Can I ask what the best line is or what to aim at in the distance, best side of fairway to be at etc.?

What about approaches to greens, can I ask about slopes as it is a fact? But can't ask best landing area?

Thanks for any help.

 

[nemicu]

Rule 8 is pretty self explanatory in what advice (including line of play) may be asked. "Best" lines are clearly advice and not information. Similarly, "best" landing areas or slopes is "advice" rather than information.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Hopefully you will be playing with the normal golfer and he will understand that you have never played there before and will give you any information you need.

Its what i would do and have done

 

[Foxholer]

You can ask 'What's the line' on blind holes, but I've always shied away from using/asking anything involving 'best' as it starts getting into advice rather than facts. Likewise, with greens I wouldn't want to be asked about 'best' landing areas etc, but happy to say there's a steep run-off over the back.

As a general rule though, I try not to ask anything!

 

[nemicu]

You realise that you can ask as much advice as you want prior to the day of the stipulated round in competition, right? That also means you can do a bit of homework yourself and find out as much info as you can before the comp. I would have thought it would be fairly simple to find out a few basic facts about the course in the days before the competition, in order to prevent you from playing the course completely "blind" at your first attempt. Common sense really.

 

[ventura]

Thanks for the replies. I'd not actually gone the to rule book so didn't know how obvious it stated . Will keep it limited to locations and distances.

 

[backwoodsman]

Factual is ok. Opinion is advice. IMHO.

So; "where is the hole" is ok. "Which side should I land on" is not. "How far to carry the water" ok. "Is it better to lay up" not ok.
Etc.

 

[ventura]

You realise that you can ask as much advice as you want prior to the day of the stipulated round in competition, right? That also means you can do a bit of homework yourself and find out as much info as you can before the comp. I would have thought it would be fairly simple to find out a few basic facts about the course in the days before the competition, in order to prevent you from playing the course completely "blind" at your first attempt. Common sense really.

I've been looking on the website and google maps to get an idea of the course layout and will get a quick brief before starting the round.

Anyone know of any good websites with course guides etc.? Playing Meltham Golf Course in Huddersfield if that's any help.

 

[atticusfinch]

Hopefully you will be playing with the normal golfer and he will understand that you have never played there before and will give you any information you need.

Its what i would do and have done

Must be a sloppy tournament if members can tell competitors such things.

 

[nemicu]

I've been looking on the website and google maps to get an idea of the course layout and will get a quick brief before starting the round.

Anyone know of any good websites with course guides etc.? Playing Meltham Golf Course in Huddersfield if that's any help.

If you go here, there's a course guide for every hole:
http://www.meltham-golf.co.uk/course/Hole-by-hole-guide/Hole-1.htm

 

[ventura]

If you go here, there's a course guide for every hole:
http://www.meltham-golf.co.uk/course/Hole-by-hole-guide/Hole-1.htm

Thanks, I'd been looking at that on the website but was wondering if there was any sites out there with more descriptive reviews. Slopes on greens, areas to avoid etc.

Maybe there's money to be made if it doesn't already exist...

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Must be a sloppy tournament if members can tell competitors such things.

Why ?

 

[palindromicbob]

Thanks, I'd been looking at that on the website but was wondering if there was any sites out there with more descriptive reviews. Slopes on greens, areas to avoid etc.

Maybe there's money to be made if it doesn't already exist...

not a bad idea. a online course guide with advice from members which can be voted on to ensure it keeps quality.

 

[North Mimms]

I've played in my own Club's open, just to make up the numbers as a 2 ball dropped out on the day.
To be fair to the rest of the field who did not have the benefit of a member in their group, I kept any information given to the polite bare essentials and did not volunteer anything beyond

 

[Foxholer]

Rule 8 is pretty self explanatory in what advice (including line of play) may be asked. "Best" lines are clearly advice and not information. Similarly, "best" landing areas or slopes is "advice" rather than information.

Simply stating facts such as 'the green slopes front to back', or 'is 2-tiered' is not advice in my book!

 

[rulefan]

Simply stating facts such as 'the green slopes front to back', or 'is 2-tiered' is not advice in my book!

Nor in the Rule book

 

[drdel]

Usually the Golf Club's website will have a course guide with comments and advice from their Pro - I usually then print myself a set of their pictures (nota copyright issue if its for your own use) and mark on them my chosen distances with Driver, 3-wood etc.

There's also a lot of 'holiday' websites that frequently have golf course reviews - have you tried the GM archive info ?

Also, when playing a new course I always take a look on Google Earth, while you may not have too much detail with that and the Club's web-site you know the doglegs, lakes and ponds etc.

 

[Slab]

Usually the Golf Club's website will have a course guide with comments and advice from their Pro - I usually then print myself a set of their pictures (nota copyright issue if its for your own use) and mark on them my chosen distances with Driver, 3-wood etc.

There's also a lot of 'holiday' websites that frequently have golf course reviews - have you tried the GM archive info ?

Also, when playing a new course I always take a look on Google Earth, while you may not have too much detail with that and the Club's web-site you know the doglegs, lakes and ponds etc.

Obviously off topic but how does that work?

Leaving aside the difficulty of policing it, If I have a picture and 1,000 different people like it and print one each to hang on the wall for their own use are you saying this isn't impacting the copyright?

 

[Whereditgo]

I'm playing in a competition this week at a course I've not played before. I'm playing with a member who knows the course but what can I ask during the round?

I think location of hazards and distances are fine but what about blind tee shots? Can I ask what the best line is or what to aim at in the distance, best side of fairway to be at etc.?

What about approaches to greens, can I ask about slopes as it is a fact? But can't ask best landing area?

Thanks for any help.

What is the format of the competition? "Playing with....." implies to me he is your partner in a pairs comp or similar? If so then there is no issue on advice whatever you ask.

 

[ventura]

What is the format of the competition? "Playing with....." implies to me he is your partner in a pairs comp or similar? If so then there is no issue on advice whatever you ask.

It's an invitation but played as singles, he'll be in the same fourball as me but not in a team.