Divot Debate

[golfdonkey]

It's time the Rules of Golf were amended to allow players relief from divots. It's okay in the winter when you get relief but it's not fair in summer to say "oh, that's just the rub of the green". If you hit a fairway shot straight down the middle, you should be rewarded with a decent lie on the fairway. In theory you could hit driver 270 yards down the middle, find a dovot and be in a worse position than somebody at 220 in the semi. That's not good golf - that's luck. Come on R&A - free drops from the fairway all year round.

 

[PaulOHagan]

If i were to change one rule in golf that would certainly be up there! I hate landing in fairway divots- you shouldn't be punished for hitting one down the middle!

 

[Shooter_McGavin]

I bet there would be loads of people who claimed they were in a divot when they just had a dodgy lie, but then again i suppose a lot of golf rules are open to interpretation and rely on the honesty of golfers

 

[The_Golfer]

I have every sympathy with you, every good shot deserves reward.

However before looking to the R&A, it should be up to the committee, greenkeepers and players alike to ensure divots are replaced and/or speedily repaired to allow a reasonably trouble free fairway.

 

[muttleee]

I tend to agree with you. I remember when Payne Stewart's ball landed in a divot after a perfect drive on the 16th (I think it was) during the last round of the 1998 US Open. He bogied the hole and Lee Janzen won by a shot. I thought if ever there was a good case for abandoning the divot rule and allowing free relief, that was it. Of course it could be tricky on courses where tee shots tend to gather in a dip, thus causing hundreds of divot marks to appear in the same area. You might have to go a reasonable distance to get a place where you can stand and *not* have interference from a divot.

Next thing, people would be complaining about getting sidehill lies and so on when they hit it down the middle...

 

[swingstar1]

I have to say I agree with mutlee - the more we detract from the orginal rule of playing the ball as it lies the further we remove the game from its simple straightforward ideals

golf isnt meant to be fair -its meant to test your ability to cope with different situations and being in a divot is just one of those situations

That said ALL golfers could do with being more diligent about replacing thier divots