Have you met anyone who think they knows all the rules?

[bobmac]

I have come accross some people who think they do but they always slip up somewhere and even when proved wrong, they still don't admit it.
I was wondering if anyone has had a similar experience?
Would love to hear if your club has any strange local rules.
I apologise if this thread has been covered already

 

[TonyN]

Bobmac, no need for appologies.

Not met anyone who plays golf who claims to know all the rules, have met and do know a few people who think they just know everything in general, always give me a laugh.

As for strange rules, have nothing I can think of on that front at the moment. I will rack thy brain.

Come on spill, you must g=have some yourself!

 

[Imurg]

I don't think there's anybody - except John Paramor - who knows all the rules.

In order to cover every conceivable possibility the rules have to be so complicated. Sometimes I think over -complicated.

However there are loads who think they know! How many questions do you get right in the GM rules quizzes? To be honest I get most right but never all.

 

[AlchemyGolf]

At my old club we used to have a rules competition quiz night every year.
The scratch team came last every year much to the delight of the members.

I reckon Players/members probably infringe the rules without realising it on a regular basis as there are so many we dont know about.

 

[bobmac]

I agree Alchemy, but what disappoints me is how many dont know even the most basic rules.
I walked a few holes with a club match at my home club last summer. Even before the match had holed out on the first green I had counted 3 breaches of the rules.
The away side broke 2 and the home side one and as the home side won the hole, I thought fair enough.
Luckily it was just a friendy so no harm done. I did have a word after the match and presented our pair with a shiny new rule book each. Fortunately they took in in good humour and promised to gen up for the next match.
The one breach that surprised me was how to drop away from a staked tree.
I'm sure all the forumers especially the newbies know the correct procedure...dont you?

 

[TWM]

I still meet people who think a single player has no standing.
Recently one of my partners was adamant that players who started on the 10th had no right to be called through on later holes.

 

[romsyam]

I agree Alchemy, but what disappoints me is how many dont know even the most basic rules.
I walked a few holes with a club match at my home club last summer. Even before the match had holed out on the first green I had counted 3 breaches of the rules.
The away side broke 2 and the home side one and as the home side won the hole, I thought fair enough.
Luckily it was just a friendy so no harm done. I did have a word after the match and presented our pair with a shiny new rule book each. Fortunately they took in in good humour and promised to gen up for the next match.
The one breach that surprised me was how to drop away from a staked tree.
I'm sure all the forumers especially the newbies know the correct procedure...dont you?

No idea, what is the rule? One club length no closer the hole? (probably not that simple)

 

[birdieman]

I agree no-one knows them all.

We've got a dry ditch running across the 1st that catches a lot of players. It is marked with yellow stakes as a hazard but many folks seem to miss that because it's dry so they're in there moving leaves and grass and taking practice swings that touch the ground - of course in a hazard you can't do that so penalties are called and much consternation usually follows!!
Just one of those things - you gotta keep concentrating all the time.

Have also had a long discussion on course about 1 player who claimed relief from a pile of grass clippings in the middle of a huge broom bush in the rough on the basis that his stance was affected by the clippings, to be frank me and the third member couldn't call it but we weren't entirley happy with the relief taken. However I think the player was entitled to relief but it just seemed like cheating! Good case of me not knowing the exact rules.

 

[John_Findlay]

I've known a few who THINK they know them all. That's not to say I do. Here's an example I remember.

At my old home course 2 of the club's better players, both friends of mine, were playing a match. I think it was in our Club Championship or 5 day Open. Both very handy players off Scratch and +1.

On the final hole and with the match all square the lower handicapper approaches the tee and due to the line of the hole he likes to tee off as close to the left hand side tee marker as possible. So he places his tee in the ground a couple of inches inside the tee marker preparing to drive off and takes a few practice swings. He then proceeds to remove the tee marker for his drive as he obviously thought it would impede his swing....even though the other player had told him he couldn't do so. It's actually a breach of rule 11-2 as tee markers are fixed objects, not to be removed.

Without rule books between them the argument continued up the fairway and far beyond. I think the higher handicap player actually won the hole anyway but he could have claimed the hole after the other player's drive (or asked him to play the shot again?)

 

[Leftie]

relief from a pile of grass clippings in the middle of a huge broom bush in the rough on the basis that his stance was affected by the clippings,

I think that if it was clear that the clippings were temporarily put there for later removal then he might have had a case........

The rules really are quite straightforward and make sense, the trouble is sometimes it is difficult to find the particular rule that you need and you then need a lawyers mind to actually understand some of them. They do need rewriting so maybe the R & A should get in touch with The Plain English Campaign.

The new section at the front of the Rules Book that explains the basic rules is a step in the right direction and at the very least, golfers should know and apply these in their game.

 

[viscount17]

The one breach that surprised me was how to drop away from a staked tree.
I'm sure all the forumers especially the newbies know the correct procedure...dont you?

one club length from the nearest point of relief? (oh and the club is <u>supposed</u> to be the one you intend to use?)

but there's the rub - everybodys idea of nearest point of relief is different so a poorly defined point causes unnecessary confusion.

How much simpler would be 'two club lengths back in a straight line to the hole'? and if you're still behind the tree? - well you hit it there.

 

[Tommo21]

[/QUOTE] No idea, what is the rule? One club length no closer the hole? (probably not that simple)

[/QUOTE]

I thought it was one club length from the nearest point of relief. With the emphases on the nearest point of relief before you take the club length.

 

[Tommo21]

Tigers not bad with the rules....his rules.

Fireworks.

 

[bobmac]

How do you determine the nearest point?

 

[tincup]

(oh and the club is <u>supposed</u> to be the one you intend to use?)

I was under yhe impression that you could use any club in your bag, How many times watching golf on television do you see when they are entitled to a drop or taking a penalty drop, they measure two club lengths with their driver, hand driver to caddy, drop there ball and proceed to play the next shot with a short iron

 

[DCB]

Thats what I thought. Find the nearest point of relief, (there can be only one nearest point of relief is measured properly) then mark that position and then measure one club length no nearer the hole. It can be any club to measure, doesn't have to be the one you are going to use. The ball can then be dropped, and can roll up to a further two clublengths no nearer the hole, from the point it is dropped.

I think

 

[DCB]

tincup,

different scenarios for a free drop from a staked tree and a penalty drop. Different rules cover each of thm.

 

[viscount17]

How do you determine the nearest point?

Exactly!

This is the point that Leftie (I think), and I, are making. Badly written and ill-defined rule, result confusion.
Nearest point of relief depends on whether left/right handed, stance etc, etc - so much simpler to just move everybody back in a straight line, after all there's no sight line relief is there?.

 

[Leftie]

As I understand it, it is the nearest point on the course (not neared the hole) that the ball could be where, if you were to hit it from that point, your swing or stance wouldn't be impeeded by what you are claiming relief from. That point is marked, another point measured by using the intended club is marked, and the ball is dropped from shoulder height between the two markers. If the ball rolls more than 2 club lengths from where it was dropped it must be redropped.

I think....

 

[viscount17]

Anyone see the Rollins(?) incident at Torrey Pines, where his ball did a hop, skip and jump and landed (or not) back in its own pitchmark?
It exercised the US commentary for all of 5 minutes (huge attention span for them).

The referee ruled that because he couldn't prove conclusively that it was his pitchmark he had to play it where it lay.

Why do you get relief for this? If it lands in a divot you don't.