If you could..

[HCFC]

change 1 rule in the game that you find pointless or unfair what would it be? Had this conversation today in the clubhouse after our round today and their was quite a few differences of opinion.

 

[USER1999]

The usual one is the penalty drop out of a flooded bunker, or the playing from a divot.

For me, today I clipped the ball into a greenside bunker wth my practice chip. Can I play it again please?

 

[HCFC]

The double hit rule i feel is a little unfair. Im not sure how following through and catchng the ball a second time can give a player a greater advantage. Well not when i do it which is usually out of a bunker. It never seems to benefit me!

 

[Region3]

Last week I had to play a shot from under a tree.
I had about a 3/4 backswing before my club hit the outer branches of the tree, and when I was seeing how far I could go my club touched a branch and a leaf fell off.
Apparently that was 'improving my lie'.

I could understand it if I removed a branch, but a leaf falling off a tree in Autumn?

Not as silly as the flooded bunker above. Is it not classed as casual water because it's in a hazard?

 

[Imurg]

For me its the ball being moved by the wind after its addressed. I believe the R&A are looking at that one for the next update.

 

[John_Findlay]

Ball moving on the green after you've addressed it but not touched it.

Has driven me daft in the past in windy conditions on fast greens. I think it would be fair enough to play the ball from where it blows to (rub of the green) rather than have to replace it with a penalty shot.

The rule is presently there to avoid the situation predominantly through the green where pressing your iron down behind the ball causes it to move. I don't really think that applies on the firmer surface of most greens.

 

[birdieman]

You hit a drive towards the trees.
You play a provisional in case you lose the first one.
You or a playing partner find the original ball in an awful spot which is clearly unplayable. Thinking penalty drop your 2 club option and straight line back option are not possible due to the nature of the rough so you have to return all the way to the tee to play from where you played your last shot.
Why can the provisional ball you played earlier not be used in this situation? I think that rule could be changed to speed up play.

 

[didsbury_duffer]

The 10 second rule for a putt that is hanging on the lip once you have reached the hole. Within 10 seconds it is one shot, from 11 seconds onwards it is two. Has anyone been denied from winning a comp on this rule - it would drive me bananas.

 

[Dodger]

You hit a drive towards the trees.
You play a provisional in case you lose the first one.
You or a playing partner find the original ball in an awful spot which is clearly unplayable. Thinking penalty drop your 2 club option and straight line back option are not possible due to the nature of the rough so you have to return all the way to the tee to play from where you played your last shot.
Why can the provisional ball you played earlier not be used in this situation? I think that rule could be changed to speed up play.

Errr cos your original ball is STILL in play....simple.

 

[John_Findlay]

I can see Birdieman's point on this one.

If you choose to take an unplayable and return to your original position to play the shot again then it makes sense to take the provisional ball you've already played as that option.

 

[John_Findlay]

....then again.

Having thought about this one I can see that because you already know where the "provisional" ball is lying you may be at an advantage in deciding against dropping two club lengths away or in line with the pin.

If the "provisional" hadn't been played then the pressure is really on you if you decide to go back to the tee after deciding it's unplayable.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Definitely agree with the moving ball on the putting green and glad that the R&A have decided t at least look at it.

 

[Twire]

For me, today I clipped the ball into a greenside bunker wth my practice chip. Can I play it again please?

Coarse you can Murph.............under penalty of one stroke.


I think you HAVE to replace it from where you cliped it under penalty, apart from if you were on the tee. Then you replace it with no penalty.

 

[USER1999]

Yep, you are right, just checked the rules and I should have replaced it under penalty. Blobbed the hole anyway, so no real difference in outcome. I blame the hangover. This is not something I have ever done before.

 

[USER1999]

But as a rule, is another silly one. I hit the ball, with the club head, it ended up inn a worse place, why not just let it stand? Even if it ended up by the hole, it was hit with the club, not kicked, so why have to replace it under penalty, just because you didn't intend to hit it? If you don't address the ball, and then hit it purosefully (like walking up and tapping in)what is the difference? And how would anyone else know if I meant to hit it or not?

 

[birdieman]

John
That point did occur that you could work things in your favour but you're still going to get penalised anyway, just seemed a needless time consuming exercise to have to walk back 250 yards back to the tee (or 300 for most forumers! ) when you already had a provisional played.

Dodger,
I know what the current rules are thanks, this post was asking what could be changed.

 

[freddielong]

I would change the maximum number of clubs to 12 have a maximum loft of 56 and roll the balls back to the Dunlop 65 uk pro of the 80's

 

[Deleted member 1147]

There are two things I'd like to change:

1 - The first putt you hit on each green shouldn't be counted as a shot - that'd really help my putting stats (38 putts yeaterday !

2 - Get rid of the CSS. A course has a par so why can't it be left at that? You play a poor round but think at the end you are still within the buffer zone and then then some fool changes the par for the day and you are 1 outside of it and up 0.1. Madness!

 

[Fyldewhite]

2 - Get rid of the CSS. A course has a par so why can't it be left at that? You play a poor round but think at the end you are still within the buffer zone and then then some fool changes the par for the day and you are 1 outside of it and up 0.1. Madness!

This just allows distinction between a day when it's nice and warm, no wind and plenty of roll etc and a day when its blowing, raining and the ground is soft. To say the same score on both days merit the same handicap adjustment would be madness.

For me the bunker full of water is the killer. Less bothered about the ball moving on the green, if you think it might move then don't ground your club.

 

[JustOne]

But as a rule, is another silly one. I hit the ball, with the club head, it ended up inn a worse place, why not just let it stand? Even if it ended up by the hole, it was hit with the club, not kicked, so why have to replace it under penalty, just because you didn't intend to hit it? If you don't address the ball, and then hit it purosefully (like walking up and tapping in)what is the difference? And how would anyone else know if I meant to hit it or not?

I'm not entirely sure you would have to declare it as a practice stroke as (provided you don't want to replace it) it's simply a shot played. If however you do want to take it back and add a penalty stroke then you simply declare "I didn't mean to hit that".