Implimenting your Club's 2019 Rule changes

2blue

2blue

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I'm hearing that many 'established' golfers & their Clubs, are thinking that some of the possible changes maybe a step too far in 'simplifying' golf & the challenges it presents.
One of the most contentious is the idea that a ball lost or going OOB can, at the cost of 2 shots, be dropped in an agreed spot, on the edge of the fairway.

I'd be interested to hear what your Club's proposals are likely to be in this case... it may seem 'early days' yet but there's lots to be agreed & put in place before 2019 as well as explained to members.
 
2blue said:
I'm hearing that many 'established' golfers & their Clubs, are thinking that some of the possible changes maybe a step too far in 'simplifying' golf & the challenges it presents.
One of the most contentious is the idea that a ball lost or going OOB can, at the cost of 2 shots, be dropped in an agreed spot, on the edge of the fairway.

I'd be interested to hear what your Club's proposals are likely to be in this case... it may seem 'early days' yet but there's lots to be agreed & put in place before 2019 as well as explained to members.
Click to expand...

The dropping on the fairway for a lost or OOB ball (with 2 shot penalty) wiill only be an optional local rule. I understand that our place will not be adopting it. Which in my opinion is the right thing.
 
There was a similar knee jerk reaction in some informal discussions at our club....when I highlighted the existence of 2 large red staked areas that basically constitute exactly the same situation things calmed down a bit. I'm not aware of formal discussions

Taken together with the reduced 3min search time it really does make a lot of sense. The alternative will be a lot of provisional balls (they aren't free in the context of a group's course timing - and strangely 🤔 people do go looking to recover them as well, even if they find their first ball) or a lot of people walking back to the tee, or just back.

Seems to me that clubs should at least try it from the 1st Jan, with a review date in spring when they can pull it if they establish it's really not for them (as opposed to double guessing what will and won't happen - obviously including the instant end of the known world!)
 
What's the logical objections?

The R&A wanted to help the pace of play and this rule has the potential to do that without fundamentally changing scores.
 
It may possible encourage the US golfer who tend to drop nearby taking a 1 so (at worst) into realising that 2 sp better reflects the realistic score.
 
Think the bigger question here is about how we can educate our players to use the new rules correctly. The lost ball one is a point in case about the correct procudure to identify the approximate area of the loss and hence the arc of the relief back to the fairway.
 
We are proposing to 'drip feed' members with selections during the next few months. Followed by seminars during the early months of the year. We will wait to see what EG say about playing qualifiers.
 
At a recent county meeting and presentation for the new handicap system our manager and his assistant were advised not to begin a program of advising of the new rules until the last quarter of the year to avoid confusion.

What worries me is that with (effectively) about 100 changes to the rules is that going to be a long enough period.

Funny enough I was rewriting the new local rules today ready for implementation on the 1st January.
 
jim8flog said:
At a recent county meeting and presentation for the new handicap system our manager and his assistant were advised not to begin a program of advising of the new rules until the last quarter of the year to avoid confusion.

What worries me is that with (effectively) about 100 changes to the rules is that going to be a long enough period.

Funny enough I was rewriting the new local rules today ready for implementation on the 1st January.
Click to expand...

Indeed - it's a good exercise in the new rule numbers! Not sure everyone has factored in a new card print run required though. Wonder how many will take the opportunity to add their new course/tee ratings at the same time (if they have them).
 
duncan mackie said:
Indeed - it's a good exercise in the new rule numbers! Not sure everyone has factored in a new card print run required though. Wonder how many will take the opportunity to add their new course/tee ratings at the same time (if they have them).
Click to expand...

One of the funny things that came up this year was that I knew that there were large number of a new style card sitting unopened in the managers office. I reminded him that we need to start using them because they would be no longer needed come the 1st of January.

I am considering that we just a have a new LRs card printed, which players can keep in their bags. Might be a good way of actually getting players to read the LRs.
 
rulefan said:
On certain holes we probably will
Click to expand...

Now I suggest that that will cause consternation and claims of unfairness/inconsistency...

I don't know what my place is going to do but if asked I'd say I don't want it. Just don;t like it - too big a change.
 
Last edited:
rulefan said:
On certain holes we probably will
Click to expand...

Yes I think we have one hole in particular that would benefit from the new ability to create the LR for modifying the OOB stroke & distance.

It's the 2nd hole, SI 4 that's a 649yd par 5 that the sweeps right into the prevailing wind with OOB down the length of the right edge. Coupled to that is the fairly steep left to right sloping fairway that means even balls hit up the left side bounce & run down the fairway to a narrow strip of semi that, in the current Summer conditions, has little chance of stopping the ball before the OOB fence. As many golfers tend to drive with a bit of 'fade' the wind & fairway slope ensure balls frequently threaten the OOB, particularly the drive & 2nd shots.

Many rounds are spoilt on the 2nd hole due to, not particularly bad shots, but course conditions, especially this Summer with bone hard fairways & balls for running miles.
I guess it'll always be contentious as it is simplifying things.... but then again we're playing it for recreation.

Rulefan…. wha'ts the main criteria for you using it on some of your holes??

ALSO...… are you implementing any maximum shots on holes??
 
We are planning a couple of events in October to be played under the new rules. I've not quite settled on the format yet, but probably teams of 3/4 playing best ball and having a rules question per hole to answer. Shotgun start to get everyone in at the same time for a meal afterwards and a de-brief on the quiz and anything that has cropped up through play. Winners decided on points plus quiz score if we decide on stableford or best ball score minus quiz score if stroke play. The emphasis to be on fun and so erhaps some mystery prizes for daft things that have heppened to players.
 
I do worry about getting it all through to members in time, giving the suggested delay in 'advertising it' we run our comps all year round and the first one will be on January 3rd.

I was hoping to start drip feeding it from the middle of this year but the Manager is holding off until October.
 
I don’t think it’s really that hard , send out emails , put notices up , send letters and point them in the direction of websites

At the end of the day it’s rules of golf that are changing and it’s the golfers responsibility to check the rules and changes not the clubs - people shouldnt be babysit too much . The rules are the players responsibility to know , ignorance is not an excuse as I say when someone is penalised for a rule break
 
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