interesting local rule

[viscount17]

greensman, can you not get assistance from the County and have the rough declared as sites of scientific interest - were losing butterfly and moth species every year, claim these as breeding grounds.

If the County department happened to have a society day and happened to notice this site, well it's not your fault is it?

Homer has such areas at Royal Ascot.

 

[Chilli]

That would be called hitting it down the fairway but getting a crap lie....

 

[EchtLoon]

For those who say the rules shouldnt be messed with, Im afraid over the entire history of golf that is exactly what has happened. There are no fundimental rules that havent been adjusted or played with.So many rules have been introduced/changed since golf became recognisable as the game we know today.

If there is any more rule manipulating or changing in the future it would be better reducing rules and consolidating many of them.

A point was made that the rules have served us well surely if they had, no one would ever be confused/require a ruling or be debating them so often with all types of player/standard raising issue over rules on web sites galore and club houses galore. That to me isnt serving anyone well, only bearable and at best a talking point.

That's all very well, aand I largely agree. But it isn;t the issue here.

Are you suggesting that the local rule in the OP is fine? That a lost ball now shouldn;t be treated as such?

What if one side has heavy rough, and the other an OOB? Everyone would aim down the side of the heavy rough, as effectively the worst you'll do is lose a ball, and incur a stroke penalty with subsequent drop on the fairway, meanwhile someone hitting OOB has to take stroke and distance.

Should the rules be abbreviated - I would say so. Should the rules be made to allow for bad shots - no way.

 

[DCB]

"Articles & Laws in Playing at Golf - 7th March 1744.

You must Tee your Ball within a Club's length of the Hole.

Your Tee must be upon the Ground.

You are not to change the Ball which you Strike off the Tee.

You are not to remove, Stones, Bones or any Break Club, for the sake of playing your Ball, Except upon the fair Green & that only within a Club's length of your Ball.

If your Ball comes among Watter or any wattery filth, you are at liberty to take out your Ball & bringing it behind the hazard and Teeing it you may play it with any Club and allow your Adversary a Stroke for so getting out your Ball.
If your Balls be found any where touching one another, You are to lift the first Ball, till you play the last.

At Holling, you are to play your Ball honestly for the Hole, and, not to play upon your Adversary's Ball not lying in your way to the Hole.

If you should lose your Ball, by it's being taken up, or any other way, you are to go back to the Spot where you struck last, & drop another Ball, And allow your adversary a Stroke for the misfortune.

No man at Holling his Ball, is to be allowed, to mark his way to the Hole with his Club, or anything else.

If a Ball be stopp'd by any person, Horse, Dog, or any thing else, The Ball so stop'd must be play'd, where it lyes.

If you draw your Club in order to Strike & proceed so far in the Stroke as to be bringing down your Club; If then, your Club shall, break, in any way, it is to be Accounted a Stroke.

He, whose Ball lyes farthest from the Hole is obliged to play first.

Neither Trench, Ditch or Dyke, made for the Preservation of the Links, nor the Scholar's Holes or the Soldier's Lines, shall be accounted a Hazard; But the Ball is to be taken out / Teed / and play'd with any Iron Club.

John Rattray, Capt


[Rule 13 appears to be a local rule, but the others are relevant to the general principles of how the game was played at that time].


Amendment to the Articles & Laws - 1758
The 5th and 13th Articles of the foregoing Laws having occasioned frequent Disputes it is found convenient that in all time coming, the law shall be, that in no case whatever a ball shall be lifted without losing a stroke except it is in the Scholars holes when it may be taken out, teed and played with any Iron Club without losing a Stroke - And in all other cases the ball must be played where it lyes, except it is at least half covered with Water or filth when it may, if the player chuses, be taken out, teed and played with any club upon loosing a stroke.

Thomas Boswall, Capt"

As laid out by the golfers at Leith Links all those years ago.

http://leith-rules-golf.co.uk/home.htm