Most peculiar issue/rulings faced in 2023

[Jigger]

Now that the year is coming to an end, what is the weirdest in play issue or ruling you have faced this year?

 

[fundy]

None so far in 2023

 

[Jigger]

None so far in 2023

Ah the none UK folk are still awake ?

 

[patricks148]

Only thing that's really astonished me this last year is the amount of guys who don't even know the very basic rules. And not beginners guys who've played for years.

 

[Backsticks]

Only thing that's really astonished me this last year is the amount of guys who don't even know the very basic rules. And not beginners guys who've played for years.

True. But it shows how the rules arent really fit for purpose for the average golfer. Or a least, the game can be played perfectly well without knowing the detail, and is even more fun and you score better if you just make a quick common sense decision with the agreement of your playing partners who dont really know the rules either.

 

[Jigger]

True. But it shows how the rules arent really fit for purpose for the average golfer. Or a least, the game can be played perfectly well without knowing the detail, and is even more fun and you score better if you just make a quick common sense decision with the agreement of your playing partners who dont really know the rules either.

Agree with you in friendly play. When I started out we played things like 3/4 over lakes and drop on the other side. Drop for two shots where a ball went OB before it was a local rule.

it’s when it happen in comps I get where Patricks was coming from.

 

[chrisd]

The number of times I get told to just roll out a plugged ball ??

 

[jim8flog]

True. But it shows how the rules arent really fit for purpose for the average golfer. Or a least, the game can be played perfectly well without knowing the detail, and is even more fun and you score better if you just make a quick common sense decision with the agreement of your playing partners who dont really know the rules either.

Problem is the average golfer is too lazy to actually read the rules and relies upon someone telling them and if the person telling them does not keep up with the changes we have yet another golfer playing by the wrong rules who then goes on to tell another golfer and so it goes on. Then when a person gets told he is breaking a rule by someone who does keep up the arguments start.

I once lost a comp because of someone having a row with me over the correct rule, despite my offer to show him it in the rule book I was carrying he was not having it and it was a very basic rule about relief from a artificially surfaced path.

 

[patricks148]

Agree with you in friendly play. When I started out we played things like 3/4 over lakes and drop on the other side. Drop for two shots where a ball went OB before it was a local rule.

it’s when it happen in comps I get where Patricks was coming from.

The main rule break I've noticed is relief from the hazard that runs along the first 7 holes.. the moray firth. Playing one guy in the semi final of The Captains prize comp, he hit it straight on the beach crossing the hazard some 50 yards from the tee. The insisted he could drop it back on the course level where his ball ended up... some 200 further from where it crossed. ?? he's been a member for almost 50 years!

 

[clubchamp98]

Problem is the average golfer is too lazy to actually read the rules and relies upon someone telling them and if the person telling them does not keep up with the changes we have yet another golfer playing by the wrong rules who then goes on to tell another golfer and so it goes on. Then when a person gets told he is breaking a rule by someone who does keep up the arguments start.

I once lost a comp because of someone having a row with me over the correct rule, despite my offer to show him it in the rule book I was carrying he was not having it and it was a very basic rule about relief from a artificially surfaced path.

Great argument in a sweep couple of weeks ago .
Similar player on path asking for a drop. ( yes he can).
Guy says “ you don’t get a drop of the path”( he’s wrong.)
Player gets his wallet out and says “ I bet you £65 that your wrong that’s all I have with me”
Not another word.

 

[jim8flog]

Great argument in a sweep couple of weeks ago .
Similar player on path asking for a drop. ( yes he can).
Guy says “ you don’t get a drop of the path”( he’s wrong.)
Player gets his wallet out and says “ I bet you £65 that your wrong that’s all I have with me”
Not another word.

I carry a Rules Book but sadly never a wallet

 

[clubchamp98]

For me the rules are far to complicated.
That’s why most can’t be bothered, it’s a tough read.
But serious golfers should know the basic ones.
Long gone are the days of play it as it lies.
Even the Rules guys on here “disscus” the complexities of some of them.

 

[clubchamp98]

I carry a Rules Book but sadly never a wallet

The power of cold hard cash over the written word.!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

A bloke I was playing with correctly took relief from an immovable obstruction, then after dropping the ball and after some consideration, picked it up and dropped it again. When I enquired why he had done that his reply was that he didn’t like where the ball had ended up…?

 

[KenL]

The main rule break I've noticed is relief from the hazard that runs along the first 7 holes.. the moray firth. Playing one guy in the semi final of The Captains prize comp, he hit it straight on the beach crossing the hazard some 50 yards from the tee. The insisted he could drop it back on the course level where his ball ended up... some 200 further from where it crossed. ?? he's been a member for almost 50 years!

I'm amazed that you think that's a hazard rather than a penalty area. ?

 

[KenL]

True. But it shows how the rules arent really fit for purpose for the average golfer. Or a least, the game can be played perfectly well without knowing the detail, and is even more fun and you score better if you just make a quick common sense decision with the agreement of your playing partners who dont really know the rules either.

I disagree. You can get the ball round the course but you are not playing the game if you don't know the rules.

Some of the less likely to happen rules are difficult to remember but the main ones are straight forward.

Nobody ever doesn't know (apply) the rules to there disadvantage, they always try and benefit from "not knowing them".

 

[Backsticks]

I disagree. You can get the ball round the course but you are not playing the game if you don't know the rules.

Some of the less likely to happen rules are difficult to remember but the main ones are straight forward.

Nobody ever doesn't know (apply) the rules to there disadvantage, they always try and benefit from "not knowing them".

Usually it is from not knowing them. Its why the average player gets so many rules wrong in a quick quiz. Many are simply innocent error, other ignorance, and other a genuine attempt at fairness but it just isnt the rule. You often see people dropping two clubs lengths for free relief. The free/penalty one lenght, two length, invites that mistake. Or similar to current thread on the rule forum, players taking fuller than permitted relief from a path - a hedge or long gross on the side they most drop to, so they circle around to some short grass to get relief. You can see their point. Or searching for a ball for a few minutes, and then, not finding it, concluding it must be in an adjacent hazard (it may well be) and so taking a drop rather than a lossed. Not to mention the nitpicking ones like ball marking, teeing outside the markers, repairing plug marks off the green, etc. Not to mention the really convoluted ones as discussed here or on other forums at times, where even rules gurus get tied up in knots. Other than academic interest, in real golf for fun, it isnt even worth trying.

I have long stopped stalling anyone doing all these things, even if I am marking their card. It just isnt worth the grief.

The rules are just too long, and too convoluted to expect the average golfer to know them. The game can be played quite, or even very accurately with just having the general idea - one club length, two club length, etc. Obviously at elite competition level, we expect it to the rules. But expecting the average Saturday golfer to play perfect rules golf is unnecessary.

But on your point, I would say most rules breaks are ignorance or obscurity of the rules. A player will naturally bias towards favouring themselves, but thats not outright cheating or choosing to break a rule.

 

[patricks148]

I'm amazed that you think that's a hazard rather than a penalty area. ?

I'm amazed you don't know when you are about to get a big infaction??

 

[Jigger]

The main rule break I've noticed is relief from the hazard that runs along the first 7 holes.. the moray firth. Playing one guy in the semi final of The Captains prize comp, he hit it straight on the beach crossing the hazard some 50 yards from the tee. The insisted he could drop it back on the course level where his ball ended up... some 200 further from where it crossed. ?? he's been a member for almost 50 years!

Wow!

 

[IanM]

I'm amazed that you think that's a hazard rather than a penalty area. ?

Trouble is, there folk who will deal with that quip as if you'd murdered their granny.

Therein lies the issue.