New Rules - what are you for and against?

[chrisd]

Hence why I said I won't be doing it. In or out is a perfectly valid and reasonable choice.

Let's get golf sub 3 hours.

👍👍👍⏱️

So, where the rules allow 3 choices, you are so important at your club as to be able to restrict that choice to only 2. I bet that you struggle to find playing partners when 2019 gets underway if you refuse their, quite reasonable, request to attend the flag.

 

[Imurg]

Has anyone ever refused a request to tend a flag......?
Ever?

 

[Wolf]

Has anyone ever refused a request to tend a flag......?
Ever?

I'd doubt No decent person has ever refused such a request.

 

[Jacko_G]

So, where the rules allow 3 choices, you are so important at your club as to be able to restrict that choice to only 2. I bet that you struggle to find playing partners when 2019 gets underway if you refuse their, quite reasonable, request to attend the flag.

It's not a rule.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

It's not a rule.

It’s covered in Rule 17 where is says that a player “may have the flag attended “

https://www.randa.org/rules-of-golf...rules/1-flagstick-attended-removed-or-held-up

It’s also covered in Etiquette- refusing to tend the flag is classed as poor etiquette as well - this should help refresh

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....-and-unwritten-etiquette-of-the-flagstick/amp

Now if you refuse to attend the flag there is of course no rule break on your part but you have denied the player something he is entitled to in the rules and would just smack as poor etiquette- now is sure it’s prob another bravado on the Internet because I suspect you would have good etiquette

 

[chrisd]

It's not a rule.

So today you'll attend the flag for me, tomorrow you won't, you wouldn't get a game at my place next weekend would be my guess

 

[trevor]

What would be the advantage for a long putt of having the flag tended to just leaving it in? I thought flags were tended when people couldnt see the hole properly and were there just on the chance that it might go in.

 

[shortgame]

What would be the advantage for a long putt of having the flag tended to just leaving it in? I thought flags were tended when people couldnt see the hole properly and were there just on the chance that it might go in.

Your playing partner or caddy might stand with their feet strategically placed to give you the line

 

[Hobbit]

What would be the advantage for a long putt of having the flag tended to just leaving it in? I thought flags were tended when people couldnt see the hole properly and were there just on the chance that it might go in.

If the putt is travelling a little too fast, hitting full centre on the flag may 'kill' the speed and the ball drops in, or it might take enough sting out of it that it stops nearer the hole than if there was no flag. There is a stat about leaving a flag in when chipping for this very reason.

For me, it takes some of the skill out of getting the pace right.

It takes seconds to attend the flag, and it isn't needed on every hole. For me it dumbs down the game for the sake of the argument of speeding play up.

 

[cliveb]

Let's get golf sub 3 hours.

No - that would be a disaster!
I would finish my round and the bar wouldn't have opened yet.

 

[Swinglowandslow]

I am interested to see what transpires when these rules are implemented, but I am not upset or really anti any of the new ones: neither would I have been campaigning for a change from the old ones either. Well, maybe one of them !
I wonder how many would really be upset by the new rules if, just imagining, the new rules had always been the rules for the past 40 years?

I have got the most opinion about the lost ball rule. I suspect those who most wish to retain it are mostly youngish low handicappers. 😀
As one who has played several years in Seniors competitions, I think this new rule will be a blessing. Not many of the ones I played with and against were interested in going back to the tee or where last played.Thus stablefords were popular. Persons who insisted on letter of the law compliance soon got a "fusspot" reputation etc, and , frankly, some cheating did go on. All born out of the ( understandable) reluctance to walk all the way back.
( and before the speed readers descend on this post, I am not saying that the cheating is understandable!)
I know that provisional balls should have been played- but the fact is, they are not always, or even mostly, played -and so the dilemma for 70 year old "knackered Jack" is sometimes all too real.
Perhaps some clubs will opt for the new lost ball rule for Seniors only?
Whatever, I hope their implementation or otherwise will not cause acrimony.

Happy New Year to all!

 

[chrisd]

I am interested to see what transpires when these rules are implemented, but I am not upset or really anti any of the new ones: neither would I have been campaigning for a change from the old ones either. Well, maybe one of them !
I wonder how many would really be upset by the new rules if, just imagining, the new rules had always been the rules for the past 40 years?

I have got the most opinion about the lost ball rule. I suspect those who most wish to retain it are mostly youngish low handicappers. 😀
As one who has played several years in Seniors competitions, I think this new rule will be a blessing. Not many of the ones I played with and against were interested in going back to the tee or where last played.Thus stablefords were popular. Persons who insisted on letter of the law compliance soon got a "fusspot" reputation etc, and , frankly, some cheating did go on. All born out of the ( understandable) reluctance to walk all the way back.
( and before the speed readers descend on this post, I am not saying that the cheating is understandable!)
I know that provisional balls should have been played- but the fact is, they are not always, or even mostly, played -and so the dilemma for 70 year old "knackered Jack" is sometimes all too real.
Perhaps some clubs will opt for the new lost ball rule for Seniors only?
Whatever, I hope their implementation or otherwise will not cause acrimony.

Happy New Year to all!

I can see your point and I'm assuming that you are referring to casual games and not qualifying competitions?

 

[richart]

So, where the rules allow 3 choices, you are so important at your club as to be able to restrict that choice to only 2. I bet that you struggle to find playing partners when 2019 gets underway if you refuse their, quite reasonable, request to attend the flag.

Surely currently you only want the flag attended when you can't see the hole with out it ? With new rules you can now leave the flag in so problem solved. Why would you want flag attended ?

I imagine from long distance you have more chance of holing or stopping close to the pin with the flag in. I would not be best pleased if someone kept asking me to attend the flag, which just seems to be wasting time. Instead of attending I could be lining up my putt, and ready to go when my turn. Just to let everyone know if I was playing a friendly game and someone asked me to attend the flag, I would tell them where they can put said flag.

I very rarely have flag attended, as not keen on having someone standing in my line of sight, so new rules are perfect for me.

 

[Homer]

Lost ball in casual games = forget that hole and just walk straight to the next tee.

 

[bobmac]

Lost ball in casual games = forget that hole and just walk straight to the next tee.

Unless of course you get shot on the hole, or 2 or 3

 

[Homer]

Unless of course you get shot on the hole, or 2 or 3

Even more annoying when you do! Sods law in full effect usually!!!

 

[IanM]

I am against a couple of blokes in our usual roll up group not knowing anything about the new rules at all... Next formal comp is going to be funny! Talking in the bar at the weekend it appears practice swings touching the sand are now allowed and if you go OB, play 3 from where it crossed!

 

[chrisd]

Surely currently you only want the flag attended when you can't see the hole with out it ? With new rules you can now leave the flag in so problem solved. Why would you want flag attended ?

I imagine from long distance you have more chance of holing or stopping close to the pin with the flag in. I would not be best pleased if someone kept asking me to attend the flag, which just seems to be wasting time. Instead of attending I could be lining up my putt, and ready to go when my turn. Just to let everyone know if I was playing a friendly game and someone asked me to attend the flag, I would tell them where they can put said flag.

I very rarely have flag attended, as not keen on having someone standing in my line of sight, so new rules are perfect for me.

The simple answer is, if for whatever reason, a player wants the flag attended then he is entitled to request his PP's to do that for him, he doesn't really have to give a reason and I suspect a refusal will offend and, to be honest, I would personally just get on and do it rather than upset people. I guess, also, a bounce game and a competition will possibly be treated differently

I do understand that technically it better to leave the flag in for a speedy downhill putt but to remove it for a slow up hill one where a player us likely to hit the ball with more pace

 

[richart]

The simple answer is, if for whatever reason, a player wants the flag attended then he is entitled to request his PP's to do that for him, he doesn't really have to give a reason and I suspect a refusal will offend and, to be honest, I would personally just get on and do it rather than upset people. I guess, also, a bounce game and a competition will possibly be treated differently

I do understand that technically it better to leave the flag in for a speedy downhill putt but to remove it for a slow up hill one where a player us likely to hit the ball with more pace

I have seen you putt Chris, and surely from long range you are just trying to get the putt dead. You are making someone attend the flag from long distance on the very unlikely chance you hit a good putt.

I reckon I will hole one putt a year from 40 foot plus a year, so a lot of wasted attending.

 

[Grant85]

With you on that. I won't be tending any flag, the 3rd person in my group can do it if they like but I'll be saying sorry you can have it in or out.

I don’t plan on having the flag tended, but if I am playing into the wind then there’s a good chance that a putt dead centre won’t drop due to the lean of the flag.