Players not knowing the rules

[jim8flog]

I wonder just how many players put themselves at a disadvantage by not knowing the rules..

I played with somebody yesterday who went in to a large pond short of a green.

He clearly did not know where his nearest drop point should be. I was trying to explain from the green side of the pond (initially he was going to drop at the side of the pond level to where his ball had splashed in to the water). I got him to the correct point where he dropped the ball on a severe downslope in long grass leading in to the pond!!! He could have walked back just a few yards to shorter grass with a flat lie.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I wonder just how many players put themselves at a disadvantage by not knowing the rules..

I played with somebody yesterday who went in to a large pond short of a green.

He clearly did not know where his nearest drop point should be. I was trying to explain from the green side of the pond (initially he was going to drop at the side of the pond level to where his ball had splashed in to the water). I got him to the correct point where he dropped the ball on a severe downslope in long grass leading in to the pond!!! He could have walked back just a few yards to shorter grass with a flat lie.

Lots is the answer. Golf rules are overly complicated when most people playing just want to whack a ball around and have some fun.

Few people know all of the rules in any sport, rugby anyone?, but they have an official to help them. Golf leaves it up to the player and that is where the fun kicks in.

 

[Neilds]

I think some people don't want to learn the rules as they think they are always there to make golf more difficult, but sometimes, as in the case of the OP they can sometimes work in your favour

 

[Old Colner]

I was playing the other weekend, and one of my playing partners played a stroke at a ball sitting at the base of a large tree, the ball hit the tree and rebounded hitting him, he asked if there was a penalty, neither me or the other PP knew, we played out the hole and I searched on my phone as we walked down the next fairway for the correct ruling.

 

[Deleted member 15717]

Admittedly, I can struggle with red and yellow staked penalty areas, as I do not come across them on a week to week basis. My course doesn't have water, and the vast majority of courses I play do not have water.
Most other common things I can get by on, but wouldn't profess to know everything

 

[Orikoru]

Admittedly, I can struggle with red and yellow staked penalty areas, as I do not come across them on a week to week basis. My course doesn't have water, and the vast majority of courses I play do not have water.
Most other common things I can get by on, but wouldn't profess to know everything

Same as me really. With regards to not knowing the rules hurting us, the most common would be not knowing if it's 1 club length or 2, as in that situation I'd just go for 1 so as not to break a rule inadvertently. But might be doing myself out of a better lie.

The pros are experts at getting themselves free drops from all sorts of situations that we probably wouldn't know about.

 

[Backsticks]

Lots is indeed the answer. But not as many as gain from not knowing the rules.

Overall, those knowledgeable on the rules are at a disadvantage to the vaste majority who dont know the rules.

For most, in any even slightly complex situation, a rough on the spot decision is made, that sounds roughly right. Whether it strictly is or not, they dont really bother with, and for playing partners, even if they have doubts, the tendency is just to go with the flow rather than pull someone and check.
The rules are admirable in their intent, and do try to cover an abundance of situations. But in reality, are simply more than most people bother with, prefering to get on with their game and not worry too much about the detail. This does always favour the non rules knowledgeable over the knowledgeable.

 

[IanMcC]

Same as me really. With regards to not knowing the rules hurting us, the most common would be not knowing if it's 1 club length or 2, as in that situation I'd just go for 1 so as not to break a rule inadvertently. But might be doing myself out of a better lie.

The pros are experts at getting themselves free drops from all sorts of situations that we probably wouldn't know about.

There are exceptions, but if you treat free relief as 1 club and a penalty drop as 2 you wont go far wrong.

 

[Backsticks]

There are exceptions, but if you treat free relief as 1 club and a penalty drop as 2 you wont go far wrong.

If you know there is 1 club and 2 club situations in the first place. I would say the majority of amateurs just go 2 clubs in all cases. Many would be surprised that there is such a thing as 1 clublength, let alone tell you when it applies.

 

[Deleted member 25172]

I try to read up on rules and always have the app at hand for situations when I'm not sure. But even so, even the simplest (on the face of it) questions in the rules section alot of times turn into mush in my head as the rules gurus enter the stage. So, I try, but most likely I break the odd rule without knowing it myself.

Last year I walked along as the final of our CC was played, and one of the guys found his ball closely edged up towards a tree, with the roots coming out. He was about to take a drop when another person watching it told him it was free relief due to the ball being close to the root, but I luckily heard it so quickly told him that wasn't the case, although the person who told him was adamant that was the case.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Well this is certainly interesting ground to tread on

I’m always in the belief that anyone starting golf must carry out a basic rule course if they are intending on playing in comps and getting a HC

It’s a self governing sport so we should all be responsible in knowing the basic rules

 

[Deleted member 25172]

Well this is certainly interesting ground to tread on

I’m always in the belief that anyone starting golf must carry out a basic rule course if they are intending on playing in comps and getting a HC

It’s a self governing sport so we should all be responsible in knowing the basic rules

That is the case in Sweden to get your "green card" and get a handicap. Play 9 holes with a pro to show that you can actually hit a ball to some sort of standard, but also pass a rules test.

 

[Rlburnside]

Same as me really. With regards to not knowing the rules hurting us, the most common would be not knowing if it's 1 club length or 2, as in that situation I'd just go for 1 so as not to break a rule inadvertently. But might be doing myself out of a better lie.

The pros are experts at getting themselves free drops from all sorts of situations that we probably wouldn't know

There are exceptions, but if you treat free relief as 1 club and a penalty drop as 2 you wont go far wrong.

This is exactly what a old boy told me and I thought it was a good way of remembering rule

 

[Bratty]

That is the case in Sweden to get your "green card" and get a handicap. Play 9 holes with a pro to show that you can actually hit a ball to some sort of standard, but also pass a rules test.

Same in The Netherlands.

 

[Orikoru]

I try to read up on rules and always have the app at hand for situations when I'm not sure. But even so, even the simplest (on the face of it) questions in the rules section alot of times turn into mush in my head as the rules gurus enter the stage. So, I try, but most likely I break the odd rule without knowing it myself.

Last year I walked along as the final of our CC was played, and one of the guys found his ball closely edged up towards a tree, with the roots coming out. He was about to take a drop when another person watching it told him it was free relief due to the ball being close to the root, but I luckily heard it so quickly told him that wasn't the case, although the person who told him was adamant that was the case.

Indeed. When even the experts manage to disagree on the what they mean, maybe it's a sign that the rules of golf are a bit complicated and over-the-top.

Was the giant tree with protruding roots a staked tree by any chance?

 

[Rlburnside]

I wonder just how many players put themselves at a disadvantage by not knowing the rules..

I played with somebody yesterday who went in to a large pond short of a green.

He clearly did not know where his nearest drop point should be. I was trying to explain from the green side of the pond (initially he was going to drop at the side of the pond level to where his ball had splashed in to the water). I got him to the correct point where he dropped the ball on a severe downslope in long grass leading in to the pond!!! He could have walked back just a few yards to shorter grass with a flat lie.

I’m slightly confused are you saying if you hit a ball into a pond that’s just short of the green you can drop greenside of the pond? I thought you had to drop other side of pond.

 

[Neilds]

Hopefully he means he was on the green side of the pond and shouting back at his PP as to where to drop on the 'course' side of the pond

 

[LincolnShep]

I was playing the other weekend, and one of my playing partners played a stroke at a ball sitting at the base of a large tree, the ball hit the tree and rebounded hitting him, he asked if there was a penalty, neither me or the other PP knew, we played out the hole and I searched on my phone as we walked down the next fairway for the correct ruling.

The R&A app is really good for this. I'm better than average with the rules (I think!) but I often like to look things up just to reassure myself that what I think is correct.

 

[sunshine]

Well this is certainly interesting ground to tread on

I think that's a 2 shot penalty.

 

[sunshine]

The rules are way too complex, and the decisions on the rules are a minefield.

So far on this thread we've seen 3 examples of excess complexity:
1. Red and yellow penalty areas with different rules. What's the point? Why not just adopt the red penalty area rule in all cases.
2. 1 club length vs 2. why not just standardise 2 clubs' length to simplify the rules.
3. The player dropping away from the pond had 3 options (at least). How many sports give players 3 different options?