Practice area vs course.

[Joff]

A little bit of common sense and it's fine. Move the ball a yard or two each shot. I have often taken 4 or 5 shots from a place I find myself during a round. Or a drive I want to get nailed.

No problem at my club.

 

[Hendy]

My club doesn't have alot out in week so I tend to head up (well so far not yet this season) with a carry bag take my driver or hybrid 2 irons and a putter. For example a pw or a gap and maybe a 7 iron.

Think it gives me a better feel of what am doing plus gives me some exercise lol as I normally have the electric out with me lol

Only use range if I am trying something different in swing or need to work on a club.. I tend to bore easy in the range and turns into a slinging season

 

[jamielaing]

When going out on the course to practice (nothing wrong with it in my opinion as long as you don't take the pi$$) I am going to try something I've had in my head for months. Play 2 balls from the tee and move on to the worst of the two. Play a further 2 from there and again move up to the worst of the two. Continue until you hole out. The aim should be to come in on your handicap. If you can do that always playing the worst ball surely you'll improve! That's my thinking anyway!

 

[scubascuba3]

I take a couple of balls also around the green, i do notice sometimes people practicing leaving 2 or 3 divots close together and not repairing them. So if you do practice please make sure you put your divots back, not to mention pitch marks.

 

[kid2]

Most clubs I know have it in their constitution or in their course etiquette booklet saying practice on the course is forbidden.

Hence poor etiquette.

We've all been there in a medal or a matchplay competition, that area 100 yards out and it's littered with old divots or sanded divots. Do you really not add to the problem by practicing from that area?

Easy to practice specific distances or shots at the range or practice area.

Replacing divots only helps to an extent, the roots need to recover and establish themselves again, birds lift out divots, greenkeepers need to sand or turf really badly effected areas.

I agree practicing on the course can be interpreted in certain ways. But I'll ask the question. Our club allows a single player playing by himself to play 2 balls.

Now what would you call 1 player on a course playing by himself?
He ain't playing a medal.
He's not in any form of competition as it would obviously require a 2nd player for them to mark his card.
His scores are irrelative to anyone but himself.
So therefore he is in fact practicing/playing/hitting a ball finding it hitting it again.
Call it what you will.

And. Pitchmarks become an issue when not repaired properly. Which In my opinion a lot of players don't know how to do.

So you can't really put a blanket statement out and say your not allowed practice on the course as I'm effect anyone not playing in a competition environment is practicing to an extent.

 

[kid2]

The difference between a 2/3/4 ball and a singleton playing multi balls is that all the singleton divots will be in the same small area.
We don't allow practising on the course, but you still get the odd person who thinks it's ok to take a rack of divots all within a 2 foot circle.

Well that's a person that really has no cop on.
And also I wasn't taking them from the on area.
Hence the reason I said all different lies.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Well that's a person that really has no cop on.
And also I wasn't taking them from the on area.
Hence the reason I said all different lies.

Since it's always the few that mess it up for the majority, the simple rule of no practising on the course is needed. Stops any ambiguity.
We have a range, and short game practise area so there is no need for practising on the course.

 

[Canmore]

Since it's always the few that mess it up for the majority, the simple rule of no practising on the course is needed. Stops any ambiguity.
We have a range, and short game practise area so there is no need for practising on the course.

Completely agree with the above - it is a shame that some people take advantage and perhaps it has to have no ambiguity

 

[scubascuba3]

Since it's always the few that mess it up for the majority, the simple rule of no practising on the course is needed. Stops any ambiguity.
We have a range, and short game practise area so there is no need for practising on the course.

Maybe you have a good short game practice area, not all clubs do.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Maybe you have a good short game practice area, not all clubs do.

Not overly wonderful, but good enough with a smallish green, bunker and short length of approach. Still enough to stop the arguement of practising on the course.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Maybe you have a good short game practice area, not all clubs do.

Ours isn't wonderful. It has an OK bunker, a smallish putting green you can chip on but have to do any pitching to a flag plonked on the practice ground that isn't prepared anywhere near a green would be so the ball won't check or hold. That said, I'd rather that than a lot of people going out in the evenings and hitting a load of shots into greens, peppering them with pitch marks and taking divots.