There are too many who don`t know the basic rules.

I thought it was quite clear - nearest point and 1 club length for a free drop and 2 club lengths for a penalty drop. Is there something I've been missing?
 
Even if you have a decent working knowledge of the rules there are plenty of things that can catch you out. The key, as pointed out, is to have some idea of when you need to check the Rule book.

There is a good Rules quiz on the R&A site with levels of difficulty which changes regularly. I do them now and again and always learn something.

http://www.randa.org/en/Rules-and-Amateur-Status/Rules-Quiz.aspx
 
i think its a grand idea to have tests associated to yoru handicap
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Who is going to enforce it? I am not going to start beig tested now, I play golf for enjoyment not to feel I am back at school. How man people will feel the same and give up?
 
Tests are something you either pass or fail, the suggestion was a questionaire which is not a test something to be completed off Course where you can obtain the answers you don`t know from your rule book.
one replying said a similar method was already in use on the Continent so it must have some merit.
Its not really for those that know all the rules already just the other 95% of players.
 
I thought it was quite clear - nearest point and 1 club length for a free drop and 2 club lengths for a penalty drop. Is there something I've been missing?
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Whats the one where you have a one shot penalty but you can go back as far as you like, so long that you keep the hazard between you and the hole?
Was told this one a couple of years ago, went back about 50 yards on another fairway and then hit the ball over the tree to about 15 foot of the pin.
 
I thought it was quite clear - nearest point and 1 club length for a free drop and 2 club lengths for a penalty drop. Is there something I've been missing?
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Whats the one where you have a one shot penalty but you can go back as far as you like, so long that you keep the hazard between you and the hole?
Was told this one a couple of years ago, went back about 50 yards on another fairway and then hit the ball over the tree to about 15 foot of the pin.
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unplayable.. not a hazzard tho ..option of 2 club lenghts not nearer the hole ..or think it called stroke & distance , you can go back as far as you like in the line of your ball & the flag .. if neither of these are an option you can go back to where you played your previous shot was played .. open to correction here
 
In addition to the unplayable ball situation (Rule 28) you can also go back as far as you like when dropping under penalty behind a water hazard, keeping the point were the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard between you and the hole (Rule 26-1b) and when dropping under penalty outside a bunker filled with water, keeping the point where the ball lay between you and the hole - Rule 25-1b(ii)(b). I'm not sure if there are any other situations where you can do this.

By the way "stroke and distance" is used to refer to situations where you play a ball under penalty of one stroke from the spot at which you played your last stroke (e.g. when you go OOB) - Rule 27-1.
 
I've had times where playing partners have basically told me to wind my neck in when I point out that they've broken a rule. E.g. one guy went to tee off and found the tee marker was interfering with his stance...so he just moved it out of the way. I pointed out that he'd incurred a penalty by doing that and he just laughed. I think that's the attitude of a lot of club golfers have when it comes to the rules.
 
Haha that is quite funny, how on earth is testing people to get lower handicaps going to work. People moan about bandits as it is now. Can you imagine people would be failing tests so they remain at a 18 handicap rather than pass a test so they can go down to 12. You would have someone with a playing handicap and a knowledge handicap which could be different. Making people carry and use rule books would be a lot better rather than just a test as such.
 
A lot of golfers see the rules as being for on telly, not normal golf. Yep, they don't want to cheat, but can't really see that being precise with things like a penalty drop really matter. It is the way it is. Even when they know how to take a drop, how often do you see it correctly measured out?
Does it really matter in the end? If no great advantage is gained, then probably not. Am I going to waste 10 minutes of my life arguing that their drop is out by two inches? No, life's too short.
Am I going to do it properly? Yes.
 
Tests are something you either pass or fail, the suggestion was a questionaire which is not a test something to be completed off Course where you can obtain the answers you don`t know from your rule book.
one replying said a similar method was already in use on the Continent so it must have some merit.
Its not really for those that know all the rules already just the other 95% of players.
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What a stupid idea.
 
Haha that is quite funny, how on earth is testing people to get lower handicaps going to work. People moan about bandits as it is now. Can you imagine people would be failing tests so they remain at a 18 handicap rather than pass a test so they can go down to 12. You would have someone with a playing handicap and a knowledge handicap which could be different. Making people carry and use rule books would be a lot better rather than just a test as such.
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Dont think that was the idea of the OP mayb im wrong, when you apply for membership & hand in your cards you fill out this questionarre rather than exam . you can bring it with you & fill it in at home after looking up the answers .. you are subconsiously learning basic rules & how to look up decisions in the rule book .... then you hand it in & get your membership & playing handicap activated .. you handicap is not based on an exam it will be determined on scores, the same as always .. when ya see the different understanding of shall we say basic rules even on here mayb this might not be such a bad idea after all..
 
Upon acquiring 18 or less a further questionairre and when reaching single figures a more difficult set of questions.
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one question i do have on your statement tho.. why should it be. or at least why should it be expexted that a single handicapper needs to have or should have better knowledge of the rules than a higher handicapper ?? should be same all over ..
 
Bill, no one will learn anything if you are just goig to look at a book for the answer, the only thing it might be helpful for is to know where to look in the book.

What action would a club take if you never bothered your arse filmic it in? Would they hand you back your money and tell you they don't want you?
 
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