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

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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I can see what you mean Chris the way i was thinking if you encounter a rule when looking it up you might remember it .. also to make it work it would have to be compulsory across the board . in theory i think its a decent idea .. in practice would it work , have to agree with you it prob wouldnt mate , money is all thats important to club committees not your or my knowledge of the rules
 
ok so I understand your saying it shouldnt be questions to determine the handicap as such. As you say people should learn the rules but even rules officials wont know everything and quite regularly have to check the rules book themselves. Most people play for the enjoyment of the game hence why they dont mark out the exact drop point etc. I mean how frustrated are you going to be when your stood there for 5 mins while someone looks for a ball then realises its in the hazard then checks to find the exact ruling where they should drop n then mark everything out drop it once n it rolls forward then try again and you end up waiting 10 mins, imagine the uproar on slow play as well.

If people want to learn the rules and implement them, then they perhaps should volunteer to be an official at an event to help others who may not know all the rules.
 
ok so I understand your saying it shouldnt be questions to determine the handicap as such. As you say people should learn the rules but even rules officials wont know everything and quite regularly have to check the rules book themselves. Most people play for the enjoyment of the game hence why they dont mark out the exact drop point etc. I mean how frustrated are you going to be when your stood there for 5 mins while someone looks for a ball then realises its in the hazard then checks to find the exact ruling where they should drop n then mark everything out drop it once n it rolls forward then try again and you end up waiting 10 mins, imagine the uproar on slow play as well.

If people want to learn the rules and implement them, then they perhaps should volunteer to be an official at an event to help others who may not know all the rules.
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i get what your saying man but in comps even at club level you should have a basic understanding of the rules .. where you have a comp with say 100 players in it , if everybody does their own thing regarding rules (say measuring for penalty drops) it be some mad comp ?? i do get what you & Chris are saying & i admit it be very difficulet near impossible to implement .. in an official comp id expect people to play by the rules & take a drop as defined in the rules ,,& if it rolled closer to the pin id expect them to re drop it .. golf is built on honest interpetation & implementation of the rules ..
 
Some of the responses underline what I titled my comments under, some cant even read and turn a questionaire into an exam which is not what was said.
Rules are only for the pro`s on telly, applying them properley spoils their enjoyment and they don`t really matter, what people do when playing for fun is their own business, but ignore the rules in a competition and you are cheating on those playing properly and your scores are just fiction if you are not adding the penalty shots you acquired.
If you commit a foul that you and none of your group knew you had done then not much that can be done about it but don`t get the hump if someone penalises you, is it his fault you can`t be bothered to learn the rules of your chosen game.
If you are one of those who turns a blind eye which is ok as you apply them correctly to your own game dont forget to apply Rule 1-3 and dq youself.
If you think the rules are not important then do the proper golfers a favour and not enter compeitions.
 
Sorry I missed your question first time round about lower hcaps knowing more info, it appears to be a general opinion that if someone who clearly knows how to play tells you how to apply a rule they must be correct, this I have found to be incorrect probably because they mostly play tee to fairway to green, not visiting parts of the Course others do they probably don`t need some of the rules. I visit parts that even the greenkeepers haven`t seen.
 
I can assure you as a cat 1 golfer that I regularly make visits to the outer limits of my golf course. Anyone on here that has played with me can verify this.

I do agree with you mostly though oltimer but have come up against many a golfer who isnt interested in having a rule explained to them. I even called one chap for an incorrect drop (in a comp) and tried to explain the rule to him. He just looked at me like I was from Mars. I reported him to the pro after the round and he finished 2nd in the comp and nothing was done about it. One of the many reasons I left the club soon after.
 
I still dont get how a questionnaire should reflect on your on course play. Ok if someone is dropping incorrectly to gain an advantage then that needs calling on and anything that is done on purpose should be called upon.

People I play with have given me advice on rules explaining how I can exploit the rules to my advantage and I believe our club runs a new membership gathering with the pros and they give advice on how you can use rules to your advantage to aid your play. While also teaching you a few other things you may not know.

I feel a better approach would be to make everyone in a competition carry a rule book. Then if a situation pops up people have the equipment to make a ruling. Rather than make people learn some specialist rules and calling it on people.
 
All a questionaire would do is show that a player either had basic knowledge or at least looked at the rule book.
from your comments your Club already addresses this.

your 2nd para contents are something we also do and newbies to the game put out in comps (or gen play for 3 cards)with a member who doesn`t mind explaining things whilst playing,
If ALL Clubs did similar I doubt if there would be the unpleasant reactions when penalised often seen from someone who doesn`t understand the rules.

Do carry a rule book but suggest on Course in a comp not the place to read it, apply the 2nd ball rule and check out which was correct afterwards before returning your Card.

One day you will come across someone who wont apply a rule correctly who becomes quite offensive when told he is being penalised,it creates an atmosphere which can spoil your day resulting in some ignoring penalties rather than risk such a response.

"I didn`t write the rules just make sure they are played to"
 
Just to clarify for me, can you tell ms what sanctions will be imposed if me, a new golfer, doesn't complete said questionaire?
 
Why the negativity, its only suggestion as a way to get people learn the rules so that they are not having an unfair advantage by not playing correctly.

Never envisaged anyone would refuse, personally I couldn`t see that one could or wish to apply any sanctions, but such a refusal would suggest the person could be a pain in the arse.

Thus any Comps they entered they would have me in their Group and if they didn`t know the Rules they would acquire penalty shots and if they wouldn`t accept them I wouldn`t sign their Card.

You are entitled to you your opinion and think its a silly idea so why not come up with something better, currently its like passing a driving test without having to know the Highway Code.
 
I can see how this might work, for new members at least.

A number of rules questions, possibly specific to the course, could simply be part of the membership application form. Section has to be completed as part of application.

Could be questions like

"What are your options if your ball goes into the lateral water hazard alongside the 5th fairway?"
Or
"The drinking fountain on the 11th is an immovable obstruction. What would you do if your ball finished 6 inches behind it?"

With some multiple choice answers a bit like the rules quiz on the R&A site I mentioned above.

When you get your letter confirming your membership you get sent the answers with explanations and references to the applicable Rule. No big deal, no pass mark, no sanctions. It would just make you think about the rules and how they apply in situations you are likely to encounter at the course.

Of course you could just guess randomly or borrow the answer sheet from someone else, but why would you? I reckon most people would make an effort to look up anything they didn't know just so they wouldn't look stupid when they put in their application. If you got the lot wrong maybe the club could arrange a game with some more established members who would explain the rules as you went round.

That doesn't seem too unreasonable or unworkable to me.
 
if it were to be done, rather more to the point for newbies would be a questionnaire based on etiquette.
a rules based questionnaire would be better applied before playing for the first handicap card or before entering a competition.

and sadly, owning a rule book does not infer any knowledge of the contents.
 
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