Using the rules to your advantage

[Fromtherough]

The rules of golf are notorious for being complex. However, if you have a good grasp of them, would you use this to your benefit? For example would you allow a playing partner to "penalise" themselves only to pull them up on it afterwards? I am not talking about people cheating, but a genuine misinterpretation/understanding of a ruling. Sidney Greenstreet's post regarding his moral imperative got me thinking. Is it morally correct to allow someone to make a mistake of this nature when a quick heads up BEFORE such incidents would both educate the person involved but also result in less disqualifications etc.

This isn't a go at Sidney. I just think it is an interesting question and offers up a good what would you do scenario.

 

[Slab]

I couldn't let someone make an error that I could have corrected and then highlight to them after signing but happy to use any rule legitimately to benefit myself

In the case of the example I'm not even sure how the FC was going to mark himself for a 4 rather than a 5 as wouldn't the OP have been marking the stroke count on the card & not the FC!
So as marker if I have to ask my FC how many and I don't agree then its sorted on that hole

But even if FC was noting his stroke count on an additional card for cross ref, a discussion would have had to taken place at some point with the OP as the OP would have marked 5 strokes and the FC 4 strokes. and all this before the card would be signed anyway

 

[daveyc2k2]

I have a question on this topic.

Recently I was playing with a couple of older members in a 4BBB and one had chipped and left his chip just short of the hole. His playing partner was the opposite side of the hole but off the green asked him to leave his ball there rather than mark and pick up. The reason being if it hit his ball then he had overhit it and it would stop or slow it down.

Is this allowed and as the title says "using the rules to your advantage"

Been a bit confused by this for a while now.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

IIRC you can't ask someone to leave the ball, for that very reason.

 

[sydney greenstreet]

The rules of golf are notorious for being complex. However, if you have a good grasp of them, would you use this to your benefit? For example would you allow a playing partner to "penalise" themselves only to pull them up on it afterwards? I am not talking about people cheating, but a genuine misinterpretation/understanding of a ruling. Sidney Greenstreet's post regarding his moral imperative got me thinking. Is it morally correct to allow someone to make a mistake of this nature when a quick heads up BEFORE such incidents would both educate the person involved but also result in less disqualifications etc.

This isn't a go at Sidney. I just think it is an interesting question and offers up a good what would you do scenario.

The moral part was about the 2 playing from different tee's and the part about the whiff was a different story.
The 2nd I informed the guy that he was mistaken and that another stroke occured I didnt let him make an error.

 

[Fromtherough]

The moral part was about the 2 playing from different tee's and the part about the whiff was a different story.
The 2nd I informed the guy that he was mistaken and that another stroke occured I didnt let him make an error.

The thread wasn't directed at you but rather your thread got me thinking about people who could use their knowledge of rules to hinder others. In your thread, if the people playing in front of you and behind the two guys had informed them instead of letting them tee off from the yellows and then mentioning it to you the whole situation would have been avoided.

In my opinion sportsmanship should always be an integral part of the game.

 

[duncan mackie]

I have a question on this topic.

Recently I was playing with a couple of older members in a 4BBB and one had chipped and left his chip just short of the hole. His playing partner was the opposite side of the hole but off the green asked him to leave his ball there rather than mark and pick up. The reason being if it hit his ball then he had overhit it and it would stop or slow it down.

Is this allowed and as the title says "using the rules to your advantage"

Been a bit confused by this for a while now.

you (or your partner) may request that the ball be marked and if the opponents refuse the player whose ball it is is DQ from hole (22-1), and the player chipping would be DQ'd if it actually assisted him ie he hit it (30-3f)

 

[duncan mackie]

In your thread, if the people playing in front of you and behind the two guys had informed them instead of letting them tee off from the yellows and then mentioning it to you the whole situation would have been avoided.

the real issue is that to inform someone implies knowledge, and given the very existence of the thread you reference such knowledge cannot be assumed to exist.

there's also the further issue that even if people are sure they have the appropriate knowledge, and are prepared to impart it, if they are wrong they can create a problem rather than solve it - again, many threads on the rules highlight this issue.

my experience is that most players, in the cold light of day, will inherently act with sportsmanship (or whatever term you choose) in mind ie they will act as they would like others to act.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I am happy to use the rules to my advantage and I try not to let others infringe if I can help it. We have a lot of staked trees at our place still be relatively new and it is things like knowing where the nearest point of relief is, which potentially can be nearer or on the fairway.

 

[rosecott]

I am happy to use the rules to my advantage and I try not to let others infringe if I can help it. We have a lot of staked trees at our place still be relatively new and it is things like knowing where the nearest point of relief is, which potentially can be nearer or on the fairway.

Nearer?

 

[Ian_S]

Nearer?

Nearer to the fairway I assume he meant, not nearer to to the hole.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Nearer to the fairway I assume he meant, not nearer to to the hole.

Correct

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Are you asking if people would allow someone to incorrectly penalise themselves and not tell them until after the round?

 

[rosecott]

I am happy to use the rules to my advantage and I try not to let others infringe if I can help it. We have a lot of staked trees at our place still be relatively new and it is things like knowing where the nearest point of relief is, which potentially can be nearer to, or on, the fairway.

How is that for clarity?

After a bottle of white (it's Thursday), I think that's correct.

 

[backwoodsman]

I have a question on this topic.

Recently I was playing with a couple of older members in a 4BBB and one had chipped and left his chip just short of the hole. His playing partner was the opposite side of the hole but off the green asked him to leave his ball there rather than mark and pick up. The reason being if it hit his ball then he had overhit it and it would stop or slow it down.

Is this allowed and as the title says "using the rules to your advantage"

Been a bit confused by this for a while now.

you (or your partner) may request that the ball be marked and if the opponents refuse the player whose ball it is is DQ from hole (22-1), and the player chipping would be DQ'd if it actually assisted him ie he hit it (30-3f)

Duncan, I know that under 22-1 anyone can ask for the ball to be lifted, and also that in strokeplay competitors can't agree to not lift a ball if it may assist any competitor. But in this case does it apply to partners? (Or is it that partners only get the liberty to agree if they are in a match?)

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Using rules to my advantage - hmmm - I got into trouble here not so long ago pointing out that taking Stroke & Distance could sometimes be very much to your advantage when you are faced with a really tricky shot. We soon got into a 'you can do it under the rules' vs 'spirit of the game' debate.

 

[duncan mackie]

Duncan, I know that under 22-1 anyone can ask for the ball to be lifted, and also that in strokeplay competitors can't agree to not lift a ball if it may assist any competitor. But in this case does it apply to partners? (Or is it that partners only get the liberty to agree if they are in a match?)

my understanding is that the request to leave a ball would fall into the category of advice permitted by partners, but that in a strokeplay event it would be overidden by the specific terms of 22-1.

in matchplay the opponents are responsible for looking after their own interests, and the terms of 22-1 b are available to them for just this purpose.