Using the rules to your own advantage

[EZprophet]

Makes little or no difference Chris as in todays modern cheating handicap system it will come down to a double bogie anyway, so when the card is adjusted it'll be the same end net score!

Isn't it a rediculous system where I can run up a 23 and a 19 yet a couple of birdies plus the rest pars and I can break my handicap. Joke.

It would be ridiculous if stableford (where nothing worse than a double counts anyway) wasn't one of the, if not THE, main way of playing handicapped golf tournaments. Imagine playing against a 28 handicapper in a stableford comp (or matchplay even) who is capable of playing 16 out of 18 holes in -2 under par...

On the discussion about GMac looking for both his balls even though it was in a load of jungle, of course he is going to... If he finds his first he can just take an unplayable and go back to replay the shot anyway... The rule on provisionals is only there to save time by stopping people constantly having to go back to their last shot to replay it, which in the professional game, isn't an issue...

 

[palindromicbob]

Hit my ball a bit left on our 2nd hole and had no clear shot up the fairway. I would have had to play sideways to progress. Took my stance playing slightly backwards which brought a series of animal burrows into play affecting my stance (i.e. foot in a burrow). Once I'd taken relief I was able to play my second shot up the fairway (par 5), hit GIR and walked off with a par.

Learnt a lot the couple of times I played with our assistant pro who told me about using the rules to my advantage.

hmmmm borderline that one:

Exception: A player may not take relief under this Rule if (a) it is clearly unreasonable for him to make a stroke because of interference by anything other than an abnormal ground condition or (b) interference by an abnormal ground condition would occur only through use of an unnecessarily abnormal stance, swing or direction of play.

Playing backwards if there was a clear sideways shot would fall under an unnecessarily abnormal direction of play in my eyes anyway.


I often make use of unplayable ball rule in comps. Thick cabbage, overhanging branches etc. Good one for a high handicapper. Never use it in a practice round though. This is my chance to learn how to play out of the stuff!


There is also the occasional time when GUR etc runs beside a lateral water hazard. Say your ball crossed the margin just after the GUR. You can still take relief from the hazard into the GUR (2 clubs lengths) then take free relief from the GUR to improve things. A little bit crafty but within the rules.

There is also the odd time when playing from GUR is the advantage over taking relief so I always check to see if local rules state may or must.

 

[HRC99]

As we're on common pasture land, there are cows grazing which means there's a bit of fertiliser around.

You get relief if your ball, stance or swing path is affected by dung.

It's come up a few times that someone's hit their ball into the cabbage where it has ended up on dung and claimed relief which has taken them out of the horse. The local rule simply states that the is relief available from dung and makes no distinction about the circumstances.

Is that acceptable use of the rules?

I must say I'm torn. The rules are the rules, but I'd be very uncomfortable taking free relief in such circumstances.