What’s you involvement in the rules?

[2blue]

How would you find out? Once you've agreed you just get on with your lives and it's forgotten about. If you coincidentally find out you were wrong from innocuous chatter it might be a month, three months later.. of course then you just say I'll know for next time it happens.

And yes, of course it happens all the time.

Any player worth their salt would want to know if the 'consensus' decision was correct otherwise they may find that they are CHEATING on the rest of the field. And YES, I know it happens all the time... this cheating!!! It's shocking, as you simply play a 2nd ball & find out the ruling later. That is the honorable course.... not just staying quiet about what the group has decided. It always has to be THE PLAYER who decides on his actions NOT the decision he may manage to obtain from his playing partners.

 

[Orikoru]

Maybe the most common rule break, and the most common rule that is never enforced? Has anyone here ever given, or seen anyone given a penalty for such a situation, out of interest?

True and related story this - I'm still in the WhatsApp group for my old club, and during summer last year one feller put a heartfelt message in there apologising for being awful and saying he can't hit the ball properly. Long story short, he was going through the shanks during a team match I believe, and was understandably distraught. Just looking for any words of comfort I should imagine. The club secretary replied "Keep going and get off your phone before you are penalised." A couple of others replied giving him something towards the words of comfort he probably needed, before the club sec replied again and told everyone in no uncertain terms to cease the discussion as he would get a DQ for receiving advice! He was deadly serious. Harsh doesn't even cover it.

 

[Orikoru]

Any player worth their salt would want to know if the 'consensus' decision was correct otherwise they may find that they are CHEATING on the rest of the field. And YES, I know it happens all the time... this cheating!!! It's shocking, as you simply play a 2nd ball & find out the ruling later. That is the honorable course.... not just staying quiet about what the group has decided. It always has to be THE PLAYER who decides on his actions NOT the decision he may manage to obtain from his playing partners.

Honestly, if a couple of people tell me a rule with enough conviction that they've both agreed upon it, I usually take their word for it. I'm definitely not the only one either. And as I say, if it's a straight choice between two things I usually just take the lesser course of action, i.e. one club length instead of two, etc, just so I'm not gaining anything or 'cheating' as you put it.

 

[Swango1980]

True and related story this - I'm still in the WhatsApp group for my old club, and during summer last year one feller put a heartfelt message in there apologising for being awful and saying he can't hit the ball properly. Long story short, he was going through the shanks during a team match I believe, and was understandably distraught. Just looking for any words of comfort I should imagine. The club secretary replied "Keep going and get off your phone before you are penalised." A couple of others replied giving him something towards the words of comfort he probably needed, before the club sec replied again and told everyone in no uncertain terms to cease the discussion as he would get a DQ for receiving advice! He was deadly serious. Harsh doesn't even cover it.

So, he was on whatsApp DURING his game?

If so, even forgetting the rule about advice, in our County he'd be disqualified simply for using his phone. Phones are banned, except for emergencies. Fair few stories of players getting DQed in league matches because they didn't realise or forgot.

 

[Orikoru]

So, he was on whatsApp DURING his game?

If so, even forgetting the rule about advice, in our County he'd be disqualified simply for using his phone. Phones are banned, except for emergencies. Fair few stories of players getting DQed in league matches because they didn't realise or forgot.

I suppose so, I don't know all the details.

That's a poor rule, I've used Hole19 app on my phone for GPS in every round for the last 5 years+. If someone told me I couldn't use it for a match I'd not be happy at all since I have no alternative.

 

[Swango1980]

I suppose so, I don't know all the details. That's a poor rule, I've used Hole19 app on my phone for GPS in every round for the last 5 years+. If someone told me I couldn't use it for a match I'd not be happy at all since I have no alternative.

It was implemented a while back. Apparently there were complaints of players in the leading groups communicating to players in the following groups about how certain holes were playing. Not sure how true this is. Perhaps another element was that there were a few players, especially the younger ones, that spent most of their time between shots on their phones. The county probably want club matches to be social meetings (as they encourage meals after), and so a general mobile phone ban was probably deemed a good idea. It may have also been initiated at a time when there were more restrictions on GPS devices anyway.

Didn't bother me. I generally like to avoid my phone for the few hours I play golf completely (although I do now use it to enter my score on the MyEG App for social golf, hole by hole)

 

[Orikoru]

It was implemented a while back. Apparently there were complaints of players in the leading groups communicating to players in the following groups about how certain holes were playing. Not sure how true this is. Perhaps another element was that there were a few players, especially the younger ones, that spent most of their time between shots on their phones. The county probably want club matches to be social meetings (as they encourage meals after), and so a general mobile phone ban was probably deemed a good idea. It may have also been initiated at a time when there were more restrictions on GPS devices anyway.

Didn't bother me. I generally like to avoid my phone for the few hours I play golf completely (although I do now use it to enter my score on the MyEG App for social golf, hole by hole)

Still a daft rule. Stuck in the past I think.

I also barely use the phone during a round, other than using the GPS. It only takes the most minimal willpower not to read messages.

 

[doublebogey7]

So, he was on whatsApp DURING his game?

If so, even forgetting the rule about advice, in our County he'd be disqualified simply for using his phone. Phones are banned, except for emergencies. Fair few stories of players getting DQed in league matches because they didn't realize or forgot.

Which RoG were your county union relying on, in order to disqualify a player for using their mobile phone.

 

[Swango1980]

Which RoG were your county union relying on, in order to disqualify a player for using their mobile phone.

They put it within their Local League Rules

 

[rulefan]

So, he was on whatsApp DURING his game?

If so, even forgetting the rule about advice, in our County he'd be disqualified simply for using his phone. Phones are banned, except for emergencies. Fair few stories of players getting DQed in league matches because they didn't realise or forgot.

Doesn't your county use Golf Genius or similar for live golf scoring?

 

[Swango1980]

Doesn't your county use Golf Genius or similar for live golf scoring?

In match play?

 

[rulefan]

In match play?

Why not?

 

[Swango1980]

Why not?

All I know that happens is clubs arrange matches, they pick 12 players each, pair them up and ask them to go out and play golf. Players score just in exactly the same way they would in internal club knockout games. I don't think anyone has felt it necessary to use technology to help out.

 

[rulefan]

All I know that happens is clubs arrange matches, they pick 12 players each, pair them up and ask them to go out and play golf. Players score just in exactly the same way they would in internal club knockout games. I don't think anyone has felt it necessary to use technology to help out.

Our County league is a series of 'divisions' playing 'total strokes per team' to determine promotions or demotions.
The Districts run leagues similar to yours

 

[doublebogey7]

They put it within their Local League Rules

You've be reading these pages long we enough to know that a committee would need to get authority to have such a local rule, which in this case I am pretty sure they would not get.

 

[Swango1980]

You've be reading these pages long we enough to know that a committee would need to get authority to have such a local rule, which in this case I am pretty sure they would not get.

These are the Lincolnshire Golf Union League Rules, published on their website:

7.5 Use of Mobile Phones / Mobile Media Devices

7.5.1 All players' mobile phones or any mobile media device must be switched off during the round of golf and whilst on the Golf Course. They may be used in the case of a medical emergency. For a breach of the rules, this shall result in the affected match within the game being awarded to the opposition as a straight win (no holes for or against basis)

 

[rulie]

Can’t even call the Committee for a ruling? Seems pretty harsh! We even provide the players with a number to call for help.

 

[Swango1980]

Can’t even call the Committee for a ruling? Seems pretty harsh! We even provide the players with a number to call for help.

Can you imagine if someone's phone beeps or rings, because they forgot to put it on silent? That team would technically be instantly be DQed, even though they haven't used the phone, simply as there is proof it was switched on.

 

[doublebogey7]

These are the Lincolnshire Golf Union League Rules, published on their website:

7.5 Use of Mobile Phones / Mobile Media Devices

7.5.1 All players' mobile phones or any mobile media device must be switched off during the round of golf and whilst on the Golf Course. They may be used in the case of a medical emergency. For a breach of the rules, this shall result in the affected match within the game being awarded to the opposition as a straight win (no holes for or against basis)

I've just had a look, they certainly like their rules don't they, that one seems overly harsh along with not allowing matches on courses which only allow soft spikes.

 

[Swango1980]

I've just had a look, they certainly like their rules don't they, that one seems overly harsh along with not allowing matches on courses which only allow soft spikes.

I wrote to them a few years ago about their rule on Distance Measuring Devices. Although allowed, devices that are able to measure gradient are prohibited, whether that feature is used or not. In my e-mail, I explained that all 6 Scopes available on American Golf at the time could actually adjust for Gradient. I appreciated that feature cannot be used, but to ban them after a golfer has spent several hundred quid on the device, from a major golf retailer, is going to be controversial. I also quoted from the rules of golf, that didn't use wording that was so restrictive in using these devices. I felt the rule should have just been that: they are allowed, but only to measure distance, no other features like gradient adjustment should be used.

They kindly replied, to be fair, to say they'd look into it. However, I guess they felt no change was required in the end.