What would YOU do...

[DaveyG]

Hi Guys,

Just had a really good convo with pbrown about declaring the ball unplayable... My head up until today has always been I would always always play the shot (bearing in mind I only play bounce games with close mates...

Now picture this... You are playing a comp/open/charity day and for whatever reason money,cut,bragging rights you really really want to win/play your best today and you hit your tee shot out right into trees... You find your ball straight away in a real pinball like forest and know 85/100 you would never manage to get it out of the trees in one shot. If you declared the ball unplayable, walked back inline of the flag 70 yards onto the next holes fairway you are your favorite distance into a decent sized green and have a great chance of hitting it.

So do you take a very risky shot at knocking the ball 40yards out onto your fairway through 5 inch gaps

or

do you take the hit walk back on line to your favourite distance and knock it on to the centre of the green?

I thought it would be rare for someone to pick it up when they can actually swing a club at the ball but the more I think about it why wouldn't you take an advantage that the rules in golf actually favour for a change.

(Could one of the Mods make this into a poll... really sorry but I haven't got a clue how to do it?

 

[bluewolf]

There'll be plenty of times when the rules work against you, so if there's a time when they can work for you, then go for it........

 

[duncan mackie]

do you take the hit walk back on line to your favourite distance and knock it on to the centre of the green?

so it costs you a shot, and you have to play over all those trees to a green you can't see......yet you imply it's an easy option?

 

[fundy]

absolute no brainer, take the drop and knock it on the dancefloor, if you can achieve the chip out by taking a drop why try and make a 15% chip out

 

[DaveyG]

do you take the hit walk back on line to your favourite distance and knock it on to the centre of the green?

so it costs you a shot, and you have to play over all those trees to a green you can't see......yet you imply it's an easy option?

I wondered how long it would be before somebody picked apart the question...

Im sure you get where I am coming from.

Cheers Fundy & bluewolf I think I am going to have a real CLOSE read of the rules before I start playing comps.

 

[scratch]

Don't forget you also have the option to replay the shot again from the original position (NOT 2 yards behind the original spot )

 

[duncan mackie]

I wondered how long it would be before somebody picked apart the question...

Im sure you get where I am coming from.

the really interesting thing for me is that so few people actually consider the full range, and implications, of their options in such situations.

in this case, it would be easy to put together a case for going back to the tee as well! The general principle is that unless you can actually gain from a risky shot, you should take the relief option/easy chip out. Gaining 20 yds such that you have 120 rather than 140 isn't a gain - but people do it all the time. Personally I work to 200; if I have a realistic opportunity to get within 200 I will take a small risk rather than a lower risk option for a longer approach.

 

[DaveyG]

the really interesting thing for me is that so few people actually consider the full range, and implications, of their options in such situations.

in this case, it would be easy to put together a case for going back to the tee as well! The general principle is that unless you can actually gain from a risky shot, you should take the relief option/easy chip out. Gaining 20 yds such that you have 120 rather than 140 isn't a gain - but people do it all the time. Personally I work to 200; if I have a realistic opportunity to get within 200 I will take a small risk rather than a lower risk option for a longer approach.

I am guilty of that mate... I don't really consider any other option than hit it when its phsyically possible... (embarassed to admit that but its true)

At our level how would you can you go and play the shot from the original location... do you mark it somehow or get approval from a playing partner that it is the same place?

 

[duncan mackie]

I am guilty of that mate... I don't really consider any other option than hit it when its phsyically possible... (embarassed to admit that but its true)

At our level how would you can you go and play the shot from the original location... do you mark it somehow or get approval from a playing partner that it is the same place?

nice segway back to the TW incident!

the rules require you to make your best estimate of where it was.

 

[DaveyG]

nice segway back to the TW incident!

the rules require you to make your best estimate of where it was.

Got ya, so really if you can get a playing partners to agree on the spot you are fine. Nice one for that mate

 

[JustOne]

It's the same when you see people trying to play out of a ditch... why take the risk when you can just take a drop then knock it on the green

OK, fair enough, if you can't get decent relief from the ditch (eg, there's only really long grass around) then go for it.

When playing comps it's always best to know the rules about dropping because you can bet your bottom dollar SOMEONE IN YOUR GROUP will try to take relief from the road/path on the side that HASN'T got the bush next to it

 

[cookelad]

When playing comps it's always best to know the rules about dropping because you can bet your bottom dollar SOMEONE IN YOUR GROUP will try to take relief from the road/path on the side that HASN'T got the bush next to it

How many times have we all seen that!

Back to the OP - Sitting in the office the obvious answer is that I would take the drop on the next fairway, in the heat of battle? depends on exactly what I could see chances are if there's a gap much more than 6 inches wide I'll let the devil on my shoulder dictate!

 

[bladeplayer]

IF... I could get it on to my own fairway (even sideways or back a bit) to give me a shot id take the play it option as you are now taking these trees out of the equation for the next shot .. if not id go back as far as I can on the other side & try go over them