Which mythical rules do you see?

[Kellfire]

Pairs matchplay at my club today and we had an "incident" that didn't matter in the grand scheme of things but disappointed me slightly.

Luckily my team mate and I were five up as we step onto the 11th, a short par 3 with pin right at the front.

Three of us hit the green but are at the back with long, downhill putts ahead. One in their team is just off the green, really close to the front pin position with an uphill putt.

I'm furthest back so I mark my ball, clean it and take my time aiming what is a tricky putt. As I'm doing so, their guy putts up from off the green and holes out for birdie.

Now, we're five up at this stage with two chances at halving (we both missed) and it's clear this match is a formality but I jokingly point out that he played out of turn and if the match was closer I'd call him for it.

Both he and his teammate quickly snap up, "Off the green plays first!", to which I laugh and say, "Oh that old myth" thinking they were joking but no, they were deadly serious. I repeat again just to point out to them for future they should watch out because they could fall foul of this mistake but they were having none of it.

It didn't help that my team mate also believed them to be correct. I had the rulebook in my bag but in the interest of maintaining the friendly atmosphere I didn't reach for it.

The offending putter was last year's captain.

Is this rule really so commonly misunderstood? Any others people see often that are really quite simple?

 

[Mattyboy]

Your right - but its a convenience thing to speed up play that should only be done in friendly games.

The rule I dont like is the one stating I have to start with a double!

 

[AmandaJR]

Today I saw the "I'll play this ball without checking it's mine and then deny the Callaway I started the hole with is anything to do with me"...

He played my ball, I found his, asked him twice and he denied it both times. He knew, I knew and he didn't get a 2 shot penalty and I blobbed the hole. It was the 18th and I'd been useless all day so a trudge back to the tee wasn't happening.

The bright note was he hooked it into the ditch on the 10th so maybe the golfing gods quickly wreaked their revenge.

 

[Kellfire]

That's disgraceful, Amanda. Was the ball well marked with something you could identify as yours?!

 

[AmandaJR]

That's disgraceful, Amanda. Was the ball well marked with something you could identify as yours?!

Yes but I felt I couldn't demand he take it from his pocket and asked once if he'd played a Pinnacle and then again if he was playing a Callaway. I asked him before he took his putt and from then on he kept hand and ball firmly in pocket. Watched him then make his way to the tee and he snuck a look at it a couple of times and hung around his bag but I made sure he knew I was watching as was sure he wanted to swap it.

Not sure what else I could have done apart from point blank call him a liar and demand to see his ball...

 

[Heidi]

Yes but I felt I couldn't demand he take it from his pocket and asked once if he'd played a Pinnacle and then again if he was playing a Callaway. I asked him before he took his putt and from then on he kept hand and ball firmly in pocket. Watched him then make his way to the tee and he snuck a look at it a couple of times and hung around his bag but I made sure he knew I was watching as was sure he wanted to swap it.

Not sure what else I could have done apart from point blank call him a liar and demand to see his ball...

thats just downright cheating! you should have taken him out with a 7 iron
hubby doesnt seem to understand club length drops and just drops his ball any distance he likes, but as we only ever play friendlies I let him off with it. God help him in medals!

 

[AmandaJR]

thats just downright cheating! you should have taken him out with a 7 iron
hubby doesnt seem to understand club length drops and just drops his ball any distance he likes, but as we only ever play friendlies I let him off with it. God help him in medals!

Yep. Part of a big society group out and they were marking cards so I guess he wasn't about to take a 2 shot penalty on the 9th. To be honest I was so deflated by the state of my golf that I was all out of fight. Kind of finished my day off!

 

[Heidi]

Yep. Part of a big society group out and they were marking cards so I guess he wasn't about to take a 2 shot penalty on the 9th. To be honest I was so deflated by the state of my golf that I was all out of fight. Kind of finished my day off!

Just make sure they know you dont want to play with him again, no need to say why...as you cant prove for definite he did play your ball.

I trust you gave him the cold shoulder for the rest of the round

what a knob!

oh - and the ladies i play with have a myth that dropping on a line is dropping back on the line they went into the guff, rather than in line with the flag...I have been making inroads on fixing this myth tho...poster going up this season!

 

[AmandaJR]

Just make sure they know you dont want to play with him again, no need to say why...as you cant prove for definite he did play your ball.

I trust you gave him the cold shoulder for the rest of the round

what a knob!

oh - and the ladies i play with have a myth that dropping on a line is dropping back on the line they went into the guff, rather than in line with the flag...I have been making inroads on fixing this myth tho...poster going up this season!

He wasn't in our group. We were on 18 and he was on the adjoining 9th hole. I hit a long drive which headed for the handily placed (or not) conifer to the left edge of the fairway and as we approached he walked up and quickly hit a ball and we all realised it was just where mine should have been. What we found when we got there was the said Callaway in a small scraping but visible if you happened to check the ball in the clear was in fact yours before hitting it. I wasn't too concerned as I was sure if he'd made the mistake he'd 'fess up and make it right.

I guess there remains a 1% doubt but I'm 100% sure and his behaviour after I asked him just confirmed my suspicion. Only upside is my game was so crap I played a Pinnacle as lost too many decent balls of late and I quite like Callaways!

 

[fundy]

Yes but I felt I couldn't demand he take it from his pocket and asked once if he'd played a Pinnacle and then again if he was playing a Callaway. I asked him before he took his putt and from then on he kept hand and ball firmly in pocket. Watched him then make his way to the tee and he snuck a look at it a couple of times and hung around his bag but I made sure he knew I was watching as was sure he wanted to swap it.

Not sure what else I could have done apart from point blank call him a liar and demand to see his ball...

I would and have called someone a liar and embarassed them to the point where theyve finally caved in, and would do again if im all but certain that someone has played my ball. My ball is clearly marked so there would be no confusion - show me the ball and prove me to be the idiot

 

[AmandaJR]

I would and have called someone a liar and embarassed them to the point where theyve finally caved in, and would do again if im all but certain that someone has played my ball. My ball is clearly marked so there would be no confusion - show me the ball and prove me to be the idiot

I think next time I would but my day had been so pants to there that it just seemed the final straw and not worth the hassle. He knows what he's done and his next shot seemed to me to prove it. He waited and waited (hand and ball firmly in pocket after 2 quick glances at it) to tee off and I think hoping I'd disappear and stop giving him my bestest Paddington Bear Stare!

 

[daymond]

There's a myth doing the rounds at our club that it's a penalty if you putt your ball into the hole when there's another ball in the hole.

 

[Heidi]

There's a myth doing the rounds at our club that it's a penalty if you putt your ball into the hole when there's another ball in the hole.

not a good idea if there are 3 balls already in the hole, yours might not fit and just pop out again!

 

[Heidi]

He wasn't in our group.

gotcha...karma, petal! what goes round, come round. Cheating bleep will get his comeuppance - dont you worry about that. Even if you had demanded to see all his balls, that one would conveniently be hidden at the bottom of his bag.

Paddington stares are pretty evil...it was the best you could do in the circumstances

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Personally I'd have fronted him up about it to the point of asking to see the ball in his pocket. If he wasn't happy to show you then I'd tell him that it proved he was as guilty as hell and that you'd be making it publicly known in the 19th that he deliberately cheated. It may not have helped the golf but would have made you feel a lot better!!!!

 

[SharkAttack]

One of the biggest myths that I have found is you get a free drop from tractor marks. Tractor tracks yes if there is a local rule, but not green staffs tractor marks.

Sharks

 

[NWJocko]

One of the biggest myths that I have found is you get a free drop from tractor marks. Tractor tracks yes if there is a local rule, but not green staffs tractor marks.

Sharks

Never come across this myself but what is the difference between tractor tracks and tractor marks?

 

[ScienceBoy]

Never come across this myself but what is the difference between tractor tracks and tractor marks?

Marks made with parts other than the tires I guess

 

[SharkAttack]

Never come across this myself but what is the difference between tractor tracks and tractor marks?

Tractor marks- Marks left on wet/soft ground by mowers and green staffs buggies

Tractor tracks- 2 ruts left by vehicles using the same route.

Maybe a Scottish thing, cos it never stops raining up here.

Shark

 

[NWJocko]

Marks made with parts other than the tires I guess

People roll tractors round you're course often!!??

Thanks for clarifying Shark. As I said never come across this before.

Never stops raining where I am either, believe me!!