Your Never Too Old To Learn A Rule

[Crazyface]

So playing today in a 4BBB with a bloke who I've known for years at the club but never played actually with, and two others. We were having a nice friendly knock without anything really getting going for either pairing. I was driving brilliantly, but had nothing else, and my putting, well, eventually my partner said "I thought I was the worst putter at the club until today!". I was shocking. I missed yet another 30cm putt on the 12th and as the others walked away I had a few practice putts. As I walked over to re join them, my partner slide up to me a whispered. "You do know what you've just done is a penalty in stroke play", "WHAT!?" This drew the attention of the other two and a discussion ensued. Well, you know when your out numbered and it makes you question what you thought was correct? And I didn't want to spoil a lovely mornings golf. That was me. These guys were a lot older, one being 72 (my partner)who said that he'd been pulled over it years ago. As we strolled up the 13th, one bloke checked his phone....he had the rules on it. Much to astonishment of the other three, I was right. (I didn't make a fuss but was fist pumping inside). Much hilarity occurred for the remainder of the round, with everyone chucking in odd rules and feigning checking them on their phones. "Just how much money have you lost over the years by people telling you about a rule?" I joked. Oh how he laughed!!!!!!
72 and a new rule learnt.

 

[guest100718]

you may find that your club ban it in stroke play though.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

One of my FCs asked this question before we started yesterday's comp. I told him it was allowed unless banned by the committee but it is probably not advisable as it will save you a lot of grief when someone complains.

 

[Crazyface]

you may find that your club ban it in stroke play though.

As comp sec, i can confidently say WE DON'T.

 

[fundy]

One of my FCs asked this question before we started yesterday's comp. I told him it was allowed unless banned by the committee but it is probably not advisable as it will save you a lot of grief when someone complains.

few years ago got reported twice in 2 comps, once by the head greenkeeper and once by the club captain at the time for this, needless to say both were wrong lol

 

[mikejohnchapman]

One of my FCs asked this question before we started yesterday's comp. I told him it was allowed unless banned by the committee but it is probably not advisable as it will save you a lot of grief when someone compl ains.

I was always told it was an etiquette issue not to practice putt as it slowed down play rather than a rule violation.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I was always told it was an etiquette issue not to practice putt as it slowed down play rather than a rule violation.

The relevent rule is 7-2

 

[Crazyface]

I was always told it was an etiquette issue not to practice putt as it slowed down play rather than a rule violation.

Yup that's it. As long as it doesn't slow down play you can practice all the way round.

 

[Marshy77]

Is it a penalty in match play? I was playing the other week in the club comp and was just about to have a putt after putting poorly on one of the holes and one of the guys I was playing with pulled me up and said it would be a penalty if I did. Can't remember if the comp was medal or stableford now though!!

 

[Crazyface]

"Strokes made in continuing the play of a hole, the result of which has been decided, are not practice strokes. "

What the dickens does this mean????? contradictory statement???

 

[woody69]

"Strokes made in continuing the play of a hole, the result of which has been decided, are not practice strokes. "

What the dickens does this mean????? contradictory statement???

Why is it? It's just saying if you decide to hole out during a match on a particular hole that has already been won or lost, you won't be penalised for making a practise stroke.

 

[Foxholer]

Why is it? It's just saying if you decide to hole out during a match on a particular hole that has already been won or lost, you won't be penalised.

Edited to remove possible contradiction!

That's also what that clause does - by defining those strokes as 'not practice strokes'.

 

[Matty]

"Strokes made in continuing the play of a hole, the result of which has been decided, are not practice strokes. "

What the dickens does this mean????? contradictory statement???

My reading of this was as follows:

Match play - you've lost the hole already (perhaps you're 5 off the tee and conceded the hole) but can continue to play to the hole as 'practice'.

Stroke play and in particular Stableford - you've no chance of scoring on this particular hole but you still putt out along side other players in your group to 'practice' and get a feel for the green.

All of the above are therefore within the rules.

 

[Colin L]

Rule 7-2 which permits practice putting/chipping on or near the green of the hole last played and on or near the next tee applies to both stroke play and match play.

The statement about continuation of the hole when the result has been decided means that if you have lost the hole to your opponent you can continue to play your ball - holing out if you want - without that being counted as practice. One example of that would be if you were putting for a half and missed, you could play a further stroke or strokes to hole out.

 

[rulefan]

And stableford ?

 

[Colin L]

My reading of this was as follows:

Stroke play and in particular Stableford - you've no chance of scoring on this particular hole but you still putt out along side other players in your group to 'practice' and get a feel for the green.

In stroke play, if you hole out you have a score and all the strokes you make are for the purpose of holing out. They could not be considered practice strokes.

In stableford, when you reach the point of being unable to gain any points on a hole, can that be considered as the result of the hole being decided? I'm doubtful about that, tending to think that you can only have the result of a hole decided before one player has holed out in match play.

 

[rulefan]

In stableford, when you reach the point of being unable to gain any points on a hole, can that be considered as the result of the hole being decided?

Yes. The result of the hole in strokeplay is specific to the player. A player starts each hole with the number of points a hole in one would achieve. The result has been achieved when his score cannot change. In this case zero.

 

[rosecott]

Yes. The result of the hole in strokeplay is specific to the player. A player starts each hole with the number of points a hole in one would achieve. The result has been achieved when his score cannot change. In this case zero.

Since it is the responsibility of the committee to apply the number of strokes received, surely, in theory, the player should play until he holes out and ensure that the correct gross score is recorded.

 

[Tashyboy]

I was always told it was an etiquette issue not to practice putt as it slowed down play rather than a rule violation.

But if two practice putts meant he got it right it could actually save time on the next 17 holes plus a lot less swearing on the course, lower blood pressure etc 😁.

or you could just have five mins on the putting green before going out like the rest of us.

 

[Colin L]

Enigmatically empty post.