Who Plays By The Rules

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By Carl T

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  1. Carl T

    Carl T
    Little Rock, AR

    I have never played in a casual golf game where all players played by the rules. I play with different groups during the week and here are my observations. A mulligan off the first tee only if needed A mulligan used any where if not used on the first tee Rolling the ball anywhere Rolling the ball if it lands in a divot Moving a ball off of tree roots or rocks but not improving the ball position Not putting out if the ball is inside the leather Not putting out when playing as a team and your putt will not help the team score Hitting a ball out of bounds and throwing a ball down in bounds in the area and taking a one stroke penalty Loosing a ball and throwing down another ball in the general area and in the summer take a one stroke penalty or if it's winter take none as the "leaf rule" is invoked. Picking up on a hole when you are having a golf meltdown Loosing a ball, throw down another and strike it, then find original ball and play it with no penalty Hit a ball out of bounds from the tee box and not re-tee another ball but go to the general area of where the tee ball went out of bounds and play from there with a one stroke penalty Give advice to another player on what club to use Hitting a ball in a water hazard and not taking the right line of where the ball entered the hazard in regard to the pin The list goes on but I see the above situations play out every week. Does it bother me ? No. In my opinion there are two kinds of golf. Casual golf and tournament golf. The two mix like oil and water. Does anyone who plays this great game honestly play by the book every time they tee it up ?
  2. Spudstarch

    Spudstarch
    Walnut Creek, CA

    Depends upon what's at stake: money, friendship, pride? If I let you kick a ball back in bounds, then I expect you to let me do the same. It will be our dirty little secret which will make us closer friends. If you are playing to take my money, then no, and you can take that ball and (expletive expletive expletive)

    Beside, if everyone played by the book every time, then slow play will become worse than it already is. 

  3. MADGOLFER

    MADGOLFER
    HENDERSON, NV

    In a word : YOU...What I mean is when we play, all You can do is play your game... I know some dont like to here it but honestly there are three types of golf.... 1: Tournament golf 2: Serious golf with buddies and strangers 3 : whatever golf I live in Vegas so trust me when I tell you that if you can keep your head when you play a round with a group of guys in town for a good time , it only makes you better come tournament time...Carl embrace the challenge of playing by the rules when everyone else is taking liberties......MADGOLFER
  4. Hmgcgolfer

    Hmgcgolfer
    Sylvania, OH

    Carl,

    I used to play the same way until I started playing competitive golf. Playing thy way makes golf a lot more fun

  5. Don O

    Don O
    Madison, WI

    Agree that casual is a different animal. Some of the deviations can be attributed to pace of play, like playing all shots OOB as lateral hazards and only taking the stroke penalty. Moving the ball from a rock field or tree root just spares equipment. I don't think conceding putts is against the rules, but does help pace of play. So long as everyone agrees to the rules and the score is not used for handicap calculation, have a good time. My wife is now playing her first full year. She knows she isn't competitive but she gets do-overs to enjoy the game while learning.
  6. Tom E

    Tom E
    Hudson Falls, NY

    When posting scores for handicap purposes, I will play USGA rules except for the following: 1. Lift, clean and place in my own fairway/closely mown areas. 2. If I hit a really bad shot in play and there is nobody behind me, I will hit a second ball from the same spot. I pick up the second ball then finish and score the original ball. The golf league I am in is governed by USGA match play rules with the following exceptions: 1. Ball lost in the woods/bushes/tall fescue (not O.B.) play as lateral water hazard. 2. Lost ball (in play but not found) we apply a "neighborhood rule" where we think the ball ended up, take a drop and one stroke penalty. League modifications were made as a means to speed up play. -Tom
  7. RON H

    RON H
    WICHITA, KS

    I couldn't agree more, all the guys I play rounds with take certain liberties with the rules of golf. I'm not going to risk damaging a club or injuring myself because of a tree root or rock. We all play best ball tournaments, in those who places their ball in the exact spot where the best ball landed (no one). If I had a trainer, sports psych, equipt trailer and 20 sponsors following me to the golf course each week. If I was allowed the pleasure of playing on pool table fairways and greens I would be more diligent with the rules. As is we have to play behind thoughtless want a be pro's who leave divots in the fairways without filling them in or walk off greens without doing anything for ball marks or shoe scuffs. Playing 4 hour rounds, losing $3.00 balls is penalty enough. I'll take my drop and play on unless in a tournament. You don't even want to get me started on those guys playing a 5 some who think they have to plumb bob every putt and make a slow game even slower. The PGA has been hammering us for two years to speed up play at our level. They want us to play forward tees, play ready golf and the list goes on. Come on people pick up the place and move on the game will still be just as fun, so far the golf Gods of old Scotland haven't stuck me dead yet for my transgressions.
  8. Frank D

    Frank D
    Gloversville, NY

    I can never understand why players make up their own rules to suit their game, they are only fooling themselves in thinking that they are better than they really are. " The Beast "
  9. george t

    george t
    Old Lyme, CT

    You're correct, there are two kinds of golf.  Not that casual golf can't be competitive, but it is usually played to just have a good time.  Typically, we play by the rules of golf plus whatever local rules are enforced.  On our Monday vagabond trips, we do allow you to rake and re-drop your ball in a trap, IF the ball landed in someone's unraked footprints or shot.  Fried egg - too bad, but if your lying in a hole because someone else was inconsiderate, we feel you shouldn't be penalized.

    Sunday league rounds though, strict rules of golf plus local rules.

  10. Brian D

    Brian D
    Norton, MA

    When I play I play by the rules

  11. Tim Tiger

    Tim Tiger
    Tucson, AZ

    The group I play with always has something on the line.  So we play by the rules of golf.  Play it down and putt it out.  That is the only way to truly set a valid handicap.

    TT

  12. Carl T

    Carl T
    Little Rock, AR

    T.Tiger said:

    The group I play with always has something on the line.  So we play by the rules of golf.  Play it down and putt it out.  That is the only way to truly set a valid handicap.

    TT

    Just curious but on situations where there is a rule controversy, how do you proceed ? Have you ever been in a situation where one of your group should be disqualified for a rule violation but that player continued to play ? My point is that when one is playing casual golf whether money is involved or not most players I know "bend" the rules at one time or another for the sake of speeding up the game or not creating a scene on the golf course.
  13. Carl T

    Carl T
    Little Rock, AR

    I started this topic more out of curiosity than anything. The main group I play with a couple of times a week, we play for a small sum of money and more for pride than anything. We do take a mulligan on the first tee only if needed. We play the ball down and play by the rules of golf with the following exception of moving a ball sitting on a tree root or rocks. When in this position we do not improve the position e.g., on a root behind a tree, you move the ball off of the root but still have the tree blocking your forward progress, etc. Other than the above mentioned we play by the rules of golf. This is a case of when in Rome do as the Romans. The other group I play with is at a public muni and there is no money on the line and this group does everything I mentioned at introduction topic and more. I still play as in the first scenario and have no issues doing it. My point is I would say that 90% of golfers that play this game do not play strictly by the rules. The Team Titleist members who have responded so far proves this point. We all hate slow play and we do bend rules on occasion to keep ahead of that group behind us. We all hate that some person left his foot prints in a bunker, did not use a rake and our ball is sitting down in his heel mark. We all play for fun and to say to those that you play strictly by the rules, I give you two thumbs up. But really, those that play strictly by the rules, when you loose a ball do you really go all the way back to the last spot you hit that ball from and hit another ball as the foursome behind you wonders what the heck you are doing ? 

  14. Mike C

    Mike C
    Dallas, TX

    Personally, I believe you should play by the USGA rules when you are playing the game, tournament or not, because all of these rounds go into your handicap calculation.  When taking liberties on the course, you are only cheating yourself.  If you improve your lier, are given putts, etc., how will you be able to execute these shots when it matters?

    Regarding slow play, I do not believe playing by the rules hinders fast play at all.  If you think there is a chance a ball may be lost or out of bounds, simply hit a provisional shot from where you made your original shot before you leave to look for the original ball.  I can play as fast as anybody wants to play and playing by the rules does not damper that ability.

  15. RON H

    RON H
    WICHITA, KS

    Mike I see your side of the problem, and I must admit I too are sometimes on the fence about this. I don't play tournaments that require a handicap, in fact in 10 years of playing I've never registered a handicap. I practice bad lies on the range and work on perfect lies too. I think an argument can be made on this matter for either way. As for slow play, I'll give you an example three weeks ago on a Friday I played alone and Tee Time of 1:30, at 6:30 I was walking off the #9 green. Five hours for a half a round. NO one offered to let me play through and everyone of the players in front of me played out the hole til the end I watched as they looked for balls, read greens and putted out even the shortest putts. If you think looking for a ball and failing to find then walking back to the tee for a second shot is not going to hold up play then I guess I'm missing something.
  16. RON H

    RON H
    WICHITA, KS

    My group of friends haven't thrown away the rule book, we just play ready golf and try to keep things moving as quickly as we can. I have never been in a situation where a player within our group has done anything which would justify disqualification. Any time one of us has a rules question we just ask each other and come up with our own solution, so far everyone has had enough knowledge of the rules to come to an agreement. I have read with interest the replies regarding this matter and I don't disagree with any, but if one plays a busy public course on a weekend and everyone followed the rules of golf to the letter no one starting after noon would get their round in. It goes back to many things in sports, I played softball for 30 years and never believed I was playing the same game as the MLB, I played weekend pick up games of basketball and never thought I was playing under the same flags as NBA. We're not Professional golfers, we don't have access to their equip or support system and we don't have the luxury of playing on Professional level golf courses. Keep the game fun and moving so it can grow and live.
  17. ToddL

    ToddL
    Attleboro, MA

    Tourney golf and a fun round have different impacts for the course.  There is an understanding at the course that tournament play will be slower than normal play.  Amateur players tend to try and read putts and analyze the wind to death...frankly they don't need to waste that much time because it usually does not make a difference, but that is another story...

    In regular weekday/weekend course play, play by the rules, unless you are slowing down the ret of the course.  Public and private clubs role is to cater to the golfers as a whole.  You want to create an enjoyable experience for everyone - members/guests, or the paying public.   There is nothing more "round ruining" than slow play.  Be respectful to your other golfers and play right, but play at a good pace.

  18. Spudstarch

    Spudstarch
    Walnut Creek, CA

    Mike C, you're pretty hardcore. But I just want to point out something from usga.org for when you shouldn't post to your handicap

    • "When a majority of the holes are not played in accordance with the principles of the Rules of Golf. "

    Regarding slow play, from what I have seen on public courses, there are times when some people would never leave the tee box if they played by the strict letter of the rules. They would probably even quit golf and tell everyone else not to play it.

  19. Mike C

    Mike C
    Dallas, TX

    Michael U said:

    Mike C, you're pretty hardcore. But I just want to point out something from usga.org for when you shouldn't post to your handicap

    • "When a majority of the holes are not played in accordance with the principles of the Rules of Golf. "

    Regarding slow play, from what I have seen on public courses, there are times when some people would never leave the tee box if they played by the strict letter of the rules. They would probably even quit golf and tell everyone else not to play it.

    I appreciate that everybody has a different opinion on this issue, and that's ok by me. We are all entitled to our individual opinions and this is a sport where you determine yourself whether you are playing in accordance with the rules or not. As for being hardcore, with golf and all other sports I play (gosh, in life for that matter), I prefer to play by the rules. In my opinion, every sport has a set of rules and you are expected to play within that set of rules. If you are playing basketball and the ball glances off the rim, do you count it as a basket? If your soccer shot does not go in the goal, or you touch the ball with your hands, is the goal counted or a penalty not assessed? I am guessing the answer will be no in these cases. Personally, I am ok with people playing the game any way they see fit because the purpose of the game is to have fun. If you or your group decides a specific set of rules is in play, that's great because it works for you or your group. If my ball is against the root of a tree or somewhere I believe I may get injured, I would more than likely deem the ball unplayable and take a drop with a penalty stroke assessed. Hopefully I don't find myself in this type of situation, but when I do, there is a provision for it in the rules. Routinely, I play a round of golf in under four hours. If the course is open (as in late afternoon time when there are not a lot of players out), I can play in around 3 hours of play on the course allows it. I don't think playing by the rules slows down play but I am certainly for anything that will speed up the pace of play! The bottom line is to enjoy the game and play it as you believe is most appropriate. If you want to make OB a lateral hazard, go for it. If you think a free drop is warranted if your ball is against a tree root or on gravel, take the free drop. If you are good with playing that way and you believe it speeds up play, by all means do what you believe is the best way to proceed. At the end of the day, have a fun round and enjoy the game we all love.
  20. Mark F

    Mark F
    Greenville, SC

    I agree that there are two kinds of golf.  I don't follow the rules of golf exactly when I play my casual rounds.  Most of the time I am playing by myself so there is no money or pride on the line.  Just my fun.  I'm 66 yrs old and am retired so my budget and health don't allow me to chance something happening.  So, yes I will move the ball if I am near roots or rocks to prevent injury.  However, I do move it further from the hole so as not to take too much of an advantage.  I do play in a senior group that has monthly tournaments and I do follow the rules during those rounds.  But, they also have a bunch of "local" rules that are used to speed up the pace of play so that we don't tie up the course that we are playing.  My handicap for this group is figured by my scores in the tournaments and by their computer program.  Other than that I don't need to worry about a handicap as I don't play in anything that needs it.  I do use the USGA formula but don't use the best 10 out of the last 20 part.  Since I can play all year long, I just calculate the handicap for each round and then average the 55+ rounds at the end of the year and start over Jan. first.  I personally don't get too worried with people fudging the rules as long as they keep up a good pace.  There's nothing more irritating to me than to be standing on the tee ready to hit and seeing a cart come back at you so that someone can re-hit after probably losing their ball.

        Mark F

  21. tdogg21

    tdogg21
    Chambersburg, PA

    I typically play by the rules with a couple of exceptions.  There is one course I play occasionally that has a number of roots and rocks.  Some of the holes have fairway and rock/root garden.  Our rule is that you can move the ball where ever is needed, even if it improves your lie.  I have messed up enough clubs in my life from hitting off of rocks and I don't plan to do it again.  The other is OB or lost ball.  Sometimes you hit what you think was a good shot, but for some reason you can't find it or there was OB or woods you didn't know about.  In that case, we just drop a ball and keep moving.  Personally I think that is how the rule should be anyway.  Lost ball and OB should be no different than a water hazard in my opinion.

    Now, with that said, I do sometimes play in a tournament or for money when everyone is serious.  In that case, I will play strictly by the rules.  But 99% of my rounds of golf are purely for enjoyment.  And why take more time or mess up my clubs on a day when I'm just out enjoying the view?

  22. RON H

    RON H
    WICHITA, KS

    I could not agree more, that's how the guys I play golf with feel as well. Very well put.
  23. BlkNGld

    BlkNGld
    Seaside, CA

    The only real exception I take is when I find my ball lost or OB, I drop like a lateral but add two.  So if I lost my first drive I'm hitting 4.  My rationalization is that I've taken a penalty stroke and hit again.  Yes, I could have hit OB again, but I also could have been in the FW with my second drive (and if so probably a lot farther too).   That's only if I find it there unexpectedly... when it's clear from the tee, then I hit another.

    Guys I play with think my way is too harsh, and they treat it as a hazard.

    I'm finding that many courses I play have begun changing OB to hazards, probably in the hopes of not keeping people from going back to the tee.

    I really don't care what rules others choose to play, but if there is a (hopefully friendly) competition of some sort, then we need to agree on where the official rules will be bent.

  24. Carl T

    Carl T
    Little Rock, AR

    BlkNGld said:

    I really don't care what rules others choose to play, but if there is a (hopefully friendly) competition of some sort, then we need to agree on where the official rules will be bent.

    Nail meet hammer. I think this how the majority of golfers play. Even the pros playing a casual round will "give a putt" in a friendly stoke game.

  25. Justinu3

    Justinu3
    Clive, IA

    I play by the rules even during casual rounds just because I want the true picture of what parts of my game need work.  ie need to hit more GIR etc.  I always putt everything out  unless I 3 putted already and it's 3 inches from the cup.  :-(

  26. Roger L

    Roger L
    KERRVILLE, TX

    Well said.  I wish the pros would get our conditions at times.  (Muni Courses)!  Although the course I play is kept very well!

  27. Don O

    Don O
    Madison, WI

    The one advantage in a casual round to playing all OOB as lateral hazards is the average 100+ golfer that hits a drive out of bounds is highly likely to repeat the same shot, be it a provisional or worst case scenario, come back to the tee box. Even $1.50 balls can add up for these folks, and it is a little fuzzy if they should then hit a second provisional (and now likely to lose a 3rd ball). It's taken me a while to get smarter to hit the provisional with a short fairway or hybrid and take the medicine rather than risk another ball. Driver is just so associated with the male ego... Unless there is money on the line (now the game isn't casual), the rules guys can play rules and lighten up with their playing partners for some exceptions that help pace of play.
  28. Frank P

    Frank P
    Port St. Lucie, FL

    Military

    I like to go with the rules. I don't always play with the same members all of the time and I go with the flow as far as their play goes. Some of them have a pretty generous "gimme" length, but once they knock the ball back to you, what can you say? They're nice guys and I certainly wouldn't start an argument over it ( another reason to practice plenty of short putts on the putting green ) Our Club Championship is a 2 day stroke play event. Down and dirty and putt everything out. I always see some 8's and 10's posting 90's and 93's. That's how you find out who the rule "fudgers" are. They didn't do themselves any favors.

                                                                                                            Frank P

  29. Ashley L

    Ashley L
    Kennesaw, GA

    It depends who you're playing with and the pace of play.  If I'm playing with some friends who shoot in the 90s, they'll probably a mulligan or two from the tee or pickup one a really bad hole, but none of them have USGA indexes.  If they take a mulligan and shoot 89 (and break 90) then good for them.  It's a game and they're having fun.  But if they're keeping an index and using it for tournament play then that's another story.

    For me, I play as close to the rules as possible.  If I know I lost a ball in the woods, I'll hit another and count the penalty.  If it's pretty certain, I'll play a provisional.  But when I know it should be in play and can't find it, I'm not going back to the tee to re-hit.  One stroke penalty and drop where I think the ball should be.  And in the event I blow-up on a hole, I might not hit every putt, but I will until I hit ESC limit.

  30. Tom B

    Tom B
    Northborough, MA

    I guess I'm in the minority too. We play be the rules all the time. But we are always playing for at least a $2 Nassau. Another thing is that everything is played out into the hole unless you ball may be virtually hanging over the hole. We find doing this going into it, means no whining about conceding a putt here or there. Not that putts are not conceded as in match play, especially if it may help your partner on his birdie putt. We won't tie things up either. If you snap your drive and you lose your ball or find it OB and you didn't hit another from the tee, you can certainly drop a ball and play in from there. BUT, you're out of the hole and taking the max for your handicap for that hole. Everyone posts all their scores and we find playing by the rules all the time saves any arguments, makes sense when posting the scores, and actually helps everyone who may be a little shaky on the rules when they are playing in a "real" match at the Club level or higher.
  31. Frank P

    Frank P
    Port St. Lucie, FL

    Military

    Also, I'm onboard with the roots and rocks thing. No need to break a club or worse yet, cause an injury over a golf shot.

                                                                                                             Frank P

  32. Allen L

    Allen L
    Clarington, OH

    Casual fun golf, I'll usually go along with anything but I tend to avoid carding scores in this kind of play if I can.  It is fun to play casual and have a good time but that is not real golf.  Competitive golf or posting games for handicap, then yes I'll play by the rules.  What surprises me is the number of golfers who do not know even the basics of the rules of golf.   Most of my golf is casual any more as its fun, but I do enjoy playing with a serious golfer who wants to play it by the book.

  33. Carl T

    Carl T
    Little Rock, AR

    Since the vast majority of golfers who have responded to my topic play a lot more casual golf than tournament golf where I believe everyone plays by the rules, I would say that 99% of golfers handicaps are based on casual play where most of the rules of golf are observed but not all. I play about 3 to 5 rounds of golf a week and play for a small sum of money and the rules of golf are observed with just a few local modifications like a mulligan is allowed on the first tee if needed and some putts are conceded (stroke play) and our group all record their scores for handicaps as we take handicap into consideration when teams are made up. In other words, the majority of golfers who play mostly casual golf do have handicaps lower than if they only played tournament golf.
  34. brian p

    brian p
    Los alamitos, CA

    i personally believe that if you are playing with family or friends, rules should never get in the way of those relationships. In my mind, losing a friend over whether or not you get a free drop is not worth it. I just like to let it go.

  35. Kelsey O

    Kelsey O
    Papaikou, HI

    You mentioned the word "casual" in your post, and that is important. If you're playing in a tournament, everyone should play by the same rules, but in a casual round, I feel that bending some of the rules is ok, so long as long as the player understands what the actual rules actually say, so that it doesn't become a habit (i.e. automatically picking up their ball to clean it anywhere on the course, moving a ball that has come to rest in a divot, etc), and everyone is on board.  

    We've all had times when we hit our tee shots into the rough, and no matter how hard we look, the ball is nowhere to be found.  But rather than go all the way back to the tee box to proceed under Rule 27-1, sometimes it is easier to drop a ball and add a penalty stroke if you are sure that your ball did not go into a hazard or out of bounds.

  36. Carl T

    Carl T
    Little Rock, AR

    Kelsey O said:

    You mentioned the word "casual" in your post, and that is important. If you're playing in a tournament, everyone should play by the same rules, but in a casual round, I feel that bending some of the rules is ok, so long as long as the player understands what the actual rules actually say, so that it doesn't become a habit (i.e. automatically picking up their ball to clean it anywhere on the course, moving a ball that has come to rest in a divot, etc), and everyone is on board.  

    We've all had times when we hit our tee shots into the rough, and no matter how hard we look, the ball is nowhere to be found.  But rather than go all the way back to the tee box to proceed under Rule 27-1, sometimes it is easier to drop a ball and add a penalty stroke if you are sure that your ball did not go into a hazard or out of bounds.

    Kelsey you are spot on. When you play in a sanctioned tournament everyone is bound by the rules but when you are playing with friends or strangers in a weekly game I consider this a casual round of golf. From this topic the majority of players bend at least one or two of the rules of golf when they play. I'm not saying that is bad or good but just a fact and scores are posted for handicaps when they play casual rounds. Those players who say they play strictly by the rules of golf I hope they are not in the group ahead of me and when they lose a ball and come back to the last spot where that ball was hit from to hit another and when they are on the green and plum bobbing a 6 inch putt, well you get my point. I could have asked the question who obeys all traffic laws and I would say the answer would be that the majority of drivers break the law when they drive every day. Rolling through stop signs, driving over the posted speed limit, etc. For the very few that play by the rules of golf every time they play a round and do not break any traffic laws I give two thumbs up.
  37. Hotsauce

    Hotsauce
    Georgetown MA

    I love the casual round with friends, or even perfect strangers.  If they want to pick up, use the foot wedge, or take relief from shadows, I don't care.  Your score is your business.  Cheating only gives you a falsified handicap. 

    However, when I'm with the usual cronies 99% of the time we're playing for something, and we are sticklers for the rules.  Even when I'm by myself, I try to play by the rules all the time.  Like Tim and Justin said, how else will you know what your cap is?  

    There is one exception to this policy: In the New England fall we have leaves like you wouldn't believe.  You can hit a ball 1 foot off the fairway, even on the fairway, and never find it.  The maintenance team is really good about the leaves, but sometimes they can't keep up.  When that happens we have the "leaf rule" in effect.  When the track is covered in foliage, we allow a free drop where the group thinks the ball went.  If we had volunteers with little flags, we'd be perfect, but since nobody is going to forecaddy for a bunch of hackers, we'll, we gotta do what we gotta do.

  38. Brad m

    Brad m
    New Hamburg, ON

    Hi Carl, I really don't care what a guy shoots, unless I am playing him in a tournament or match play. If I know that someone rolls the ball, their handicap could be 3 or 4 higher than what they think it is. Guys who give themselves 3ft putts, have no confidence in putting, and they can't make them when it counts. Our Men's league is supposed to be play the ball as is, unless you are in the fairway, in which case you can improve your lie, but I have played with several older members during men's night, and they move the ball where ever they want. It doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. I know the good shooters in our league don't move the ball, and I like to measure myself against them.
  39. Carl T

    Carl T
    Little Rock, AR

    False handicaps hurt more than the player who post them. Case in point. My club has a monthly men's golf tournament and the teams are picked by computer based on handicap. I have been on teams where instead of having an A, B, C, and D player you have a B, C, D and D player. In this case your team has no chance against a team whose players have a realistic handicap.
  40. SD_Golfer

    SD_Golfer
    Aberdeen, SD

    I am playing in more tournaments lately, so when I play casual golf, i follow the rules ... that said, if the group I'm playing with plays by rules they made up, that is fine, I still play by the rules so I don't break a rule in tournament play.  The people I normally play with also follow the rules, it is just a good way to keep all things equal.

  41. Carl T

    Carl T
    Little Rock, AR

    Paul Priebe said:

    I am playing in more tournaments lately, so when I play casual golf, i follow the rules ... that said, if the group I'm playing with plays by rules they made up, that is fine, I still play by the rules so I don't break a rule in tournament play.  The people I normally play with also follow the rules, it is just a good way to keep all things equal.

    Paul, I play occasionally with a group of guys that have a traditional mulligan on the first tee and then a mulligan on any hole that they choose. They also roll the ball, pop it up on top of thick grass in the rough and give liberal "gimmies" on the putting green. This is definitely a casual round and this group enjoys the camaraderie with one another and then if one of their group shoots a low score there is a lot of bragging, back slaps, knuckle touches, etc. It is hard to play strictly by the rules under these circumstances because it is definitely not a level playing field. As one guy told me, "Jerry said he shot an 79 but I don't know what he shot." I guess what I am saying it is hard not to go along when playing with a casual group of breaking the rules because we all want to play our best and when you are beaten by someone who breaks the rules and the group all recognizes that the low scorer of the day beat you when you play strictly by the rules is hard to swallow some times.
  42. I play by the rules only because at the end of the day know one but me will know if I cheated and if I did it would eat at me. This is such a pure game and I believe that it should always be played by the rules.
  43. Scott S

    Scott S
    Nashville, GA

    We play a mulligan off the first Tee, then its straight up after that, unless we play scramble rules, but normally the course we play at is very busy on the weekends, (when most of us have off work) but occasionally we play "gentlemens" golf, yes we sometimes we play with inside the leather we call it good.  All of the guys we play with are casual golfers.....no tournament players other than scrambles and things like that.....

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