Opinion & Analysis
(Sort of) Playing by the rules
The USGA handicap system is often misunderstood.
Those of you who play baseball or bowl know exactly how your averages are calculated: The number of hits divided by the number of at-bats; or the total pins divided by the number of games you bowl. It’s simple math.
But here is an essential difference in those averages and your golf handicap: The USGA is not counting your average score; it is calculating, as best the system can, your ability to play a golf course.
This is why the worst rounds are tossed out, and why recent rounds are valued more than older rounds. So if you are capable of shooting an 85 on a 70-rated golf course (remember, rating nor par) you are a 15. This system, according to the USGA, keeps the playing field as level as it can be. But it can be misleading.
Quite often, golfers with a certain handicap play in a competitive stroke play event away from their home course and do not play as well as their handicap indicates. Take a low-handicap player who tries to qualify for the state open or an amateur event. They are, say, a 7-handicap, but they shoot 88 in the qualifier. Bad day? Maybe, but maybe not, because individual stroke play events are quite a different story than the games often played at home.
Bobby Jones offered a great analogy for this: If one were to put a 1-foot wide plank on the ground and asked you to walk across it, you would do so with no thought at all. That’s like golf with your buddies. Now, take the same plank and raise it 10 feet in the air.
Whoa! Better be careful. One step carefully in front of the other; every step counts. What if I fall?
Now that’s tournament golf. Jones went on to say that if the plank was raised to 30 feet, that would be major tournament golf. But his point is clear: There’s a big difference between golf with your buddies and tournaments.
This phenomenon has always fascinated me on several levels. I have explored the reasons in addition to the obvious one, pressure, but I think there are other factors involved. Namely, the rules of golf. If you consider the way most club matches or rounds are played, there is a very loose application of the rules of golf. Here are a few examples:
Gimmes: In stroke play there is no such thing, but in match play a conceded putt cannot be declined or refused. That is why you cannot play your ball “for score” in a four ball (better ball) match. If I have a 10-footer for par and my partner has a 5-footer for birdie on the same line, my opponent will of course concede my putt so I don’t show my partner the line. By the rules of golf, I have to pick that 10-footer up. And in big money matches, I BETTER pick it up. That’s why stroke play and match play are two very different animals that cannot be played concurrently.
Lost ball: There is only one option — stroke and distance. Go back to where you just played your last shot and add a stroke. “I’ll just drop one here to save time” is not in the rules book. This one is tougher on us than the pros, because in everyday golf we do not have the advantage of 10,000 people in the gallery looking for our golf ball.
Out of Bounds: There is only one option: Go back to where you have just hit your last shot and add a stroke. Again, you can’t just “drop one here.”
Wrong ball: In stroke play, you go back and play the correct ball and add two shots. In match play, it means a loss of hole. “Let’s go back, play the right ball but forget about the two strokes” is not applicable.
Although these may be the most commonly violated rules (there are many others such as playing the ball “up,” the leaf rule, playing out of turn, not announcing a provisional, etc.), the important thing to remember is this — many times, golfers do not violate these rules out of ignorance or cheating. They are violating rules to save time.
Recently, I wrote about pace of play and suggested that more match play would speed things up. The reason why? If all golfers played by USGA rules like they are supposed to (local rules notwithstanding), play would be even slower. If a golfer loses a ball in a fourball, the weight of the match would simply shift to his or her playing partner. “Play hard pards, I owe ya one,” is much better than a provisional and 10 minutes of searching for a ball that will never be recovered.
Now, getting back to where I began the story, do not let your home course handicap mislead you when it comes to playing competitively. For those of you who want to go the tournament route, you should learn the rules and play in as many competitive stroke play events as possible. This will give you a good idea of where you stand to par and other good players.
Recently while officiating a junior event, two young boys drove from the first tee dead down the middle of the fairway, maybe 240 or 250 yards out. They were both playing No. 3 Titleist ProV1 balls, and their balls came within a yard of each other. They were shocked (and their parents none too pleased) when I sent them back to the first tee hitting three! Both of their shots were considered lost because they could not identify their golf balls (neither had marked them). I wonder how many times that one would be called in a friendly club match.
Golf is a very difficult game by the book, but that’s why we have local rules. Personally, for the sake of time, I would drop the distance penalty for both out of bounds and lost ball and just take the stroke penalty. There’s no need to hold play up by going back to the tee, and even provisionals slow play with golfers of a certain level.
The game is about enjoyment with your buddies at a respectable pace. Playing some local rules and using a few simple time-saving tricks can help that; but don’t let your final score mislead you or be disappointed if you head out with the big boys.
As always, feel free to send a swing video to my Facebook page and I will do my best to give you my feedback.
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The PGA TOUR heads to New Orleans to play the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In a welcome change from the usual stroke play, the Zurich Classic is a team event. On Thursday and Saturday, the teams play best ball, and on Friday and Sunday the teams play alternate shot.
TPC Louisiana is a par 72 that measures 7,425 yards. The course features some short par 4s and plenty of water and bunkers, which makes for a lot of exciting risk/reward scenarios for competitors. Pete Dye designed the course in 2004 specifically for the Zurich Classic, although the event didn’t make its debut until 2007 because of Hurricane Katrina.
Coming off of the Masters and a signature event in consecutive weeks, the field this week is a step down, and understandably so. Many of the world’s top players will be using this time to rest after a busy stretch.
However, there are some interesting teams this season with some stars making surprise appearances in the team event. Some notable teams include Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala as well as a few Canadian teams, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners.
Past Winners at TPC Louisiana
- 2023: Riley/Hardy (-30)
- 2022: Cantlay/Schauffele (-29)
- 2021: Leishman/Smith (-20)
- 2019: Palmer/Rahm (-26)
- 2018: Horschel/Piercy (-22)
- 2017: Blixt/Smith (-27)
2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks
Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy +2500 (DraftKings)
Tom Hoge is coming off of a solid T18 finish at the RBC Heritage and finished T13 at last year’s Zurich Classic alongside Harris English.
This season, Hoge is having one of his best years on Tour in terms of Strokes Gained: Approach. In his last 24 rounds, the only player to top him on the category is Scottie Scheffler. Hoge has been solid on Pete Dye designs, ranking 28th in the field over his past 36 rounds.
McNealy is also having a solid season. He’s finished T6 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T9 at the PLAYERS Championship. He recently started working with world renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, and its seemingly paid dividends in 2024.
Keith Mitchell/Joel Dahmen +4000 (DraftKings)
Keith Mitchell is having a fantastic season, finishing in the top-20 of five of his past seven starts on Tour. Most recently, Mitchell finished T14 at the Valero Texas Open and gained a whopping 6.0 strokes off the tee. He finished 6th at last year’s Zurich Classic.
Joel Dahmen is having a resurgent year and has been dialed in with his irons. He also has a T11 finish at the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass which is another Pete Dye track. With Mitchell’s length and Dahmen’s ability to put it close with his short irons, the Mitchell/Dahmen combination will be dangerous this week.
Taylor Moore/Matt NeSmith +6500 (DraftKings)
Taylor Moore has quickly developed into one of the more consistent players on Tour. He’s finished in the top-20 in three of his past four starts, including a very impressive showing at The Masters, finishing T20. He’s also finished T4 at this event in consecutive seasons alongside Matt NeSmith.
NeSmith isn’t having a great 2024, but has seemed to elevate his game in this format. He finished T26 at Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, which gives the 30-year-old something to build off of. NeSmith is also a great putter on Bermudagrass, which could help elevate Moore’s ball striking prowess.
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After having four of the top twelve players on the leaderboard at The Masters, LIV Golf is set for their fifth event of the season: LIV Adelaide.
For both LIV fans and golf fans in Australia, LIV Adelaide is one of the most anticipated events of the year. With 35,000 people expected to attend each day of the tournament, the Grange Golf Club will be crawling with fans who are passionate about the sport of golf. The 12th hole, better known as “the watering hole”, is sure to have the rowdiest of the fans cheering after a long day of drinking some Leishman Lager.
The Grange Golf Club is a par-72 that measures 6,946 yards. The course features minimal resistance, as golfers went extremely low last season. In 2023, Talor Gooch shot consecutive rounds of 62 on Thursday and Friday, giving himself a gigantic cushion heading into championship Sunday. Things got tight for a while, but in the end, the Oklahoma State product was able to hold off The Crushers’ Anirban Lahiri for a three-shot victory.
The Four Aces won the team competition with the Range Goats finishing second.
*All Images Courtesy of LIV Golf*
Past Winners at LIV Adelaide
- 2023: Talor Gooch (-19)
Stat Leaders Through LIV Miami
Green in Regulation
- Richard Bland
- Jon Rahm
- Paul Casey
Fairways Hit
- Abraham Ancer
- Graeme McDowell
- Henrik Stenson
Driving Distance
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Joaquin Niemann
- Dean Burmester
Putting
- Cameron Smith
- Louis Oosthuizen
- Matt Jones
2024 LIV Adelaide Picks
Cameron Smith +1400 (DraftKings)
When I pulled up the odds for LIV Adelaide, I was more than a little surprised to see multiple golfers listed ahead of Cameron Smith on the betting board. A few starts ago, Cam finished runner-up at LIV Hong Kong, which is a golf course that absolutely suits his eye. Augusta National in another course that Smith could roll out of bed and finish in the top-ten at, and he did so two weeks ago at The Masters, finishing T6.
At Augusta, he gained strokes on the field on approach, off the tee (slightly), and of course, around the green and putting. Smith able to get in the mix at a major championship despite coming into the week feeling under the weather tells me that his game is once again rounding into form.
The Grange Golf Club is another course that undoubtedly suits the Australian. Smith is obviously incredibly comfortable playing in front of the Aussie faithful and has won three Australian PGA Championship’s. The course is very short and will allow Smith to play conservative off the tee, mitigating his most glaring weakness. With birdies available all over the golf course, there’s a chance the event turns into a putting contest, and there’s no one on the planet I’d rather have in one of those than Cam Smith.
Louis Oosthuizen +2200 (DraftKings)
Louis Oosthuizen has simply been one of the best players on LIV in the 2024 seas0n. The South African has finished in the top-10 on the LIV leaderboard in three of his five starts, with his best coming in Jeddah, where he finished T2. Perhaps more impressively, Oosthuizen finished T7 at LIV Miami, which took place at Doral’s “Blue Monster”, an absolutely massive golf course. Given that Louis is on the shorter side in terms of distance off the tee, his ability to play well in Miami shows how dialed he is with the irons this season.
In addition to the LIV finishes, Oosthuizen won back-to-back starts on the DP World Tour in December at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the Mauritus Open. He also finished runner-up at the end of February in the International Series Oman. The 41-year-old has been one of the most consistent performers of 2024, regardless of tour.
For the season, Louis ranks 4th on LIV in birdies made, T9 in fairways hit and first in putting. He ranks 32nd in driving distance, but that won’t be an issue at this short course. Last season, he finished T11 at the event, but was in decent position going into the final round but fell back after shooting 70 while the rest of the field went low. This season, Oosthuizen comes into the event in peak form, and the course should be a perfect fit for his smooth swing and hot putter this week.
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Of all the clubs in our bags, wedges are almost always the simplest in construction and, therefore, the easiest to analyze what might make one work differently from another if you know what to look for.
Wedges are a lot less mysterious than drivers, of course, as the major brands are working with a lot of “pixie dust” inside these modern marvels. That’s carrying over more to irons now, with so many new models featuring internal multi-material technologies, and almost all of them having a “badge” or insert in the back to allow more complex graphics while hiding the actual distribution of mass.
But when it comes to wedges, most on the market today are still single pieces of molded steel, either cast or forged into that shape. So, if you look closely at where the mass is distributed, it’s pretty clear how that wedge is going to perform.
To start, because of their wider soles, the majority of the mass of almost any wedge is along the bottom third of the clubhead. So, the best wedge shots are always those hit between the 2nd and 5th grooves so that more mass is directly behind that impact. Elite tour professionals practice incessantly to learn to do that consistently, wearing out a spot about the size of a penny right there. If impact moves higher than that, the face is dramatically thinner, so smash factor is compromised significantly, which reduces the overall distance the ball will fly.
Every one of us, tour players included, knows that maddening shot that we feel a bit high on the face and it doesn’t go anywhere, it’s not your fault.
If your wedges show a wear pattern the size of a silver dollar, and centered above the 3rd or 4th groove, you are not getting anywhere near the same performance from shot to shot. Robot testing proves impact even two to three grooves higher in the face can cause distance loss of up to 35 to 55 feet with modern ‘tour design’ wedges.
In addition, as impact moves above the center of mass, the golf club principle of gear effect causes the ball to fly higher with less spin. Think of modern drivers for a minute. The “holy grail” of driving is high launch and low spin, and the driver engineers are pulling out all stops to get the mass as low in the clubhead as possible to optimize this combination.
Where is all the mass in your wedges? Low. So, disregarding the higher lofts, wedges “want” to launch the ball high with low spin – exactly the opposite of what good wedge play requires penetrating ball flight with high spin.
While almost all major brand wedges have begun putting a tiny bit more thickness in the top portion of the clubhead, conventional and modern ‘tour design’ wedges perform pretty much like they always have. Elite players learn to hit those crisp, spinny penetrating wedge shots by spending lots of practice time learning to consistently make contact low in the face.
So, what about grooves and face texture?
Grooves on any club can only do so much, and no one has any material advantage here. The USGA tightly defines what we manufacturers can do with grooves and face texture, and modern manufacturing techniques allow all of us to push those limits ever closer. And we all do. End of story.
Then there’s the topic of bounce and grinds, the most complex and confusing part of the wedge formula. Many top brands offer a complex array of sole configurations, all of them admittedly specialized to a particular kind of lie or turf conditions, and/or a particular divot pattern.
But if you don’t play the same turf all the time, and make the same size divot on every swing, how would you ever figure this out?
The only way is to take any wedge you are considering and play it a few rounds, hitting all the shots you face and observing the results. There’s simply no other way.
So, hopefully this will inspire a lively conversation in our comments section, and I’ll chime in to answer any questions you might have.
And next week, I’ll dive into the rest of the wedge formula. Yes, shafts, grips and specifications are essential, too.
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inncfromnj
Jul 17, 2013 at 5:08 pm
In competitive stroke or match play events, the rules of golf should be adhered to by the book.
For the $5 Nassau, the group may wish to modify a few of the rules, so as long as all parties agree, to keep pace of play. One such rule is ball out of bounds. If in the friendly round with no money or anything else on the line, play it as a lateral hazard and proceed with a one stroke penalty.
In stroke play there is no rule regarding playing “out of turn”…in match play, there is. Players must play in turn. That is the ball farthest from the hole must be played first.
Other than that, play by the rules. Keep the game moving. Don’t hold up the golf course.
Play read
Brian
Jul 17, 2013 at 1:00 pm
My local club and the organization that runs the state events (CGA), enter your tournament rounds for you, so there’s no escaping the effects tournament golf has on your handicap.
With that said, the negative effects tournament golf can have on your handicap can easily cause a realistic handicap to be confused with sandbagging, especially at less stressful club events like a member guest or member member. It’s a double whammy for those that don’t play tourney golf b/c not only do their handicaps have the potential to be artificially low, but they often aren’t used to playing by all of the rules, most damaging of which I’ve found to be putting the ball out.
is1ander
Jul 15, 2013 at 10:57 pm
Great article! Hits the issue right on the sweet spot as far as the (mostly) honest golfers are concerned.
Shannon
Jul 14, 2013 at 2:42 pm
I’m a rules official, recreational golfer & play in club tournaments. I play by the letter of the law in tournaments but in regular day to day play, I do not follow the OB and Lost ball rules if I haven’t played a provisional. There are times when you just can’t find the ball when it shouldn’t be a problem finding it. The ball has just rolled into the rough but you can’t find it. I wouldn’t have played a provisional because the ball should be easy to find but when I get there and can’t it, I’m not going to slow the course down by walking back to where I hot my previous shot. I will play it like a lateral hazard. I know I’m not playing by the rules but I also haven’t slow the course down. SLOW PLAY is the biggest problem in the game today. Match play would speed the game up by 30 minutes or more but in North America, we don’t play enough match play.
Tom
Jul 15, 2013 at 6:10 am
Great article, and I agree with you, and would do the same IF it’s just a match with the weekend group. We ALWAYS play by the rules too, and the only “gimmee” you’ll get is if it’s leaning over the hole. BUT if that ball is lost for no apparent reason, no one goes back, and will drop one to play it. BUT they’re out of the hole, and the score is put down as the max allowed for their handidcap for posting. Playing the other ball is basically just finishing the hole to stay warmed up I guess. Some at our course thought changing some OB to lateral hazards would speed up play. In many cases it’s done just the opposite. When you think you’re OB, you right away hit a provisional. But if you have a lateral where you cross the line at point A, everyone STILL goes forward to see if they can find their ball, (it may have popped out, hit a tree or you can find it and play it), but then not finding it have to go back to where it crossed and THEN hit their next shot, whereas the provisional would already have been hit and just go over and play it.
And I’ll play one of those guys where everything inside the leather is good, ALL DAY. When he has to putt them, boy is it entertaining.
Dennis Clark
Jul 15, 2013 at 8:55 am
good points; provisionals are hit when its obvious or even iffy, but not when its in an area where the golf ball should have been easy to find…and you’re right slow much is a much more serious problem
inncfromnj
Jul 17, 2013 at 5:51 pm
Agree 100%..It seems that far too many people are obsessed with their “score”…When I first started playing again, almost everyone played match play games such as a Nassau or “Wolf”….Those are match play games.
Rather than grind over a 9 on a par 4, in match play, you go in the pocket and we simply use the Equitable Stroke Control number of strokes and put that on the score card. A typical middle handicap golfer( 12-18) would take no more than a triple bogey. Problem solved.
Sean
Jul 12, 2013 at 6:39 pm
If you don’t play by the rules then you can never know your true handicap. How then will you know if you are improving or not?
ps: I always mark my golf ball. Even if it only ends up being used for one shot. :-0
Rob
Jul 12, 2013 at 4:02 pm
I think the competition factor definitely leads to inflated scores, but it’s not the only reason handicaps are misleading.
What we have to realize in a certain handicap is that the number reflects a score you “could” shoot 25% of the time, or 1 in 4 rounds at most. Because, of your last 20 scores, only the top 50% are included in the calculation, and then those are averaged, giving you a number that correlates with your top 25% scores.
So 75% of the time you shouldn’t expect to play to your handicap in competition or a friendly round.
Dennis Clark
Jul 12, 2013 at 12:51 pm
If you read into this thread, you’ll see that most are referencing the tee shot. But remember that lost and OB have to applied everywhere. Example: Par 5, third shot, 100 yards skulled OB over the green. with S&D, I can play 5, hit it tight and make 6. With two strokes, I’m chipping 6 from somewhere behind the green. Let me recommend a book: “The Principles behind the Rules of Golf” by Richard Tufts-google it. It is WELL worth the read.
G
Jul 13, 2013 at 2:46 am
Bingo.
Once again, the difference between general recreational golf and tournament golf with proper rules.
The problem with most golfers (not the problem with golf – note the difference) is that most golfers are NOT HONEST and their egos get in the way, they do not respect the rules, do not respect etiquette, and just generally don’t care what anybody else says. And I said, MOST. Of course, there are plenty of golfers who do care and maintain decency, keep their egos in check (most of the time) and respect the rules and the reason for why it is golf.
Ryan
Jul 12, 2013 at 10:53 am
In the example where you told the kids to replay:
A) Feels like if you’re going to really come down on these kids hard with the rule it would be easier to just have them check the marks before you start?
B) In this case its usually a pretty obvious “my ball is on the right”, would that still not be enough?
Dennis Clark
Jul 12, 2013 at 11:12 am
There is no intent of being hard or easy; it is simply the rule, very black and white. Even young eyes cant see the ball 250 yards away when they are as close as they were. But that’s why we have junior golf, so the young players can learn what competition is. That includes the rules as well as learning to play.
Steve Barry
Jul 12, 2013 at 11:21 am
No, it has to be definitive I believe. I was caddying for a buddy in a State Am Qualifier one year and from the tee box, he pushed his to the right, over a small hill which we couldn’t see over. Well, over this hill was a small pond. We didn’t see the ball go into the hazard, so we were going to take a drop up right by the water as we were certain it was in there. However, one of the guys playing with us said we had to play it as a lost ball because we couldn’t definitively say the ball was in the water as no one saw it enter the water or see a splash or something that would let you know, 100%, the ball was in the water.
Brian
Jul 17, 2013 at 12:32 pm
Actually, it has to be “known or virtually certain”. Known would imply you saw it go in, i.e. 100% sure, virtually certain would imply you didn’t see it go, i.e. not 100% sure, but you and your playing partners are extremely confident that it went in the hazard. Every situation is different. We have a hole at my home club that tees downhill where you can’t see the landing area. If you crush it, the fairway narrows to about 10-15 yards, sloping to the left, with a pond on the left side of the fairway. When someone crushes one right down the pipe, and we can’t find the ball, we’re virtually certain the ball went in the drink.
Dennis Clark
Jul 17, 2013 at 1:51 pm
correct Brian; Rule 26-1.
inncfromnj
Jul 17, 2013 at 5:42 pm
Incorrect. The rule is “certain or ‘virtually certain”. the ball has crossed the margin of the hazard.
It is shocking to find how many players who play competitive golf, know so little about the rules.
In a stroke play amateur tournament, a competitor in my group hit his tee shot on a par three. The ball cam to rest directly a split rail fence which is marked as OB. I informed his that if any part of the ball lies on or directly below or touches any part of the ground that is OB, the ball is out of bounds.
He had to re tee. Later he asked the tourney director and even he got this one wrong. Oh well.
Dennis Clark
Jul 17, 2013 at 10:40 pm
USGA Rules of Golf:2012-2015
Rule 26-1: 2nd sentence: In the absence of knowledge or virtual certainty…
Paragraph two: “If a ball is found in a water hazard or is KNOWN OR VIRTUALLY CERTAIN…
ParHunter
Jul 29, 2013 at 1:07 pm
Sorry but you got that wrong. The ball is only oob when all of it is OOB.
As per the definition of out of bounds, a ball is out of bounds when all of it lies out of bounds.
http://www.randa.org/en/RandA/News/News/2013/January/Course-Marking-1.aspx
evenStephen
Jul 12, 2013 at 10:28 am
Dennis great write up! Really enjoyed it.
Pressure is what separates the players from the guys that puke on themselves. I can say it is true, because I am the guy usually puking on myself.
Tournaments are tournaments and all rules should be followed, but if those same rules are followed during a regular weekend game (OB, No Gimmes, Lost Ball, etc.) maybe there will be less puking, quicker rounds, and more knowledge of the rules. Practice makes perfect.
I believe everything should be putted out regardless of the game you are playing.
Dennis Clark
Jul 12, 2013 at 11:14 am
Agreed, but remember that in match play you do not have the right to “putt out” if you putt is conceded.
dubbledxu
Jul 12, 2013 at 7:15 am
This is one of the best articles I’ve read on the net in a while, well done Dennis.
Dennis Clark
Jul 11, 2013 at 10:04 pm
Question: how many reading this story have ever played their golf ball out of a deep divot?
G
Jul 11, 2013 at 10:41 pm
All the time, on ALL courses, whether private or public it doesn’t matter – you’d be surprised how poorly behaved most expensive, private course members are about fixing divots and ballmarks, it’s shameful, truth be told.
paul
Jul 11, 2013 at 10:48 pm
I did once. Hurt my elbow a bit to. next time im taking a drop a foot behind the pivot. my elbow hurts just thinking about it. safety first, im not playing for money.
chris
Jul 17, 2013 at 11:06 pm
Another good point. I’m not injuring myself playin a round with my buddies. Besides I dint care what anyone says you shouldn’t be penalized for hitting a fairway.
inncfromnj
Jul 17, 2013 at 5:35 pm
All the time. The fun part is the challenge of executing a shot from that type of lie.
igolfman
Jul 11, 2013 at 9:49 pm
Hey guys you can’t be a little bit pregnant. Play by the rules it is not that hard. If you think it is OB or it could be lost hit a provisional. Otherwise, I make most of those three footers I’m not going to count that one I made 3 not 4.
tightmf
Jul 11, 2013 at 6:55 pm
I just add 2 if I lose it or walk up on an unexpected OB ball.
My provisional is always worse anyway.
Danimal
Jul 12, 2013 at 12:01 pm
This seems to be what the rule should really be — OB should be treated the same as a lateral hazard but with a two-stroke penalty instead of one. Lost ball too, except the trick would be to figure out where to drop. Last known location of the ball, one club-length, no closer to the hole?
OB/Lost Ball are terrible rules, in my opinion. Walking back to re-hit should never be required in golf (although it should always be an option).
Dennis Clark
Jul 11, 2013 at 5:24 pm
One thing to remember here: It has always been the policy of the USGA to penalize “like situations alike” so there is no question that OB and lost ball should have same penalty. And the reason I say tournament golf is different is this: If distance penalty was dropped for tour pros, they could use the rules to their advantage in several ways. Example: going for a par 5 in two: If they go for it and hit it OB on their 2nd shot, they’d be playing 4 right up by the green, strategy changes greatly.
Dave
Jul 12, 2013 at 7:43 am
Yes, that is an excellent point. And for all golfers who play by the rules, OB is very punitive (stroke and distance), so it will likely affect their club selection and intended shot off the tee. If you are allowed to just drop, why not go for broke on strategic holes?
Danimal
Jul 12, 2013 at 12:17 pm
This wouldn’t be worth it if the OB penalty was two strokes, however.
Tom
Jul 11, 2013 at 5:20 pm
For the sake of saving time and not going back too re-tee. The option of hitting a provisional comes into play.
Jim
Jul 11, 2013 at 4:12 pm
Nice article. I agree with the lost ball/ out of bounds comments. I have never seen anyone walk back to re-tee after loosing a ball (and hope I never do for time sake). You just drop one near where you ‘lost’ it and keep moving. If you actually walked back to the tee that 4 1/2 hour round would be 6 hours easily because you wouldn’t be the only one doing the same thing. Re-teeing makes sense for tournament play only not for the recreational golfer.
Dennis Clark
Jul 11, 2013 at 4:18 pm
Very true; and remember this: We don’t have half of golfdom looking for our ball when we hit it off line. The gallery saves the tour players time and strokes!
Dominic
Jul 11, 2013 at 5:10 pm
That is why we have adopted a local rule at our course that all unmarked hazards are to be played as red stakes. The only OB stakes are along the edge of the property but this saves time for people that hit in the trees and lose their ball.
Dave
Jul 12, 2013 at 7:36 am
That is why you are supposed to hit a provisional ball if there is a chance your tee ball is lost or OB.
inncfromnj
Jul 17, 2013 at 5:33 pm
Be careful. If a ball is “lost” in a hazard or is known or virtually certain to be lost in a hazard, the player may proceed under rule 27-1 playing a ball nearly as possible to where the original ball was played. Or if in a water hazard determine where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard and drop a ball keeping that point between the point of entry between the hole and the place where the ball is to be dropped with no limit on how far from that point which the ball entered the hazard. Or if in a lateral hazard, no more than two club lengths no nearer the hole.
There is no ‘provisional ball’ contingency for a ball lost in a hazard. Rule 27-1
Mike
Jul 11, 2013 at 4:09 pm
I’m not sure about your handicap calculation… You need slope and rating to calculate handicap.
Dennis Clark
Jul 11, 2013 at 4:15 pm
yes you do; the calculations were used as an “average” or example. The larger point is clear…whatever handicap is, people rarely shoot it in stroke play formats.
Matt M
Jul 11, 2013 at 4:03 pm
Great piece! I agree with this idea of dropping the distance penalty for local play. With rounds lasting 4+ hrs the last thing I want to do on the tee is watch a guy search for 5 minutes then hike back to tee to re hit. A counter point would be if you think there is a chance it’s lost hit a provisional to avoid the wasted time walking back to tee.
Andrew
Jul 11, 2013 at 4:57 pm
Totally agree, If I have any doubt that I may not be able to find my ball I hit a provisional.
Loupus
Jul 11, 2013 at 2:52 pm
If I could change one rule, it would be to take away the distance penalty for OB. Slows play and is unnecessarily penal. Same goes for lost ball. So I guess that makes two rules I’d change.
Dennis Clark
Jul 11, 2013 at 3:12 pm
Agreed; mentioned that in the article. It’s not a good idea in tournament golf, but for club golf and local rules, I think it would speed play.
Stephen Lee
Jul 13, 2013 at 1:21 pm
Couldnt agreed more on the idea of revise some of the rules. some of the penalties are too severe and unnecessary. In my honest opinion, amateurs are doing better with the rules regarding lost ball & Out of bounds.
G
Jul 11, 2013 at 10:38 pm
No way! THAT is how a good player differentiates himself from the bad, right away – by being IN PLAY. It’s a penalty for a reason. In fact, the problem with modern golf courses is that there are NOT ENOUGH OBs on boundaries. And why would you blankly say that OB slows play? How can it? If a player knows the rules properly and plays by it, IF there is any CHANCE that a ball may be OB or not be found, the player is supposed to immediately play a PROVISIONAL from the tee and proceed thus = by the time he gets to the first ball that may have gone out or not found and is indeed discovered that the ball is out – all he has to do is play the provisional = not much time wasted, at all.
The problem with slow play is due to the “Search for the ball” rule – if a bad player hits dozen balls into the bush and spends 5 minutes looking for each ball and never lets the group behind play through – therein lies the problem. The Rules of Golf should clearly state that a player may only look for 3 lost balls within the time allotted of 15 minutes total to search. That should solve a huge chunk of the problem of slow play. The course marshals needs also need to be given more respect and authority by being allowed to move groups forward or ejecting players who just should not be out there at all.
pezman38
Jul 12, 2013 at 8:59 am
If you go 5-10 yards to the right of the fairway in the rough and your ball lands in a gopher hole, or buried in deep rough never to be seen again, I bet you a 50 spot you didn’t play a provisional. You get to the spot and can’t find your ball, in this instance to speed play dropping where you saw it land is better than going back to re-tee IMHO. This is for Rec play of course.
If you see OB and your ball heads there, sure easy to play a provisional there, i get that, talking about not having a gallery watching your ball 200-300 down the fairway and only missing the fairway by a few yards.
Dennis Clark
Jul 12, 2013 at 11:08 am
Please remember that if the golf ball ends up in a gopher hole, you get free relief; it is an “abnormal ground condition” by definition.
Danimal
Jul 12, 2013 at 12:12 pm
But only if you can confirm that it’s in there, right? Otherwise, you’re trucking it back to the tee and making the entire golf course wait for you (if you want to play by the rules [which I do]).
Should be a drop and two-strokes for OB/Lost ball, says I. Let’s petition the USGA/R&A!! (yeah right…)
inncfromnj
Jul 17, 2013 at 5:16 pm
If the ball is not identified, It is a ‘lost ball’..Stoke and distance is the proper play.
ParHunter
Jul 29, 2013 at 12:54 pm
IMHO an OOB or lost ball should be handled in a similar way than a water hazard. E.g. use where the ball entered the OOB or where it is deemed to be lost.
Why is a bad shot that ends up OOB punished more than a bad shot that ends up in a water hazard (e.g. both could be a slice with in one case OOB running along the right side and in the other a water hazard running along the right side)? With OOB and lost ball you get punished effectively two shots (shot and distance) while with a water hazard you get punished one shot which is bad enough IMHO.