How well do you know the rules?

I figure this will not be very representitive since most people here seem to take golf a bit more seriously then the general population. Of course that means the results could be interesting, since my assumption is people here are more likely to know the rules.

Also feel free to mention your HDCP. I'm assuming that better players have a better grasp of the rules.

FWIW,
I have no handicap(hacker) and have read the Decisions book but don't know the RoG well enough to play competitively and not get in rules trouble.

If you are going to play, then you should know the basic rules. I think the most mis-understood rules are regarding staked hazard areas. I played a tourney last year got in a huge debate with two of the four guys. Long story short, one guy screwed himself and the other screwed everyone who finished behind him. We argued for three holes after that, until I threatened to call a rules official and make him play the hole over. I told him I questioned every score he posted in every tourney he played up to that point.

You should have to pass some basic rules test before playing tourneys.

It always surprises me that many of the basic rules are misinterpreted even by low handicappers.

I find that's how many of them become low handicappers in the first place.

Ouch!

I'd never read the rules until just a couple years ago when I started playing regularly. I read the rules then because I didn't know what the rules were. I then asked people I knew some simple questions like "what is the difference between the red stake and the yellow stake". That's when I discovered that after reading the rules one time, I had more accurate understanding of the rules than anyone else I knew. I think I've read the rules and decisions enough times that I would be confident playing in a tournament.

The real trick, though, and this applies to any game/sport, is to know the rules well enough to know when someone is trying to pull the wool over your eyes. That reminds me of a round I played with a friend of mine one time. He was chipping from off the green and I was tending the flag. My tending the flag was unnecessary, but I didn't know that at the time. So he chips and the ball comes bouncing to the hole. I pull the flag and the ball bounces directly over the hole and rolls to the other side of the green. My friend said the stroke should be treated as if the ball holed out because the ball might have gone in the hole except that I pulled the flag (or some other similarly misguided reasoning). I don't recall what happened afterwards, but I do remember thinking that he made that rule up on the spot because he didn't know the actual rule and his made up rule was awfully convenient for him. The sad part was that he was on the golf team in high school. You'd think he would have had a better grasp of the rules.

I'm new (been playing just over a year). I know the basic rules and even some of the more esoteric (sp?) ones, I'm kinda gray on all the interpretations.

I keep meaning to read them- just never seem to get the time.

But for those who haven't and live in the colder climates (me included)... now is a perfect time!

I still think I could play in a tournament (not that I'm good enough yet) but I might be a bit more dependent on others for really weird cases.

But then again, I'm not expecting to walk away with the trophy just yet either... so if you tell me my actual score should include an additional 2-stroke penalty, well, OK, if you insist.

As long as the beer at the 19th hole is still cold when I get there, we're cool.

I voted option #4.

I played a lot of competitive amateur golf in my younger days and consequently I've got a decent hold on things and nine times out of ten I'm 100% confident in what I'm doing or saying when it comes to rules questions. I can't recall ever dropping a clanger and copping for a penalty in competition. That said, if I ever faced anything really perplexing and the little book in the bag didn't cover it I'd find someone who's knowledge was greater than mine and ask them.

I voted #4. The guys I know who are experts would blow you away with their knowledge.

Kevin