Opinion & Analysis
Top 5 “Unwritten rules of golf”
This past week, the conversation around unwritten rules in sport reared its head again when Fernando Tatis, Jr. ripped a grand slam in the 8th inning on a 3-0 count while his team was already up by seven runs.
Some commentators said it went against the “unwritten rules” of baseball to take a full rip in that situation, while others believe if you don’t want someone to hit a grand slam, don’t load the bases and throw a 92 mph meatball over the plate.
Golf, like baseball, is filled with unwritten rules, but what makes it different is the fact that, unlike baseball, golf is an individual pursuit, and for beginners, they can be tough to navigate and understand. It is part of the reason many people getting into the game feel intimidated or shy to ask questions since they don’t want to appear to be unknowledgeable.
So, for the sake of golfers who need a little refresher and new golfers alike, these are the top-five unwritten rules of golf—written down.
1. Don’t walk on a putting line (or through-line)
2. First one to hole out gets the flagstick
In our current golf landscape, this “rule” has taken a bit of a backseat to flags being left in at all times, but if you are the first person to finish out on a hole, it is also your responsibility to pick up the flag and replace it once everyone else has finished.
This simple act is akin to the shopping cart theory
“The shopping cart is the ultimate litmus test for whether a person is capable of self-governing.”
“To return the shopping cart is an easy, convenient task and one which we all recognize as the correct, appropriate thing to do. To return the shopping cart is objectively right. There are no situations other than dire emergencies in which a person is not able to return their cart. Simultaneously, it is not illegal to abandon your shopping cart. Therefore the shopping cart presents itself as the apex example of whether a person will do what is right without being forced to do it.”
3. Pick up and move on when taking a BIG number
Unless you are playing a competitive round of golf, the unspoken rule on a busy course is double par and pick it up. Consider it a small opportunity to reset for the next hole or to move up to the green and putt out before playing on.
If you are worried about keeping a handicap, Equitable Stroke Control takes over anyway:
“Equitable Stroke Control” (ESC) is the downward adjustment of individual hole scores for handicap purposes in order to make handicaps more representative of a player’s potential ability. ESC sets a maximum number that a player can post on any hole depending on the player’s Course Handicap. ESC is used only when a player’s actual or most likely score exceeds the player’s maximum number based on the table in Section 4-3 of the USGA Handicap Manual
4. Find it – return it!
This one shouldn’t even need to be noted but, for the sake of general human decency let’s make it very clear—if you find something on the course, whether it be a club, headcover, or rangefinder, return it to the pro shop if someone doesn’t come looking for it on the course.
On the other hand, the one thing you can find and keep are golf balls, hoard those to your heart’s content.
5. Play from the correct tees (yes, even YOU)
This is a big one and sits at number one on my personal list of the unwritten rules. Playing from the right tees not only allows you to play fasters and have more fun, but it helps keep the pace of play around the course too.
The general rule for selecting the correct yardage/tees to play from goes like this—and also requires you to be honest about the yardage you hit your clubs
5-iron distance X 36 = The yardage you should play from
Forget how many sets of tees exist on the course, or even the color – and for the last time—stop calling the most forward tees the “ladies tees”—there are just called “forward tees.”
I once heard DJ Piehowski of No Laying Up quote a Scottish caddie, “If we’re making too many birdies and having to much fun, we can always move back a tee.”
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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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Golf's Perfect Imperfections
Golf’s Perfect Imperfections: Amazing Session with Performance Coach Savannah Meyer-Clement
In this week’s episode, we spent some time with performance coach Savannah Meyer-Clement who provides many useful insights that you’ll be able to implement on the golf course.
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 RBC Heritage betting preview: Patrick Cantlay ready to get back inside winner’s circle
Just a two-hour drive from Augusta National, the PGA TOUR heads to Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Hilton Head Island is a golfer’s paradise and Harbour Town is one of the most beautiful and scenic courses on the PGA TOUR.
Harbour Town Golf Links is a par-71 that measures 7,121 yards and features Bermuda grass greens. A Pete Dye design, the course is heavily tree lined and features small greens and many dog legs, protecting it from “bomb-and-gauge” type golfers.
The field is loaded this week with 69 golfers with no cut. Last year was quite possibly the best field in RBC Heritage history and the event this week is yet another designated event, meaning there is a $20 million prize pool.
Most of the big names on the PGA Tour will be in attendance this week with the exceptions of Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland. Additionally, Webb Simpson, Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland and Kevin Kisner have been granted sponsors exemptions.
Past Winners at Harbour Town
- 2023: Matt Fitzpatrick (-17)
- 2022: Jordan Spieth (-13)
- 2021: Stewart Cink (-19)
- 2020: Webb Simpson (-22)
- 2019: CT Pan (-12)
- 2018: Sotoshi Kodaira (-12)
- 2017: Wesley Bryan (-13)
- 2016: Branden Grace (-9)
- 2015: Jim Furyk (-18)
In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).
Key Stats For Harbour Town
Let’s take a look at key metrics for Harbour Town Golf Links to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Approach is exceedingly important this week. The greens at Harbour Town are about half the size of PGA TOUR average and feature the second-smallest greens on the tour. Typical of a Pete Dye design, golfers will pay the price for missed greens.
Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Scottie Scheffler (+1.27)
- Tom Hoge (+1.27)
- Corey Conners (+1.16)
- Austin Eckroat (+0.95)
- Cameron Young (+0.93)
Good Drive %
The fairways at Harbour Town are tree lined and feature many dog legs. Bombers tend to struggle at the course because it forces layups and doesn’t allow long drivers to overpower it. Accuracy is far more important than power.
Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds
- Brice Garnett (88.8%)
- Shane Lowry (+87.2%)
- Akshay Bhatia (+86.0%)
- Si Woo Kim (+85.8%)
- Sepp Straka (+85.1%)
Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs
Pete Dye specialists tend to play very well at Harbour Town. Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk and Webb Simpson are all Pete Dye specialists who have had great success here. It is likely we see some more specialists near the top of the leaderboard this week.
SG: TOT Pete Dye per round over past 36 rounds:
- Xander Schauffele (+2.27)
- Scottie Scheffler (+2.24)
- Ludvig Aberg (+2.11)
- Brian Harman (+1.89)
- Sungjae Im (+1.58)
4. Strokes Gained: Short Game (Bermuda)
Strokes Gained: Short Game factors in both around the green and putting. With many green-side bunkers and tricky green complexes, both statistics will be important. Past winners — such as Jim Furyk, Wes Bryan and Webb Simpson — highlight how crucial the short game skill set is around Harbour Town.
SG: SG Over Past 24 Rounds
- Jordan Spieth (+1.11)
- Taylor Moore (+1.02)
- Wyndham Clark (+0.98)
- Mackenzie Hughes (+0.86)
- Andrew Putnam (+0.83)
5. Greens in Regulation %
The recipe for success at Harbour Town Golf Links is hitting fairways and greens. Missing either will prove to be consequential — golfers must be in total control of the ball to win.
Greens in Regulation % over past 24 rounds:
- Brice Garnett (+75.0%)
- Scottie Scheffler (+69.9%)
- Corey Conners (+69.0%)
- Shane Lowry (+68.3%)
- Patrick Rodgers (+67.6%)
6. Course History
Harbour Town is a course where players who have strong past results at the course always tend to pop up.
Course History over past 24 rounds:
- Patrick Cantlay (+2.34)
- Cam Davis (+2.05)
- J.T. Poston (+1.69)
- Justin Rose (+1.68)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+1.59)
The RBC Heritage Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (24%), Good Drives (20%), SG: SG (14%), SG: Pete Dye (14%), GIR (14%), and Course History (14%)
- Shane Lowry
- Russell Henley
- Scottie Scheffler
- Xander Schauffele
- Corey Conners
- Wyndham Clark
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Cameron Young
- Ludvig Aberg
2024 RBC Heritage Picks
Patrick Cantlay +2000 (FanDuel)
With the exception of Scottie Scheffler, the PGA Tour has yet to have any of their star players show peak form during the 2024 season. Last week, Patrick Cantlay, who I believe is a top-5 players on the PGA Tour, took one step closer to regaining the form that’s helped him win eight events on Tour since 2017.
Cantlay limped into the Masters in poor form, but figured it out at Augusta National, finishing in a tie for 20th and ranking 17th for the week in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. The former FedEx Cup champion will now head to one of his favorite golf courses in Harbour Town, where he’s had immaculate results over the years. In his six trips to the course, he’s only finished worse than 7th one time. The other finishes include three third places (2017, 2019, 2023) and one runner-up finish (2022). In his past 36 rounds at Harbour Town, Cantlay ranks 1st in Strokes Gained: Total per round at the course by a wide margin (+2.36).
Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship, which is far too long for a player of his caliber. With signs pointing to the 32-year-old returning to form, a “signature event” at Harbour Town is just what he needs to get back on the winning track.
Tommy Fleetwood +3000 (FanDuel)
I truly believe Tommy Fleetwood will figure out a way to win on American soil in 2024. It’s certainly been a bugaboo for him throughout his career, but he is simply too talented to go another season without winning a PGA Tour event.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, Fleetwood made a Sunday charge and ended up finishing T3 in the event, which was his best ever finish at The Masters. For the week, the Englishman ranked 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 10th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking and 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is a perfect layout for Fleetwood, and he’s had relative success at this Pete Dye design in the past. In his four trips to the course, he’s finished inside of the top 25 three times, with his best finish, T10, coming in 2022. The course is pretty short and can’t be overpowered, which gives an advantage to more accurate players such as Fleetwood. Tommy ranks 8th in the field in Good Drive % and should be able to plot his way along this golf course.
The win is coming for Tommy lad. I believe there’s a chance this treasure of a golf course may be the perfect one for him to finally break through on Tour.
Cameron Young +3300 (FanDuel)
Cameron Young had a solid Masters Tournament last week, which is exactly what I’m looking for in players who I anticipate playing well this week at the RBC Heritage. He finished in a tie for 9th, but never felt the pressure of contending in the event. For the week, Young ranked 6th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Despite being one of the longest players off the tee on the PGA Tour, Young has actually played some really good golf on shorter tracks. He finished T3 at Harbour Town in 2023 and ranks 20th in the field in Good Drive% and 16th in Greens in Regulation in his past 24 rounds. He also has strong finishes at other shorter courses that can take driver out of a players hand such as Copperhead and PGA National.
Young is simply one of the best players on the PGA Tour in 2024, and I strongly believe has what it takes to win a PGA Tour event in the very near future.
Corey Conners +5500 (FanDuel)
Corey Conners has had a disappointing year thus far on the PGA Tour, but absolutely loves Harbour Town.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, the Canadian finished T30 but ranked 20th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach. In his past 24 rounds, Conners ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Greens in Regulation % and 24th in Good Drive %.
In Conners’ last four trips to Harbour Town, his worst finish was T31, last season. He finished T4 in 2021, T12 in 2022 and ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course over his past 36 rounds.
Conners hasn’t been contending, but his recent finishes have been encouraging as he has finished in the top-25 in each of his past three starts prior to The Masters, including an impressive T13 at The PLAYERS. His recent improvement in ball striking as well as his suitability for Harbour Town makes Conners a high upside bet this week.
Shane Lowry (+7500) (FanDuel)
When these odds were posted after Lowry was announced in the field, I have to admit I was pretty stunned. Despite not offering much win equity on the PGA Tour over the last handful of years, Shane Lowry is still a top caliber player who has the ability to rise to the top of a signature event.
Lowry struggled to score at The Masters last week, but he actually hit the ball really well. The Irishman ranked 1st for Strokes Gained: Approach on the week and 7th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. As usual, it was the putter that let him down, as he ranked 60th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is most definitely one of Lowry’s favorite courses on the PGA Tour. In his six starts there, he’s finished in the top 10 three times, including third twice. Lowry is sensational at Pete Dye designs and ranks 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in his past 36 rounds on Dye tracks.
Lowry is perfect for Harbour Town. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 5th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 2nd in Good Drive% and 5th in Green in Regulation %. If he figures it out on the greens, Shane could have his first win in America since 2015.
Lucas Glover +12000 (FanDuel)
This is one of my weekly “bet the number” plays as I strongly believe the odds are just too long for a player of Glover’s caliber. The odds have been too long on Glover for a few weeks now, but this is the first event that I can get behind the veteran being able to actually contend at.
Glover is quietly playing good golf and returning to the form he had after the understandable regression after his two massive victories at the end of 2023. He finished T20 at The Masters, which was his best ever finish at Augusta National. For the week, Lucas ranked 18th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 20th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Over his past 24 rounds, Glover ranks 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th in Good Drive %. Harbour Town is a short course that the 44-year-old will be able to keep up with the top players on Tour off the tee. He’s played the course more than 20 times, with mixed results. His best finishes at Harbour Town include a T7 in 2008, but recently has a finish of T21 in 2020.
Glover has proven he can contend with the stars of the Tour on any given week, and this number is flat out disrespectful.
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retired04
Aug 29, 2020 at 8:47 am
length of the course to play? simple-the old “tee it forward” program promoted by Jack N. among many others, kept it simple. If you can’t reach the majority of the 3’s and 4’s with a 7 iron or less (carry yardage), you are playing the WRONG tees-and definitely not having the fun and enjoyment you should.
Suncoast9
Aug 28, 2020 at 11:29 am
While #5 is a good guideline, I would also factor in skill level. I carry a 1 handicap and hit my 5 iron 165 yards. #5 suggests I should play at 5940 yards, yet on a good day I can break par at 6600 yards. Conversely I know many golfers who hit it 180-185 and should definitely be playing shorter tees.
Todd Halpen
Aug 28, 2020 at 10:20 am
Third player to hole out gets the pin, not the first.
Doug
Aug 28, 2020 at 10:38 am
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense . . . smh
Boyo
Aug 29, 2020 at 10:39 am
Bullshirt
ken
Aug 30, 2020 at 5:27 pm
Nope..ONce all in the group are on the green, the player closest to the hole gets the flag. Or asks “everyone good leaving the flag in the hole?”
First to hole out, then holds the flag or places it out of the line of those remaining to play.
Elizabeth SchofieldWallace
Aug 28, 2020 at 10:14 am
#2…With the new rules and “ready golf” we regularly send the first two players to finish the hole to the next tee. Waiting for all four to putt out adds 25 minutes to the round. Perhaps ok if you are fast players, but if you are holding the field up, sink your putt and move along.
G
Aug 27, 2020 at 11:41 am
I agree with Matt. #2 is dumb. 99.9% of the time the flag is already out before the first person holes out (pre covid). In my 40 years of playing usually the person closest to the hole (or one of the closer ones) would remove the flag after asking the person who is away, if they want it removed.
matt
Aug 26, 2020 at 2:59 pm
I’ve been playing golf my whole life, my dad is a pro, I was a junior all-American and played D1. I have never heard of #2. It doesn’t even make sense in a world before the flagsitck rule changed – which was all 2 years ago. You had to pull the flag before you putted, how does the first to hole out get the flagstick? Ok so this might be “new etiquette,” but its very new indeed. Just get the flag every few holes and you’re doing about your due.
JOe
Aug 26, 2020 at 10:36 pm
You have misunderstood the “unwritten rule”.
They are telling the first person that holes their ball to go and get the flag stick and be ready to place it in the cup once all the other playing patterns are finished.
not all irons are the same
Aug 26, 2020 at 1:16 pm
5 iron * 36 is outdated because it depends on what kind of set a player’s using. a 5i in some sets is lofted like a 4i in others. i think a better rule of thumb would be based off of loft. a similar rule of thumb would be how far do you hit a 40* degree iron, *44. if you hit it 150, the suggestion is 6600. if 155, it’s 6820. if 160, its 7040.
disappointed in Barth
Aug 26, 2020 at 12:37 pm
ESC is no longer used. Maximum score on a hole is now net double bogey.
Also, encouraging people to keep (pick up) balls that they find is reckless. So many golfers just pick up a golf ball thinking that it must be lost when it’s actually someone’s ball in play. This is the most overlooked “unwritten rule” that gets violated on a daily basis.
Karsten's Ghost
Aug 27, 2020 at 2:25 am
Same thoughts. If you don’t have a handicap, then if you miss for double, pick up triple. Otherwise, play to your max ESC number.
Also agree on the balls. What? Seriously… it’s the opposite. Unless you’re dead sure it’s no one’s ball, AND you want what is likely to be either garbage, fine. But it’s obnoxious to encourage the “lookers”.
ken
Aug 30, 2020 at 5:33 pm
Triple bogey max is “in the pocket”. Even if there is a stroke play betting game involved. No one wants to watch a guy plumb bob for a 9
ken
Aug 30, 2020 at 5:30 pm
If a ball is found in a non play area, its fair game. If in play, leave it as you find it.
Golfer
Aug 26, 2020 at 12:25 pm
I hit my 5 iron (25 degrees) 195 yards and am definitely not playing a course from tees that are 7,020 yards.
Funkaholic
Aug 28, 2020 at 11:05 am
That was my thought, I am a 16 handicap and I hit my 5i 200 yards, I would be a 25+ from 7200 yards. Distance is meaningless in that respect. I can hit my driver 265-275 but that doesn’t translate to Gir, I still top shots, duff them into the water, hook them off of the course and other maladies that plague higher hdcp players. 6000-6300 max for me until I reach single digits.Some say at my level I should move up to the “senior tees but, that would actually eliminate the top end of my bag which is where I struggle most, I would rather keep struggling with that until I get it under control. If the course is too short, I might as well go back to playing par 3 courses.