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Rules of Golf - Modernization

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  • #16
    Re: Rules of Golf - Modernization

    Originally posted by Pingnut View Post
    Happy about the spike mark rule change. I'm amazed at some of the damage some golfer with twinkle toes can do near the hole. Also jazzed about the flag stick. I almost never pull it when playing by myself
    Maybe I can start wearing my metals spikes again!
    Every great idea starts out as a blasphemy

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    • #17
      Re: Rules of Golf - Modernization

      Originally posted by Pingnut View Post
      Happy about the spike mark rule change. I'm amazed at some of the damage some golfer with twinkle toes can do near the hole. Also jazzed about the flag stick. I almost never pull it when playing by myself
      I agree that spike marks can be very irritating. All too often, I see trails of people walking across the green and scuffing their feet. Clearly, they, and the people who walk past my desk scuffing their feet need to be given walking lessons and strengthen their hip flexors. Perhaps then they will understand that they need to take their feet more than 0.5mm off the ground when they walk.

      My only concern is that we'll see players, on the tour at least, walking along their intended line of putt and tapping down or fixing every minute imperfection that looks like it could be a spike mark. That could result in having to call a rules official over to determine whether each mark is a spike mark or a natural imperfection in the green.

      As for the flag rule - I do that too when playing alone; however, when not playing solo, I don't see that it will do anything for pace of play. Putting the flag in actually helps let the group behind you know that you're about to walk off the green while having the flag out tells them that you're putting, so don't get too wound up and eager to go.
      In the bag:
      R15 12° PXV 6.0
      SLDR 15° ATX Blue S
      Adams Pro 18° ATX, Idea Pro A12 20° NV S
      Titleist AP2 4-PW Project X 6.0
      Vokey SM5 54, 58
      Scotty Cameron Newport 2

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      • #18
        Re: Rules of Golf - Modernization

        Happy with some of the rule changes but if they think this change will change popularity or adoption of golf, they still have their head in the sand.
        Don't think kids drop interest in a sport cause of the rule book or how thick it is.

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        • #19
          Re: Rules of Golf - Modernization

          Originally posted by snowma888 View Post
          Happy with some of the rule changes but if they think this change will change popularity or adoption of golf, they still have their head in the sand.
          Don't think kids drop interest in a sport cause of the rule book or how thick it is.
          Agree completely.

          I have never heard anyone say that they don't/won't/can't play golf because of the rules. Ever. Most people who avoid playing golf do so because it can be expensive and/or time-consuming, neither of which are affected much by rules changes.

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          • #20
            Re: Rules of Golf - Modernization

            My sense of these changes it that they are designed to back away from a 'zero-tolerance' approach to strict rules as we know them. It is now OK to:
            1) remove loose impediments from bunkers;
            2) inadvertently step on or kick a ball while in the process of looking for it;
            3) tamp down spike marks;
            4) be less accurate in identifying the spot where a ball entered a hazard;
            5) have a ball move slightly while addressing a putt;
            6) etc.

            Based on my own experience, this is how many people already play casual golf with their buddies. Further, these people never tended to feel as though they were actually breaking the rules (assuming that they even knew they were doing so) but instead were just being 'fair' or 'reasonable'.

            In short, anyone who never took the time to learn or apply the current rules is not going to have a sudden change of heart and embrace these changes. They will just continue to do what they've always done.

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            • #21
              Re: Rules of Golf - Modernization

              Originally posted by Benz View Post
              My sense of these changes it that they are designed to back away from a 'zero-tolerance' approach to strict rules as we know them. It is now OK to:
              1) remove loose impediments from bunkers;
              2) inadvertently step on or kick a ball while in the process of looking for it;
              3) tamp down spike marks;
              4) be less accurate in identifying the spot where a ball entered a hazard;
              5) have a ball move slightly while addressing a putt;
              6) etc.

              Based on my own experience, this is how many people already play casual golf with their buddies. Further, these people never tended to feel as though they were actually breaking the rules (assuming that they even knew they were doing so) but instead were just being 'fair' or 'reasonable'.

              In short, anyone who never took the time to learn or apply the current rules is not going to have a sudden change of heart and embrace these changes. They will just continue to do what they've always done.
              I agree with the first bolded point, and I agree with it in principle. Too much ado over inconsequential measurements. I think simplifying drops is an interesting one - you can pretty much place the ball now. I don't think that really changes things all that much.

              As for the second bolded point, you're not suggesting that people will ignore the new rules if they become official, are you?
              "Confusion" will be my epitaph
              ...Iggy

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              • #22
                Re: Rules of Golf - Modernization

                Originally posted by Benz View Post
                My sense of these changes it that they are designed to back away from a 'zero-tolerance' approach to strict rules as we know them

                Based on my own experience, this is how many people already play casual golf with their buddies.
                +1, this might speed up Pro play slightly.

                I wonder if they approve the use of rangefinder; will caddies compensation rates lower...

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                • #23
                  Re: Rules of Golf - Modernization

                  I say get rid of the OB and stroke and distance. I hit a guys BBQ on his deck last year that was pain enough IMO.
                  Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind.

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Re: Rules of Golf - Modernization

                    Originally posted by xrox View Post
                    I say get rid of the OB and stroke and distance. I hit a guys BBQ on his deck last year that was pain enough IMO.
                    So you would just drop a ball on the property line and play on with no penalty?

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                    • #25
                      Re: Rules of Golf - Modernization

                      new guideline for dropping a ball:

                      In a defined relief area. The only requirement is that you hold the ball above the ground without it touching any growing thing or other natural or artificial object. It is recommended that the ball be dropped from at least one inch above the ground

                      One inch?? Who knew that the R&A/UGA members have common sense.

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Re: Rules of Golf - Modernization

                        Originally posted by xrox View Post
                        I say get rid of the OB and stroke and distance. I hit a guys BBQ on his deck last year that was pain enough IMO.
                        Originally posted by Shadow View Post
                        So you would just drop a ball on the property line and play on with no penalty?
                        Courses now have the option of expanding the penalty areas to pretty much anything. In the interests of pace of play or to avoid multiple balls banging on BBQs, the course could label OB as a penalty area instead. Unfortunately, you're supposed to have the option to play out of penalty areas, so this would be different - similar to an environmental area.

                        Here's my take on the proposed changes. Overall, they seem to have adapted the rules to the way most people play the game - stones moved in bunkers, reduced search times.

                        Things I like:
                        • Simplified drop / relief area - drop the ball from 1" to avoid and bounce far away on hard ground, that should save time; the 80" distance and 20" relief area avoids pulling out the driver in when you're going to use an iron - only really happens on TV and tournaments anyway.
                        • 3 minute search limit - that's as long as I'd tolerate at the best of times anyway
                        • No more opposite side line to the pin drop for lateral hazards (now called red penalty areas) - I don't think I've ever used that one and have only seen it on TV - it can lead to silly delays
                        • Player conduct rules - great - can we include stoning for anyone leaving cigarette butts anywhere on the course with 50 lashes for anyone leaving the butts on the green?


                        Things I don't like:
                        • "Penalty area" replacing "hazard" - "penalty area" is a stupid name, keep "hazard"
                        • "General area" replacing "through the green" - as above, "general area" sounds silly


                        Questionable items:
                        • Touching the sand with the club or hand - I get the idea that accidental touching should not result in a penalty; however, this is getting close to testing the surface of the sand which still isn't allowed
                        • Intent vs action - as with the touching the sand above, the rules seems to now require some measure of intent. That makes it much harder to measure / assess a penalty or not. As an example, player a is near his ball in the bunker; he rests the head of the club on/in the sand and realizes that there's much more/less sand depth than he thought. He hasn't intentionally tested the sand, but effectively he has. Proposed rules - no penalty because he really didn't mean to or at least was able to fake not meaning to. Current rules - he touched the sand, he gets a penalty; which is easier to assess?
                        • Removing loose impediments from penalty areas - so you're in the penalty area / hazard, but there's a big fallen branch and a large rock in your way, a bunch of leaves where you want to stand, and another loose impediment that will get in the way of your back swing, move them, no problem. Just clear a path so that the hazard is way less of a hazard.


                        Stuff they didn't deal with:[LIST][*]OB - stroke and distance - OB is bad, very very bad. Keep the ball IB and you won't have to worry about it.[*]Lost ball - stroke and distance - losing a ball is bad, very very bad. Don't lose your ball and you won't have to worry.[/LIST}

                        I'll likely still play the above two as a lateral hazard in the interest of pace of play and not to avoid going nuts. OB they could have changed but it does make sense, especially when OB is a house, to give you extra incentive to not go OB. I can't see anyway to deal with the lost ball rule - should you drop it about where you think it might be with the agreement of your competitors? Maybe in a casual match, but I can't see that working in competition.
                        In the bag:
                        R15 12° PXV 6.0
                        SLDR 15° ATX Blue S
                        Adams Pro 18° ATX, Idea Pro A12 20° NV S
                        Titleist AP2 4-PW Project X 6.0
                        Vokey SM5 54, 58
                        Scotty Cameron Newport 2

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                        • #27
                          Re: Rules of Golf - Modernization

                          Originally posted by Shadow View Post
                          So you would just drop a ball on the property line and play on with no penalty?
                          That was supposed to be funny. Stuffy rules guy true to form
                          Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind.

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Re: Rules of Golf - Modernization

                            Originally posted by sauerkraut View Post
                            new guideline for dropping a ball:

                            In a defined relief area. The only requirement is that you hold the ball above the ground without it touching any growing thing or other natural or artificial object. It is recommended that the ball be dropped from at least one inch above the ground

                            One inch?? Who knew that the R&A/UGA members have common sense.
                            Dang, will have to carry a ruler now to check on my competitors, and for us in Canada and other civilized nations, how many centimeters is that again?

                            Fortunately there are no rules limiting the number of golf balls you can carry during a match!

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                            • #29
                              Re: Rules of Golf - Modernization

                              Originally posted by Fore Warned View Post
                              Dang, will have to carry a ruler now to check on my competitors, and for us in Canada and other civilized nations, how many centimeters is that again?
                              One inch is the recommendation. The rule states that the ball cannot be touching anything when dropped. (It's 2.54cm btw)

                              Given that the USGA and R&A are based in two of the few remaining imperial-system-using nations, they're going to use inches rather than cm. The rules do provide the measurements in cm for the relief areas - 50.8 cm and 203.2 cm.
                              In the bag:
                              R15 12° PXV 6.0
                              SLDR 15° ATX Blue S
                              Adams Pro 18° ATX, Idea Pro A12 20° NV S
                              Titleist AP2 4-PW Project X 6.0
                              Vokey SM5 54, 58
                              Scotty Cameron Newport 2

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Re: Rules of Golf - Modernization

                                Originally posted by WDM1980 View Post
                                One inch is the recommendation. The rule states that the ball cannot be touching anything when dropped. (It's 2.54cm btw)

                                Given that the USGA and R&A are based in two of the few remaining imperial-system-using nations, they're going to use inches rather than cm. The rules do provide the measurements in cm for the relief areas - 50.8 cm and 203.2 cm.
                                Speaking of the proposed change to the relief area where a ball can be dropped - 20 inches or 80 inches. Doesn't that complicate things? We all have clubs in our bag that can be used to stake out a club length, but does this proposed change expect us to have tape measures, too? I'm in favour of most of the proposed changes, but this one is a bit odd given that club length seemed fine as it was. I can understand the desire to standardize it as a set length, but I don't think an inch or two difference in the length of a driver carried by most players is really such a big deal in a game that coined the phrase "rub of the green".

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