Really Good Attitude

I have a 14 y/o granddaughter who just took up golf a couple of months ago. I posted some video of her swing after one month of being on the girls HS team in Palm Springs - https://forums.golfwrx.com/discussion/1793091/granddaughters-improvement#latest.

She texts and calls me to let me know about her rounds and last week she was excited about her low round of 50. Apparently that has put her on the A team so I'm assuming the talent pool is pretty shallow this year. Anyways, last night she texted me to let me know she was DQ'd for the first time. Here is her text:

_"i got DQd today for a rule i didn’t know." "it’s okay though , learning experience"_

I asked what happened and she called and told me about a penalty she took on the 9th hole. Her 2nd shot ended up green high on a cart path so she took a proper drop. She then bladed the pitch over the green into a lake. She went over to where the ball went in the water and dropped there and the spotter DQ'd her.

She wasn't upset and it didn't damper her enthusiasm for the game which made me pretty happy. Too often we read about players whining and complaining about these things. She did rant a little about the poor etiquette of the other team - moving and making noise during a swing, walking ahead etc, but even that didn't deter her. I'm hopeful this one will stick with the game. She seems to have a good coach, and her dad is staying out of the coaching business. He is happy to just spend money on her getting her stuff which at this stage is probably the best.

> @RSinSG said:

> I have a 14 y/o granddaughter who just took up golf a couple of months ago. I posted some video of her swing after one month of being on the girls HS team in Palm Springs - https://forums.golfwrx.com/discussion/1793091/granddaughters-improvement#latest.

>

> She texts and calls me to let me know about her rounds and last week she was excited about her low round of 50. Apparently that has put her on the A team so I'm assuming the talent pool is pretty shallow this year. Anyways, last night she texted me to let me know she was DQ'd for the first time. Here is her text:

>

> _"i got DQd today for a rule i didn’t know." "it’s okay though , learning experience"_

>

> I asked what happened and she called and told me about a penalty she took on the 9th hole. Her 2nd shot ended up green high on a cart path so she took a proper drop. She then bladed the pitch over the green into a lake. She went over to where the ball went in the water and dropped there and the spotter DQ'd her.

>

> She wasn't upset and it didn't damper her enthusiasm for the game which made me pretty happy. Too often we read about players whining and complaining about these things. She did rant a little about the poor etiquette of the other team - moving and making noise during a swing, walking ahead etc, but even that didn't deter her. I'm hopeful this one will stick with the game. She seems to have a good coach, and her dad is staying out of the coaching business. He is happy to just spend money on her getting her stuff which at this stage is probably the best.

Why was she DQ'd? I am sort of lost.

> @heavy_hitter said:

> Why was she DQ'd? I am sort of lost.

Same, there seems like their had to be more. Even if it was an improper drop how is that a DQ'able event?

congrats...I guess

Joining the choir on this one, I am highly confused...

Not sure what happened actually. She said she hit from an improper place and she got DQ'd. I'm guessing the marker let her finish the hole (her last) and turn in an improper score. (She's in Palm Springs - I'm in Utah.)

She shouldn't be DQ'd for dropping from the improper place unless it grossly assisted her score constituting a "serious breach" of rule 14.7.

She also shouldn't have been DQ'd for breaching rule 3.3b(3) "wrong score for a hole" because the reason her score was incorrect was due to not including a penalty she did not know she had incurred. Here's the text for that rule.

> (3) Wrong Score for a Hole. If the player returns a scorecard with a wrong score for any hole:

> Returned Score Higher Than Actual Score. The higher returned score for the hole stands.

>

> Returned Score Lower Than Actual Score or No Score Returned. The player is disqualified.

>

> Exception – Failure to Include Unknown Penalty: If one or more of the player’s hole scores are lower than the actual scores because he or she excluded one or more penalty strokes that the player did not know about before returning the scorecard:

>

> The player is not disqualified.

>

> Instead, if the mistake is found before the close of the competition, the Committee will revise the player’s score for that hole or holes by adding the penalty stroke(s) that should have been included in the score for that hole or holes under the Rules.

>

> This exception does not apply:

>

> When the excluded penalty is disqualification, or

>

> When the player was told that a penalty might apply or was uncertain whether a penalty applied and did not raise this with the Committee before returning the scorecard.

Which should bring us back to her drop. If it was a serious breach of rule 14.7 she would've been disqualified anyway, but since it sounds like it most likely wasn't, then she should've just had 2 strokes added to her score.

Regardless, it's a learning experience. She should learn the rules better so she can defend herself in these situations. Just because adults are on the Committee doesn't mean they actually know the rules of golf.

Edit to add: The USGA has a rules of golf mobile application. It's definitely worthwhile to download if you don't want to carry around a physical copy of the rule book and decisions. Has a search feature too so you can find what you're looking for easily.

I got another text from her today. Her enthusiasm is strong- especially after her dad took her out and she shot her career best.