Changes YOU'D LIKE TO SEE to the game of golf

[On The Screws]

[quote name='LouieLouie' timestamp='1435688969' post='11863552']

Yeah good point, people could use the excuse for anything, but if you limit it to fairway only, would it really matter that much? Does it really improve the lie that much if he moved it off that partially grown divot?
[/quote]

Ah, but if it really doesn't improve the lie that much, why does it matter?

[LouieLouie]

[quote name='On The Screws' timestamp='1435689242' post='11863578']
[quote name='LouieLouie' timestamp='1435688969' post='11863552']
Yeah good point, people could use the excuse for anything, but if you limit it to fairway only, would it really matter that much? Does it really improve the lie that much if he moved it off that partially grown divot?
[/quote]

Ah, but if it really doesn't improve the lie that much, why does it matter?
[/quote]

Ahhh good point!

Ok, I have another rule I wouldn't mind seeing, Go back to wooden drivers and fairway woods. Technology is starting to overrun the game to the point that 6000 yard courses are considered short. If golf can be played in a smaller area, i.e. less ground to maintain, then I think it would benefit the game and some older courses would be able to stay relevant. It is cool seeing guys drill the ball 400 yards once in a while but getting to the green in 2 on a 600 yard par 5 is just insane.

[On The Screws]

[quote name='LouieLouie' timestamp='1435689728' post='11863618']
[quote name='On The Screws' timestamp='1435689242' post='11863578']
[quote name='LouieLouie' timestamp='1435688969' post='11863552']
Yeah good point, people could use the excuse for anything, but if you limit it to fairway only, would it really matter that much? Does it really improve the lie that much if he moved it off that partially grown divot?
[/quote]

Ah, but if it really doesn't improve the lie that much, why does it matter?
[/quote]

Ahhh good point!

Ok, I have another rule I wouldn't mind seeing, Go back to wooden drivers and fairway woods. Technology is starting to overrun the game to the point that 6000 yard courses are considered short. If golf can be played in a smaller area, i.e. less ground to maintain, then I think it would benefit the game and some older courses would be able to stay relevant. It is cool seeing guys drill the ball 400 yards once in a while but getting to the green in 2 on a 600 yard par 5 is just insane.
[/quote]

It's more the ball than anything.

[Pigems]

[quote name='LouieLouie' timestamp='1435689728' post='11863618']
[quote name='On The Screws' timestamp='1435689242' post='11863578']
[quote name='LouieLouie' timestamp='1435688969' post='11863552']
Yeah good point, people could use the excuse for anything, but if you limit it to fairway only, would it really matter that much? Does it really improve the lie that much if he moved it off that partially grown divot?
[/quote]

Ah, but if it really doesn't improve the lie that much, why does it matter?
[/quote]

Ahhh good point!

Ok, I have another rule I wouldn't mind seeing, Go back to wooden drivers and fairway woods. Technology is starting to overrun the game to the point that 6000 yard courses are considered short. If golf can be played in a smaller area, i.e. less ground to maintain, then I think it would benefit the game and some older courses would be able to stay relevant. It is cool seeing guys drill the ball 400 yards once in a while but getting to the green in 2 on a 600 yard par 5 is just insane.
[/quote]

I'd be down for that at the professional level, just like the MLB has always only used Wooden bats

Imagine how big the stadiums would have to be for titanium bats to be used in the MLB?? 800' center field fences and a second set of "Mid" outfielders as permanent cut of men because the distance is so far?? Lol

[Pigems]

What's about taking the woods/hybrids away from pros altogether?? The longest club can be a 1 iron at say 15*, and of course blades only, no GI. Makes these guys show off those skill sets

[Wardell Stone]

[quote name='Argonne69' timestamp='1435688199' post='11863460']
[quote name='Wardell Stone' timestamp='1435687778' post='11863414']
[quote name='avrag' timestamp='1435676692' post='11862114']
The fact that the OB topic comes up so often on this site irritates me to no end. Golf is supposed to be played on the course. If you leave the course, it should be the most severe penalty. The rules need not be changed just because real estate developpers try to cram golf courses into too small spaces in between houses. This needs to change, not the rules of golf.
[/quote]

Point taken but all the old school people who want to never touch the ball, rub of the land, those are the breaks etc are also often times the guys who sit around bitching about 5 hour rounds. The game needs to be played at a quicker pace for everyone involved, anything that can reasonably be done to do that in a non tournament setting should be applauded and encouraged. There is a big difference between tournament golf and recreational golf.
[/quote]

I don't understand how playing it as it lies increases the length of the round. All the suggestions posted so far will increase the length of the round. In a divot? First, decide if it is in fact a divot. Not sure? Call over your playing partners to make a ruling. Lift and clean the ball. Drop. Oh shoot, it landed back in the divot. Redrop.

Playing a provisional does not really add any time to the round, or a miniscule amount. I would argue that it would take more time trying to figure out where the ball crossed the OB margin, then measuring 2 club length, and dropping would take longer.

If you're playing recreational golf, then feel free to play by any rules you'd like. Nobody is stopping you. We don't need to change the rules of the game because a few folks don't want to add another stroke to their score.

When my family plays Monopoly, we like to put all fines in the center, and collect the pool when you land on Free Parking. It's not in the official rules, but who cares?
[/quote]

Good point on the provisional balls. I guess some people no matter what we do will find a way to slow things down. I also guess I'm not a traditionalist regarding golf rules and handicaps...I've seen far too many vanity handicaps and even more sandbagging handicaps to trust anyone who I don't play with regularly. I've decided that I hate playing slow and anything that might slow me down I probably have an intolerance for. College Golf...pre shot routines..looking at putts from 6 angles...ugh.

[LouieLouie]

[quote name='Pigems' timestamp='1435689956' post='11863652']
[quote name='LouieLouie' timestamp='1435689728' post='11863618']
[quote name='On The Screws' timestamp='1435689242' post='11863578']
[quote name='LouieLouie' timestamp='1435688969' post='11863552']
Yeah good point, people could use the excuse for anything, but if you limit it to fairway only, would it really matter that much? Does it really improve the lie that much if he moved it off that partially grown divot?
[/quote]

Ah, but if it really doesn't improve the lie that much, why does it matter?
[/quote]

Ahhh good point!

Ok, I have another rule I wouldn't mind seeing, Go back to wooden drivers and fairway woods. Technology is starting to overrun the game to the point that 6000 yard courses are considered short. If golf can be played in a smaller area, i.e. less ground to maintain, then I think it would benefit the game and some older courses would be able to stay relevant. It is cool seeing guys drill the ball 400 yards once in a while but getting to the green in 2 on a 600 yard par 5 is just insane.
[/quote]

I'd be down for that at the professional level, just like the MLB has always only used Wooden bats
[/quote]

Agreed.

I worry the game is getting too expensive and any way to cut costs can help grow the game. Plus many older courses are going belly up because they have become too short to play and the property is more valuable than the golf.

[Argonne69]

[quote name='LouieLouie' timestamp='1435689728' post='11863618']
[quote name='On The Screws' timestamp='1435689242' post='11863578']
[quote name='LouieLouie' timestamp='1435688969' post='11863552']
Yeah good point, people could use the excuse for anything, but if you limit it to fairway only, would it really matter that much? Does it really improve the lie that much if he moved it off that partially grown divot?
[/quote]

Ah, but if it really doesn't improve the lie that much, why does it matter?
[/quote]

Ahhh good point!

Ok, I have another rule I wouldn't mind seeing, Go back to wooden drivers and fairway woods. Technology is starting to overrun the game to the point that 6000 yard courses are considered short. If golf can be played in a smaller area, i.e. less ground to maintain, then I think it would benefit the game and some older courses would be able to stay relevant. It is cool seeing guys drill the ball 400 yards once in a while but getting to the green in 2 on a 600 yard par 5 is just insane.
[/quote]

It would be much easier to simply change the specs on the golf ball.

[larrybud]

[quote name='LouieLouie' timestamp='1435687528' post='11863374']
Ok, so I'm a completely average golfer to the point that I don't maintain a handicap (except on this website i'm a +4, I think my real handicap is in the 25+ range). Can someone please explain to me, (genuinely asking not trying to pick a fight) how could someone abuse the rule of taking a ball out of a divot if it is in the fairway? Wouldn't you just be dropping your ball in the fairway?
[/quote]

Ever have kind of a goofy lie in the FW, such as the ball is quite a bit above your feet, and if you could only move it a foot one way or another, you'd have a perfectly flat lie? People would be claiming everything is a divot, dropping within 1 club length to avoid such a lie.

Hitting into a divot happens to infrequently that I can't even believe it's up for discussion. I might hit out of 2 or 3 divots a YEAR out of, idk, 50-70 rounds.

If I were to change one rule it would be hitting a provisional when you believe it went into a hazard (yellow staked). This happened to me in a tournament last year:
1) Tee box is way back in some trees, hitting out of a chute. Gotta carry it about 180 to clear it. Once you clear the hazard, it's wide open.
2) Pull the shot slightly, nips a branch, ball still going, we see it drop after it hits the tree, but there's no way to tell if it cleared the hazard or not, because the hazard is long cattails. Might have cleared it by 50 yards, but there's no way to tell at this point.
3) Since it's yellow staked, there's no option to hit a provisional. I had to walk all the way around the hazard (way out of the way, mind you) to find out my ball is in the hazard, walk all the way back, and retee.

The ball was either lost in the hazard, or not lost. The provisional could have saved a good 10 minutes. If I had found the original, the original would be in play.

[Argonne69]

[quote name='Wardell Stone' timestamp='1435690225' post='11863690']
Good point on the provisional balls. I guess some people no matter what we do will find a way to slow things down. I also guess I'm not a traditionalist regarding golf rules and handicaps...I've seen far too many vanity handicaps and even more sandbagging handicaps to trust anyone who I don't play with regularly. I've decided that I hate playing slow and anything that might slow me down I probably have an intolerance for. College Golf...pre shot routines..looking at putts from 6 angles...ugh.
[/quote]

Fast players play fast, and slow players play slow. No rule change is going to change that fundamental truth.

Heck, I'll bite. Let's create a rule that limits the number of practice swings to 1 or 2, or the total number of practice swings per round. 'Similar to how racing limits the testing time on a race track.

[Pigems]

[quote name='Argonne69' timestamp='1435690843' post='11863772']
[quote name='LouieLouie' timestamp='1435689728' post='11863618']
[quote name='On The Screws' timestamp='1435689242' post='11863578']
[quote name='LouieLouie' timestamp='1435688969' post='11863552']
Yeah good point, people could use the excuse for anything, but if you limit it to fairway only, would it really matter that much? Does it really improve the lie that much if he moved it off that partially grown divot?
[/quote]

Ah, but if it really doesn't improve the lie that much, why does it matter?
[/quote]

Ahhh good point!

Ok, I have another rule I wouldn't mind seeing, Go back to wooden drivers and fairway woods. Technology is starting to overrun the game to the point that 6000 yard courses are considered short. If golf can be played in a smaller area, i.e. less ground to maintain, then I think it would benefit the game and some older courses would be able to stay relevant. It is cool seeing guys drill the ball 400 yards once in a while but getting to the green in 2 on a 600 yard par 5 is just insane.
[/quote]

It would be much easier to simply change the specs on the golf ball.
[/quote]

How would that work?? Make it so the club can only transfer equal force?? As in a 100mph driver swing only creates 100mph ball speed?? Or how much to dial it back?? It's 1:1.5 basically right now isn't it??

[Sean2]

[quote name='MadGolfer76' timestamp='1435626561' post='11858850']
[quote name='Sean2' timestamp='1435624932' post='11858644']
Sandbaggers should be shot.
[/quote]

The pot calling the kettle black is not a strong enough phrase here...
[/quote]

Now that's just mean.

[ERUddOH]

Stroke limit: 3 over and you're in pocket. That would speed up play and simplify a lot.

[Pigems]

[quote name='ERUddOH' timestamp='1435691494' post='11863880']
Stroke limit: 3 over and you're in pocket. That would speed up play and simplify a lot.
[/quote]

What would a MAXED out score be then?? 3 over on every hole??

Never mind lol, 54 over par is still 126 shots. That's plenty

[crater_divots]

If I may be so bold as to summarize...


The biggest issues in the amateur game seem to all be etiquette-based.


Not fixing divots, not raking bunkers, not knowing rules, not hold a decent pace, etc.



Although the rules can be tweaked (and improved, IMO), it seems like the biggest leaps between where we are (as a game) and where we should be, are education. Either people don't know etiquette and rules, and that's a problem... or they know them and ignore them, and that's a problem.

Education at a club or course on the etiquette expected, and then at least one marshal to enforce them, would do a tremendous amount of good

[Medic]

[quote name='hollabachgt' timestamp='1435682340' post='11862812'][quote name='Medic' timestamp='1435679625' post='11862486']
[quote name='hollabachgt' timestamp='1435674769' post='11861890'][quote name='Medic' timestamp='1435620046' post='11858038']
I have said it before and caught a lot of flak for it, but no player should ever be penalized due to the laziness of another. I am referring to footprints in bunkers that go unraked and landing in divots in the fairway.

Just yesterday I got one of the best drives of the day on a hard par 5 drawing it around the corner and placing myself into a great position to layup. Unfortunately my ball was in a deep divot and I had to swing down a little more with a wedge just to advance it. I took a bogey on the hole because my layup distance was too far out to get it close, I pulled the shot into the sand, and didn't get it up and down. And all because another player was too lazy to fill their divot with sand that is provided on each and every cart.
[/quote]

Where I come from that's simple known as rub of the green and has been an integral part of playing the game for over 400 years. Why does the golfing ground need to be "pristine"?[/quote]
But it's not rub of the green. It is "hey too bad you played later than the lazy slob too good to make it better than he found it".
Land on leaves, sticks, hills, rough, bare grassless areas - that is rub of the green.
[/quote]

The moment the ball leaves the face of your club anything that happens to it going forward is rub of the green. A shot that ends of in a divot had a 99.99999% chance of ending up anywhere but that divot, so why should we the players or the rules get worked up over such a small possibility? If you feel that there is a lesser chance of having a struck ball end up in a divot when playing earlier in the day, why don't you? You do have the ability to control that. Would you rather play out of a divot or an overfilled divot of soft sand?[/quote]

In an ideal world this would not be an issue. And the fix is simple. Lift, fill with sand, and replace ball onto sand. Just as you should have had in the first place.
And for bunkers mark, lift, rake, and replace.

Not asking for anything better than what should have been in the first place.

[avrag]

[quote name='Wardell Stone' timestamp='1435687778' post='11863414']
[quote name='avrag' timestamp='1435676692' post='11862114']
The fact that the OB topic comes up so often on this site irritates me to no end. Golf is supposed to be played on the course. If you leave the course, it should be the most severe penalty. The rules need not be changed just because real estate developpers try to cram golf courses into too small spaces in between houses. This needs to change, not the rules of golf.
[/quote]

Point taken but all the old school people who want to never touch the ball, rub of the land, those are the breaks etc are also often times the guys who sit around bitching about 5 hour rounds. The game needs to be played at a quicker pace for everyone involved, anything that can reasonably be done to do that in a non tournament setting should be applauded and encouraged. There is a big difference between tournament golf and recreational golf.
[/quote]

Thank you for your concern. 3.30 to 3.45 usually as a fourball, all in their late 40s, early 50s, walking, on a 6500 yards course which has knee deep rough and OB in play on 6 holes.

[Bohsaucey]

Distance centered marketing. Feel like it has ruined the older short courses by getting consumers to believe that they need to hit driver on every hole possible.

OB as a drop at point of entry would be good, I would even say a 2 stroke penalty would be alright to charge on the drop.

[hollabachgt]

[quote name='Medic' timestamp='1435695129' post='11864318']
Not asking for anything better than what should have been in the first place.
[/quote]

This is where we differ. What should have been there is exactly what you get, nothing more nothing less. The odds of hitting a ball in the fairway and finding a divot are the same as hitting a ball in the rough and finding a perfect lie. If you remove a ball from a divot because its unfair a good shot was punished, would you also bury your ball in the rough for the same reason? Golf has never been suppose to be played over pristine, perfectly fair grounds. Its the randomness and possibility of the unexpected that makes the game so interesting.

[Argonne69]

[quote name='Medic' timestamp='1435695129' post='11864318']
[quote name='hollabachgt' timestamp='1435682340' post='11862812'][quote name='Medic' timestamp='1435679625' post='11862486']
[quote name='hollabachgt' timestamp='1435674769' post='11861890'][quote name='Medic' timestamp='1435620046' post='11858038']
I have said it before and caught a lot of flak for it, but no player should ever be penalized due to the laziness of another. I am referring to footprints in bunkers that go unraked and landing in divots in the fairway.

Just yesterday I got one of the best drives of the day on a hard par 5 drawing it around the corner and placing myself into a great position to layup. Unfortunately my ball was in a deep divot and I had to swing down a little more with a wedge just to advance it. I took a bogey on the hole because my layup distance was too far out to get it close, I pulled the shot into the sand, and didn't get it up and down. And all because another player was too lazy to fill their divot with sand that is provided on each and every cart.
[/quote]

Where I come from that's simple known as rub of the green and has been an integral part of playing the game for over 400 years. Why does the golfing ground need to be "pristine"?[/quote]
But it's not rub of the green. It is "hey too bad you played later than the lazy slob too good to make it better than he found it".
Land on leaves, sticks, hills, rough, bare grassless areas - that is rub of the green.
[/quote]

The moment the ball leaves the face of your club anything that happens to it going forward is rub of the green. A shot that ends of in a divot had a 99.99999% chance of ending up anywhere but that divot, so why should we the players or the rules get worked up over such a small possibility? If you feel that there is a lesser chance of having a struck ball end up in a divot when playing earlier in the day, why don't you? You do have the ability to control that. Would you rather play out of a divot or an overfilled divot of soft sand?[/quote]

In an ideal world this would not be an issue. And the fix is simple. Lift, fill with sand, and replace ball onto sand. Just as you should have had in the first place.
And for bunkers mark, lift, rake, and replace.

[/quote]

Fill with sand? How much sand? Can I pour a huge pile 2 inches high and make a tee? Cool. I hope there are more divots in the landing area, not less.

[Argonne69]

[quote name='hollabachgt' timestamp='1435699062' post='11864692']
[quote name='Medic' timestamp='1435695129' post='11864318']
Not asking for anything better than what should have been in the first place.
[/quote]

This is where we differ. What should have been there is exactly what you get, nothing more nothing less. The odds of hitting a ball in the fairway and finding a divot are the same as hitting a ball in the rough and finding a perfect lie. If you remove a ball from a divot because its unfair a good shot was punished, would you also bury your ball in the rough for the same reason? Golf has never been suppose to be played over pristine, perfectly fair grounds. Its the randomness and possibility of the unexpected that makes the game so interesting.
[/quote]

Lol. Apparently the pro's playing Chambers Bay didn't get the memo, based on the amount of kvetching. I think so many have become accustom to highly manicured courses, and they forget that golf was invented on crap land that was useless for anything else.

[Schoolboy]

Eliminating the stroke and distance penalty currently associated with lost balls. Treat OB the same as hazards.

[Mlight9]

[quote name='Bohsaucey' timestamp='1435698431' post='11864636']
Distance centered marketing. Feel like it has ruined the older short courses by getting consumers to believe that they need to hit driver on every hole possible.

OB as a drop at point of entry would be good, I would even say a 2 stroke penalty would be alright to charge on the drop.
[/quote]

I like the two stoke penalty idea. Especially if your taking the distance with it.

[NoTalentLefty]

We use double par as the most.
OB is one stroke ball played where it went out. Lost ball same
All water hazards are played like this also. Ball can be played on other side.
Greens can be repaired of any anomaly.
Sand trap ball can be moved out if warranted. No sand etc.
This speeds up play and most of our group needs the break. For us who play by the rules came to the realization makes our rounds more enjoyable playing with the less than perfect.

[MountainKing]

[quote name='Argonne69' timestamp='1435687832' post='11863420']
[quote name='MountainKing' timestamp='1435683867' post='11862988']
[quote name='Argonne69' timestamp='1435683492' post='11862946']
[quote name='MountainKing' timestamp='1435683080' post='11862894']
[quote name='avrag' timestamp='1435676692' post='11862114']
The fact that the OB topic comes up so often on this site irritates me to no end. Golf is supposed to be played on the course. If you leave the course, it should be the most severe penalty. The rules need not be changed just because real estate developpers try to cram golf courses into too small spaces in between houses. This needs to change, not the rules of golf.
[/quote]


That's not going to happen - like other sports the rules need to evolve to keep up with how things are being built. In a hazard you have the option to hit the ball as it lays, OB you don't have the option, that's the penalty difference. The rules are based on the professional game and the professional game and professional courses have evolved a lot differently than the amateur game has. I only would like to see the rules change from a selfish stand point of I get sick of sitting on the course for hours.
[/quote]

I don't understand why you believe OB slows down play. If anything, the act of determining where a ball crossed the course boundary, and executing the drop, would take more time than hitting a provisional. Heck, I see guys pull a 2nd ball out of their pocket and tee it up before the original ball has even hit the ground.

One hits a ball that looks like it might be OB, declares a provisional, tees it up, and fires away. If you then walk to the first ball and see that it's OB, you play your second. No delay.
[/quote]

It's not the act that you're describing, it's the weekend warrior who insists on playing everything by the rules who gets out there, determines it's OB by a foot then decides to trek back to the tee and start over, or the guy who decides he wants to tin cup it and hit 10 tee shots because they all keep slicing OB. I must be the only person who ends up behind these guys because I get funny looks when I tell them stories of this stuff.

Since you're local to me you'll get this one, Tanna Farms last year on hole 2 we're waiting and waiting for this group in front of us only to see the cart head back our way, guy says he finally found it OB and had to re-tee, so he does and it heads straight right again to the road, few minutes later he's back again...we ask to play through and he said the group in front of them was slow so there's no point, so he tees back up and finally gets one in play. A few holes later here he comes again....if the rules let him drop he would have dropped and hit and at least if that one went out he'd be making forward progress. I'm not saying we're turning a 5 hour round into a 3 hour round but at least this could keep things progressing in the right direction.

BTW - most people here aren't good judges of the average golfer, you and I both get the process and can play it accordingly and within a timely manner, the rest of the world tends to struggle with basic concepts like provisional balls and moving along....and it's for that group alone I'd like a few things changed to save my sanity!
[/quote]

So why didn't his playing partners, who are probably as aggravated as you, tell him to hit a provisional?
[/quote]


Hell if I know - this is not a first time occurrence for me either, this is a huge reason my group just stopped with weekend golf. Between people who need to follow rules as they are without playing provisional and the weekend warrior that wants to be out all afternoon I couldn't take it anymore and now I'm seeing why some rules could use some updating!

[Medic]

As I said it isn't an ideal world. There are no perfect answers but a perfect shot should not be spoiled by the man made laziness of another.

[Handfull]

[color=#222222]I did type out a post that probably could have taken up a few pages so this is a bare bones cliff-notes version of what I was originally going to post. I would really like to see golf carts eliminated for all but disabled golfers for these reasons;[/color]
[color=#222222] [/color]
[color=#222222]1- The health benefits not only help current golfers, but also can grow golf to the fit conscious community and improve golf's image as a sport.[/color]
[color=#222222]2- May bring back youth caddy programs which I believe is still the best way to grow the game and teach good course etiquette.[/color]
[color=#222222]3- Makes courses look better and are easier to maintain.[/color]
[color=#222222]4- Would actually help pace of play issues since groups would play at a more consistent pace as compared to other golf groups ahead.[/color]

[Musky]

Many seem to think golf is too hard under the current rules. If you hit the ball out of the field of play or have no idea where the ball went, the penalty should be more severe than a shot into a hazard. As for divot lies, the most basic premise of the game has always been to hit it, find it, hit it again, until it's in the hole. It's not hit it, find it, move it around until it's just right, then hit it again. The OB/lost ball and playing it as it lies rules are NEVER going to be changed by the USGA of the R & A. Never. And rightfully so.

One change I would like is to see some of these fancy new walking only courses be made to offer riding options. They're too tiring to walk, and pace of play would improve.

[Argonne69]

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1435731246' post='11867468']

One change I would like is to see some of these fancy new walking only courses be made to offer riding options. They're too tiring to walk, and pace of play would improve.
[/quote]

The number of these courses barely causes a blip on the radar. Why don't we discuss changes to the hundreds of "resort" courses that are designed for carts only, and are barely walkable because of the long distances between holes.

[hogans71]

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1435731246' post='11867468']
Many seem to think golf is too hard under the current rules. If you hit the ball out of the field of play or have no idea where the ball went, the penalty should be more severe than a shot into a hazard. As for divot lies, the most basic premise of the game has always been to hit it, find it, hit it again, until it's in the hole. It's not hit it, find it, move it around until it's just right, then hit it again. The OB/lost ball and playing it as it lies rules are NEVER going to be changed by the USGA of the R & A. Never. And rightfully so.

One change I would like is to see some of these fancy new walking only courses be made to offer riding options. They're too tiring to walk, and pace of play would improve.
[/quote]

Excellent post.