USGA Proposes to Modernize Rules of Golf

[Sactogolfer1234]

I don't really like the drop rule, but the pace of play rules are really good. Capping the total strokes on a hole is brilliant for every day play and ready golf and shorter lost ball searches will also speed up play.

 

I'm ok with keeping stroke and distance as is, just should add a rule mandating that the player hit a provisional if the ball may have gone out of bounds. That should maintain the added penalty for missing in certain places while addressing the pace of play concerns.

 

I do think that it's a mistake not to change the fairway divot to ground under repair. It would be easy to implement, drop at nearest point of relief with no penalty. The current rule is really punitive, especially considering that it only comes into play when a player hit a good drive. If you hit the ball in the fairway you should get a good lie on the next shot.

[Jwin323]

The USGA could do wonders at repairing their reputation by giving us back our sharp grooves and maybe eliminate some of the most penal rules like stroke and distance

 

You can still use pre 2010 grooves until 2024 except in USGA events/qualifiers and maybe some big Am tournaments (Western, Sunnehanna, etc.)

[Z1ggy16]

Wow, did not expect the drop change to virtually mean a player could probably technically drop from about 1 inch off the ground.

 

Liking these new changes.

 

Are we now going to see tour pros using lasers during big tourney's? Or will all tour play specifically prohibit the use of gps/laser during non practice rounds?

[North Butte]

I don't really like the drop rule, but the pace of play rules are really good. Capping the total strokes on a hole is brilliant for every day play and ready golf and shorter lost ball searches will also speed up play.

 

I'm ok with keeping stroke and distance as is, just should add a rule mandating that the player hit a provisional if the ball may have gone out of bounds. That should maintain the added penalty for missing in certain places while addressing the pace of play concerns.

 

I do think that it's a mistake not to change the fairway divot to ground under repair. It would be easy to implement, drop at nearest point of relief with no penalty. The current rule is really punitive, especially considering that it only comes into play when a player hit a good drive. If you hit the ball in the fairway you should get a good lie on the next shot.

 

You seem to be imagining fairways that have only two kinds of lies. A divot someone just made yesterday and perfect grass. The courses I play have yesterday's divots, last week's, last month's and other places where you can't quite tell when there was last a divot there but the grass is far from perfect. But you could make an argument that every spot in the landing area of a golf course has been a divot at some time in the past. Whose to say if that cuppy lie your ball is in was because of a divot or not?

 

There's no way to implement your suggestion without basically granting carte blanche to players to roll the ball whenever they don't like their lie. Lots of people play that way every day, there's no need to enshrine it as a rule. Just let 'em keep cheating if that's how they want to roll.

[EnnDub7]

I'd guess it's to stop people forming a 'track' for their putt.

[LeoLeo99]

I like the rule changes. Especially that we can move rocks out of the bunkers.

[Stuart_G]

New rule: A player may not replace a damaged club, unless the player was not responsible for the damage.

Current rule: A player may replace a damaged club if it is “unfit for play” and was damaged in the “normal course of play.”

So if I swing, hit a hidden root, snap my clubhead off, I can replace it?

 

The way I read it, if that happened, then you could no longer replace it like you can with the current form of the rules.

[darredondo09]

I don't really like the drop rule, but the pace of play rules are really good. Capping the total strokes on a hole is brilliant for every day play and ready golf and shorter lost ball searches will also speed up play.

 

I'm ok with keeping stroke and distance as is, just should add a rule mandating that the player hit a provisional if the ball may have gone out of bounds. That should maintain the added penalty for missing in certain places while addressing the pace of play concerns.

 

I do think that it's a mistake not to change the fairway divot to ground under repair. It would be easy to implement, drop at nearest point of relief with no penalty. The current rule is really punitive, especially considering that it only comes into play when a player hit a good drive. If you hit the ball in the fairway you should get a good lie on the next shot.

 

You seem to be imagining fairways that have only two kinds of lies. A divot someone just made yesterday and perfect grass. The courses I play have yesterday's divots, last week's, last month's and other places where you can't quite tell when there was last a divot there but the grass is far from perfect. But you could make an argument that every spot in the landing area of a golf course has been a divot at some time in the past. Whose to say if that cuppy lie your ball is in was because of a divot or not?

 

There's no way to implement your suggestion without basically granting carte blanche to players to roll the ball whenever they don't like their lie. Lots of people play that way every day, there's no need to enshrine it as a rule. Just let 'em keep cheating if that's how they want to roll.

 

As Justice Potter Stewart said, "I know it when I see it". In my opinion, there are situations in which you are clearly in a divot and then there are the borderline situations. We can probably all agree that the "clearly in a divot" situation should be afforded relief. As for the borderline situations, golf sort of counts on the player to have some integrity in these situations and make the call that they feel is right. Granted, there are some who play golf without integrity, and they'd use the rule to their advantage, but they'd do that with literally any rule that's counting on them to do the right thing.

[mackepa]

The USGA could do wonders at repairing their reputation by giving us back our sharp grooves and maybe eliminate some of the most penal rules like stroke and distance

 

You can still use pre 2010 grooves until 2024 except in USGA events/qualifiers and maybe some big Am tournaments (Western, Sunnehanna, etc.)

 

Still... Wedges wear out and you can hardly get new pre groove rule wedges without paying an arm and a leg. Plus any event I play in requires CC grooves

[whr]

Great to see a modernization of the rules. Hope they are actually implemented.

[DavePelz4]

The 1 inch drop sure is interesting.

 

It's gonna be a read to get through all of them but so far it seems pretty good to me.

 

The one place were this will help is dropping in a bunker. Many times dropping from shoulder height semi-embeds the ball in wet or soft sand.

 

DP, we posted the same thing at the same time.

 

We have comparably depraved minds Sir...

[vtnerf]

-- Players who touched the line of their putts or the putting green in pointing out a target faced a two-shot penalty. The modern rule has no penalty, provided they are not improving the condition of the putt

See bolded. You cannot point to a spot on the green as a target for the putting line. You CAN fix any imperfection on the green if it is in your line, though, per the proposed rules.

[endurancechiro]

I'm a fan of the majority of these, especially the ones designed to speed up play. The ready golf and 40 second shot clock are more than reasonable. Also really like the simplified ball drops and elimination of some pretty pointless penalty strokes. The plugged ball rule is also nice removing the stipulation for the ball to be plugged in the fairway.

[bandrz]

I don't think stroke and distance for OB is going to go away. I think that we may see less actual OB boundaries, but the penalty will still be more severe than hitting into a "penalty area". Not so much on the PGA Tour, but every day courses have to have boundaries with all the homes lining the fairways. I don't think the average weekend golfer should be any further encouraged to cut a corner that he can clear 1 time out of 100 and launch a scud missile over Timmy's backyard 4th birthday party because now he gets to drop closer to the green if he thins one and takes out a picture window.

[b.helts]

In all, I like the changes. I'm not a fan of being able to take a penalty drop outside of a bunker if you are in a bunker.

 

In essence, is the USGA proposing that it would be possible for a course to eliminate Out of Bounds? Kind of like the anchoring ruling, where they effectively make a change without addressing the matter directly? That could appease the stroke and distance deniers, but it would be up to the course.

[endurancechiro]

New rule: A player may not replace a damaged club, unless the player was not responsible for the damage.

Current rule: A player may replace a damaged club if it is “unfit for play” and was damaged in the “normal course of play.”

So if I swing, hit a hidden root, snap my clubhead off, I can replace it?

 

The way I read it, if that happened, then you could no longer replace it like you can with the current form of the rules.

Pretty sure that's what the "player not responsible for damage" is about. Basically saying if you got angry and broke it you can't replace it, but if you were playing golf and it broke, then you can (ie hit a tree root), but I could be wrong. I think the point was to simplify the wording, if it passes, I'd hope they would change the wording slightly, maybe something to the nature of "the damage was not caused outside of a routine golf swing"

[Chaztrip]

-- Players who touched the line of their putts or the putting green in pointing out a target faced a two-shot penalty. The modern rule has no penalty, provided they are not improving the condition of the putt

See bolded. You cannot point to a spot on the green as a target for the putting line. You CAN fix any imperfection on the green if it is in your line, though, per the proposed rules.

 

Maybe I am confusing this more... of course its the rules of golf so LOL

 

But if both of these rules go through I can Point and touch the line all I want and not incur any penalty right? as long as I am not improving the condition of the putt?

[cardoustie]

Did NPR get changed?

 

I think everything should go to 2 driver lengths for relief

 

Will need to read into this 20 and 80" think .. that's NFG, as is the 1" drop. You can't tell from a distance if the guy has placed it or not

 

Like everything else, more common sense

[TheCityGame]

Anyone wondering about why we're doing a 1 inch drop, and you need to make sure it stays in the 20 inch "no closer to the hole" area? here's why. . .the current rule is this on redrops. . .

 

RE-DROP: If the ball is dropped in a hazard but rolls out and comes to rest outside the hazard.

RE-DROP: If the ball is dropped outside a hazard but comes to rest inside a hazard.

RE-DROP: If the ball rolls onto a putting green and stops.

__RE-DROP:__If the ball rolls and comes to rest out-of-bounds.

RE-DROP: If the ball rolls and comes to rest where there is interference by the condition from which relief was taken, such as a cartpath (immovable obstruction), an animal hole (abnormal ground condition), another green, or if the ball rolls back into its pitch mark.

RE-DROP: If the ball rolls and comes to rest more than two club-lengths from where it first struck a part of the course.

RE-DROP: If the ball rolls and comes to rest closer to the hole than its original spot or estimated spot, nearest point of relief, or maximum available relief, or where the ball last crossed the margin of a water hazard.

 

The new rule is just "find your 20 inch area and re-drop until it stays there" very difficult to do from shoulder height. Takes out those situations where you drop twice, try to figure out if it rolled more than 2 club lengths, or if it rolled back into the area, etc etc. Also, you don't get killed if you're dropping in an area where there is already a bunch of drops and you wind up in an old divot or something, and get "double penalized". That was never the intent.

[ptambrosetti]

As a whole, I applaud the USGA (which is something I never do) for taking a practical, up to date look at the rules.

 

However there is one that is actually backwards thinking.

 

They are proposing that if your club breaks through normal play you DO NOT have the option to replace it and may only repair it or keep playing with the damaged club.

 

"A player would not be allowed to replace a damaged club, except when someone other than the player (or anyone acting for the player) caused the damage."

 

This exact scenario happened to my player twice on tour. One was a 6-iron head that came unglued and the other was a cracked driver. We were lucky enough to be able to send someone back to the car and get new clubs on both occasions.

 

I called them with feedback and of course got the "thanks for your concern" line.

 

Am I crazy? Or is this just not practical?

[Stuart_G]

New rule: A player may not replace a damaged club, unless the player was not responsible for the damage.

Current rule: A player may replace a damaged club if it is “unfit for play” and was damaged in the “normal course of play.”

So if I swing, hit a hidden root, snap my clubhead off, I can replace it?

 

The way I read it, if that happened, then you could no longer replace it like you can with the current form of the rules.

Pretty sure that's what the "player not responsible for damage" is about. Basically saying if you got angry and broke it you can't replace it, but if you were playing golf and it broke, then you can (ie hit a tree root), but I could be wrong. I think the point was to simplify the wording, if it passes, I'd hope they would change the wording slightly, maybe something to the nature of "the damage was not caused outside of a routine golf swing"

 

If that was the case, it wouldn't be a change. What you are describing is exactly the way it currently is right now.

 

The way I read it is that If it was in your hands (or any other part of your body) when it broke, you were responsible. What you were doing when it broke (and why) is no longer relevant.

[widow-maker]

I don't think that the penalty for out of bounds needs to be changed. Stroke and distance is proper because most players know they've hit it OB and if it's close you hit a provisional.

 

Where I think they've missed the boat is in the lost ball penalty. Amateurs lose plenty of balls in the rough because there are no marshals out there spotting your ball for you. So now, you look for 3 minutes and have to go back and replay your shot... it's time consuming. I think lost ball penalty should be stroke but NOT distance. That will speed up play for most amateur golfers.

[Frankensteins Monster]

In all, I like the changes. I'm not a fan of being able to take a penalty drop outside of a bunker if you are in a bunker.

 

In essence, is the USGA proposing that it would be possible for a course to eliminate Out of Bounds? Kind of like the anchoring ruling, where they effectively make a change without addressing the matter directly? That could appease the stroke and distance deniers, but it would be up to the course.

 

I didn't get that from what I've read. Do you have a link to what gave you that impression?

 

New rule: A player may not replace a damaged club, unless the player was not responsible for the damage.

Current rule: A player may replace a damaged club if it is “unfit for play” and was damaged in the “normal course of play.”

So if I swing, hit a hidden root, snap my clubhead off, I can replace it?

 

The way I read it, if that happened, then you could no longer replace it like you can with the current form of the rules.

Pretty sure that's what the "player not responsible for damage" is about. Basically saying if you got angry and broke it you can't replace it, but if you were playing golf and it broke, then you can (ie hit a tree root), but I could be wrong. I think the point was to simplify the wording, if it passes, I'd hope they would change the wording slightly, maybe something to the nature of "the damage was not caused outside of a routine golf swing"

 

I had the same interpretation as he did. That needs some clarification.

[AThompson_3]

Still missing the most common sense rule of them all. Moving a ball out of a fairway divot. It wouldn't be that hard. Nearest point of relief no closer to hole. You have to get playing partners permission first and you determine together if it acceptable to move. We don't all play on PGA Tour quality fairways everyday. If you're in the fairway it should be preferred lies anyways.

[bandrz]

I don't think that the penalty for out of bounds needs to be changed. Stroke and distance is proper because most players know they've hit it OB and if it's close you hit a provisional.

 

Where I think they've missed the boat is in the lost ball penalty. Amateurs lose plenty of balls in the rough because there are no marshals out there spotting your ball for you. So now, you look for 3 minutes and have to go back and replay your shot... it's time consuming. I think lost ball penalty should be stroke but NOT distance. That will speed up play for most amateur golfers.

 

I couldn't agree more

[Frankensteins Monster]

Still missing the most common sense rule of them all. Moving a ball out of a fairway divot. It wouldn't be that hard. Nearest point of relief no closer to hole. You have to get playing partners permission first and you determine together if it acceptable to move. We don't all play on PGA Tour quality fairways everyday. If you're in the fairway it should be preferred lies anyways.

 

All balls in the fairway should be able to be moved 20in, no closer to the hole.

[b.helts]

In all, I like the changes. I'm not a fan of being able to take a penalty drop outside of a bunker if you are in a bunker.

 

In essence, is the USGA proposing that it would be possible for a course to eliminate Out of Bounds? Kind of like the anchoring ruling, where they effectively make a change without addressing the matter directly? That could appease the stroke and distance deniers, but it would be up to the course.

 

I didn't get that from what I've read. Do you have a link to what gave you that impression?

 

A link? I just read the page here: http://www.golfchann...t-item-graphics

 

This item here:

Areas the Committee may mark as a penalty area (where relief with 1-stroke penalty is allowed)

New rule: Red- and yellow-marked “penalty areas” may now cover areas of desert, jungle, lava rock, etc., in addition to areas of water.

Current rule: Relief is allowed only from “water hazards.”

 

 

If they've expanded what can be a "Penalty Area" instead of a "Water Hazard" couldn't a course choose to make all current out of bounds a penalty area?

 

edited for formatting from ctrl-c ctrl-v

[etakmit]

I wouldn't be surprised if the DMD rule is not used at PGA events. Enact a local rule that disallows them during play.

[irvtrain]

I don't think that the penalty for out of bounds needs to be changed. Stroke and distance is proper because most players know they've hit it OB and if it's close you hit a provisional.

 

Where I think they've missed the boat is in the lost ball penalty. Amateurs lose plenty of balls in the rough because there are no marshals out there spotting your ball for you. So now, you look for 3 minutes and have to go back and replay your shot... it's time consuming. I think lost ball penalty should be stroke but NOT distance. That will speed up play for most amateur golfers.

 

I agree with this about lost balls. It should be treated the same as lateral hazard, in that your playing partners and you estimate where it went into an area where ball was lost. Drop onto "designed playing grass", lol. Only issue would be taking a drop versus trying to find your ball as a drop could be far more advantageous over trying to hack out of somewhere.

 

Personally, I feel OB penalty should eliminate loss of distance too. Mainly to get rid of the provisional all together. I think most of us have played with someone who has abused the provisional rule to basically practice.

[b.helts]

I wouldn't be surprised if the DMD rule is not used at PGA events. Enact a local rule that disallows them during play.

 

Could be...... What would be very interesting would be to see whether caddies/pros would use them even if allowed.

 

Additionally, I wonder if they will address slope functionality. Probably will.