What is the one rule you wish could be changed

[Mr. Bean]

Still waiting, LICC.

[DaveLeeNC]

Then I should be able to get credit for the portion of my drive (that ended against a tree in the woods) that carried over the fairway - logical.

dave

[LICC]

In your hypothetical, you found your ball. If it is playable, you have to play it, and there is no penalty so I don’t know what you think you are not getting credit for. If unplayable, you move it to within two clublengths, with one penalty for hitting into an unplayable lie. But you are dropping near your landing spot so you are not losing distance.

[Londoner]

You have to say, this is top trolling by LICC.

[CaseyC]

Might as well get rid of tee shots on the first and just drop in the fairway...

[CaseyC]

Not necessarily if it is marked as a yellow

[HitEmTrue]

Yes, you still have to hit the shot. But when deciding whether to take stroke and distance, you are determining the chances of hitting a decent shot on the next attempt.

With your proposal, you get TWO additional cracks at it.

[Sawgrass]

He’s too busy pretending that you can’t often play a ball from within a penalty area.

[deadsolid...shank]

I think when he says “over the playable area” he’s alluding to the area between where the shot was originally played from and the nearer side of the PA. That you don’t have to go back to where you originally played from (stroke and distance). At least that’s how I interpreted it.

[Vindog]

Your opinion on OB is duly noted and respected.

[DaveLeeNC]

FWIW, there (in my mind) has been precious little discussion (recently) in this thread regarding whether or not S&D and OB should be changed. There has been MUCH discussion on whether or not the current rules are logical. They are not the same discussion.

dave

ps. I know that treating OB as a red staked hazard (to use the terminology of the times when I recall the discussion happening) has happened at a high level in a serious fashion. I am curious as to the rationale for not making that change, as I just don't recall what it was. And that question is less obvious in my mind.

[Vindog]

But, there is also back in line relief. Say two CL in any direction puts you into bushes or otherwise potentially unplayable or desireable.

 

So that distance “credit” is lost potentially.

[LICC]

If the whole area is unplayable then it should be marked as Penalty Area.

[rogolf]

You're misreading and misinterpreting the Rules again when you say, "if it is playable, you have to play it". The player has the right to treat his ball as unplayable and proceed under Rule 19 any time he wants, except when his ball is in a penalty area.

[Vindog]

Really? That's your answer? The "whole" area doesn't have to be unplayable. Just the minimum 2CL radius around your ball.

 

In any case your response does nothing to refute my points.

[LICC]

Of course, but why do so if you can play it to the fairway. And if you are like the vast majority of golfers playing muni courses, you are not going back to the tee to play another.

[LICC]

If only the 2 club radius around your ball is unplayable, then taking back of line relief won’t affect your position materially.

[Vindog]

You're still sidestepping. But I understand.

[LICC]

You’re failing trying to keep up and figure this out. But I understand.

[rogolf]

I'm just reiterating that the Rules say a player has the right to treat his ball unplayable anywhere on the course, except in a penalty area, and proceed under any of the three options that Rule 19 provides.

[Shilgy]

To use LICC’s “logic”......it’s not logical for one shot to get a do-over when another shot of equal quality does not.

[LICC]

I disagree with that dishonest application of Rule 19. But Rule 18 allows stroke and distance relief from anywhere.

[Vindog]

Still sidestepping.

 

Your answer with your back aginst the wall regarding a different type of distance loss presented to you is "make it a PA". You've said it twice now, I believe I do have it figured out, and it's because I understand.

 

[LICC]

Under the rules it should be a PA. Read them to try to understand.

[CaseyC]

Can you cite under the rules where it says that?

Marking the Course 2. Course Marking for General Play

 

[Vindog]

Under the rules it "could" be a PA. "May want to consider" is a lot different than "should". I understand them just fine, but thanks.

 

Also, those procedures account for a committe's assesment of the original challenge of the hole, and maybe for the impracticality of defining all such areas of the course similarly. However I haven't read anything that compels a committee to do so.

[rogolf]

It's only your opinion that it's "dishonest". It is permitted under the Rules, and playing by the Rules is playing within the spirit of the game.

[LICC]

Rule 17 - Penalty AreasPurpose of Rule: Rule 17 is a specific Rule for penalty areas, which are bodies of water or other areas defined by the Committee where a ball is often lost or unable to be played. For one penalty stroke, you may use specific relief options to play a ball from outside the penalty area.

 

[CaseyC]

I don't see "should" in there.....

[LICC]

In my opinion you are misinterpreting the rule and it’s principle. I agree with Tufts in his book on the principles of the rules. Declaring a ball in a playable lie as unplayable is dishonest.