What is the one rule you wish could be changed

[Roadking2003]

I would reduce the number even more, maybe down to 10.

[DaveLeeNC]

FWIW, there is a good chance that you have never played a round where the one ball rule was in effect.

dave

[Mr. Bean]

I sure have not but I have watched closely quite a few

Then again, when I play in any kind of competition I always use only one type of ball. Makes me feel more confident. I doubt there is any effect to overall score but still.

[Roadking2003]

This is true, but it's still a silly rule.

[DaveLeeNC]

To be precise, it really isn't even a rule. It is a condition that can be imposed by 'the committee'. From a practical perspective - pretty obscure thing with zero affect on the golfing community at large. I have a hard time thinking of anything in the rules that could be changed that would have a smaller effect on the game of golf. But I am sure there is something else there that qualifies.

dave

[rogolf]

To be precise, it really isn't even a rule. It is a condition that can be imposed by 'the committee'.

Well, that was true in 2018, but not since the 2019 Rules came into effect. It is now a model Local Rule which the Committee can put into place when so desired.

[DaveLeeNC]

Thx - didn't realize that.

dave

[Mikey5e]

gps/rangefinders should be banned by usga.

[Sawgrass]

People who aren’t aware of local rule G-5 should be banned by the USGA. Maybe the R&A too.

[James the Hogan Fan]

A condition of a competition, which regulates something a player can do during a round, and penalizes him if he does not, is for all intents and purposes a 'rule'.

From what I read in Tom Watson's rules of golf book, the one ball rule was brought in because (according to him) players were finding some balls worked better up vs downwind and someone thought that ought to be stopped. I think it might be interesting (and the ball-makers would sell more balls) if PGA players could choose whatever ball they wanted on each hole.

600 yard par 5 and one guy pulls out a 2-piece distance rock, next hole a short par 3 with a tight pin and he plays a balata. (He'd still have to follow the rules for substituting a ball though, so he couldn't just put a 'putting ball' in play on the green) Besides, I doubt most pros would go for it as there is the whole consistency of a single type of ball argument as well.

 

[Mr. Bean]

Agree. Making different kinds of shots with different kinds of balls is a skill as well, why limit that? As pointed out earlier, Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup has decided not to use one ball rule maybe for a good reason.

[Warrior42111]

I remember watching shell's world of golf over the holiday break and the players would change balls from the big and small one depending on the win.

[Newby]

Presumably because one of the partners in a foursome may be playing with a ball type that he doesn't like.

[rogolf]

A condition of a competition, which regulates something a player can do during a round, and penalizes him if he does not, is for all intents and purposes a 'rule'.

A further update - as of Jan 1, 2019, there are no more "conditions of the competition"; they are now "terms of the competition", and according to Rule 1.3a are not part of the "Rules".

[James the Hogan Fan]

Dovetailing to that, it would appear to me with the oft-cited groove COC now being a model local rule, there was some hope that the 'terms of competition' could be more administrative things on how the comp is run.

 

Speaking of local rules, I would love to get rid of the one that allows a committee to declare a distance marker an immovable obstruction when it is, in fact, eminently movable.

[Mr. Bean]

Maybe. If that is the case they should all play Wilson Ultra. So called one-Wilson-Ultra-ball -Rule

[rogolf]

Read Section 5A of Committee Procedures, it discusses terms of the competition.

[antip]

It would emphasise the skill requirements of the game, de-emphasise the putt-putt element that is taking over and drive the sporting goods companies apoplectic. What's not to like? Knock 10 per cent off the distance the ball travels and ban all caddies from advising and I'd be in golfing heaven (despite still three-putting).

[Mr. Bean]

'Speaking of local rules, I would love to get rid of the one that allows a committee to declare a distance marker an immovable obstruction when it is, in fact, eminently movable.'

I believe the idea behind that is the fact that some distance markers are more difficult to put back where they were resulting those markers falling over. Also experience has shown that some people has the tendency of 'forgetting' to replace the markers or stakes they remove.

But let us turn it around. What is the downside of a distance marker being declared an Immovable Obstruction?

[Sawgrass]

A downside could be that one gets no opportunity for free relief for line of play interference.

[Mr. Bean]

Good point, Sawgrass. Naturally the downside is dependent of the size of the distance marker but yes, that is a downside.

[Halebopp]

It's definitely a safety issue when you can't move the stake out of your line of play. Once in Club Championships I pulled my uphill 5 iron approach shot and hit the steel 150-meter marker some 15 meters in front of me. It was definitely the loudest sound I've ever heard on a golf course and no one would've had any chance of avoiding getting hit as the ball probably traveled at speeds over 50 m/s. Had it hit someone, there would've been some serious damage but luckily it didn't. After the round our pro came asking if I knew what the sound had been as their group had been startled by it some 500 meters away.

I wasn't a rules official or in the rules committee at the time but the next year they had changed the status of the stakes to movable obstructions and I have to say I'm glad they did.

[Mr. Bean]

There are courses where distance markers for 150 meters are small trees, carved sculptures or large stones. I wonder how players manage those..

[Mr. Bean]

5-iron and 50 m/s? You're the man!!

From a distance of 15 meters one should be able to go around a stake less than 10 cm thick but I guess you just made a bad contact

[James the Hogan Fan]

Generally such distance markers are suitably removed from the normal lines of play that it doesn't affect as much. But those distance stake markers have been known to be placed in the fairway at times..

Also the examples you gave are probably not movable. (In reality, not by rule) The most frustrating part of it is when the thing you'd like to move could be moved if it were anything other than a distance marker.

[antip]

When it is only on line of play, don't think of that solid 150 marker post as an obstruction at all. Think of it as a special tree with the same dimensions and 150 painted on it. Because that is precisely the effective rules impact of a Committee establishing such a marker in an immovable way or by declaring one that is movable as immovable. 'Special' because you get relief if that tree interferes with lie, stance or swing. Now you are only thinking of the positive things that 'tree' can offer, not the nasty things that the post cannot. (And if that works, I've also got some 'never three putt' magic balls to sell you.)

[Mr. Bean]

FWIW, I have never seen any other types of distance markers on the fairways but the plates dug into the ground or painted markers. Neither of those can be on the line of play when a ball is airborne. All the stakes I have seen have always been in the rough (i.e. outside the fairway) and rough is not to be regarded as an area where balls should lie in normal play. The fact that they do is another thing but when hitting one's ball into the rough one needs to accept the negatives potentially created by such a shot and that includes potential obstacles on the line of play.

[James the Hogan Fan]

It is not tremendously uncommon in the US to have a distance marker be on the fairway centerline and serve as both an aiming post and a distance marker as well. And those 'barber poles' are right down the middle. Though I admit, I have never had this come up on a course with that kind of marker'

And don't get me wrong, I can always accept the 'you hit it there argument. I can also accept the 'how often does this really come up argument'. But I counter with the 'if the committee really wanted it to be an immovable obstruction they could have bought something that actually meets the definition of one.'

And a magic no-3-putt ball would be amazing, but I have to ask, does it have alignment marks?

[Mr. Bean]

'FWIW, I have never seen any other types of distance markers on the fairways but the plates dug into the ground or painted markers.'

Oh no, now I lied!! In Linna Golf they used to have those funny round balls as distance markers ! But they were small enough not to be on the line of play when a ball is airborne.

[Halebopp]

@Mr. Bean ...and rough is not to be regarded as an area where balls should lie in normal play. The fact that they do is another thing but when hitting one's ball into the rough one needs to accept the negatives potentially created by such a shot and that includes potential obstacles on the line of play.
Seriously, that's your take on it? There are no possible health considerations and no reason to make objects, which could be easily moved and replaced, movable obstructions because people shouldn't hit anything but perfect shots? (For what it's worth, I was hitting from the fairway but not all golf holes are designed to be straight)

Edit: I don't know if you were trying to be funny in your first reply but it comes across as insultory (once again). Hence the tone in my reply. I'm perfectly aware players might not always have perfect, clear shots towards the green but people also mishit balls, like in my case. The ball was supposed to go a couple of meters right of the stake, so I didn't give the risk a second thought. It did make me play a layup chip/pitch shot when I ended up in the same area in future rounds just to be safe. It can be viewed as the price you pay for a slightly bad tee shot but as the question was about the possible downsides of treating all of them as Immovable Obstructions, health issues is definitely one in such freak accidents. No one is aiming a full swing shot towards a tree because there's a very good chance they'll hit it but most people likely think they can't hit a yardage stake 15 meters away when it's not even in their intended line of play.