Plastic bottle caps used as a tee

[Sawgrass]

Do people who play golf below the equator hit their shots below ground instead of in the air?

[Halebopp]

Tough crowd, or one unfamiliar with the Looney Tunes' laws of science. ?

[Hawkeye77]

38 minutes ago, Sawgrass said:

Do people who play golf below the equator hit their shots below ground instead of in the air?

 

And account for the earth's tilt? 

[antip]

7 hours ago, Halebopp said:

 

Obviously designed to be used in Australia and New Zealand.

You've been peeking at our tees, haven't you?

[antip]

4 hours ago, Hawkeye77 said:

 

And account for the earth's tilt? 

Perhaps I'd putt better in the northern hemisphere?

[Hawkeye77]

1 minute ago, antip said:

Perhaps I'd putt better in the northern hemisphere?

 

Well, during 1/2 the year!  Problem is the good tilt you need from us is winter!

 

You come on up here and we'll miss putts together!

[BlackDiamondPar5]

23 hours ago, Sawgrass said:

Do people who play golf below the equator hit their shots below ground instead of in the air?

Not sure, but I've been told the ball rotates in the opposite direction when they drain a putt.

Edited September 20, 2020 by BlackDiamondPar5

[Soloman1]

On 9/19/2020 at 11:19 AM, sui generis said:

 

Surely (and I'm not calling you Shirley) there's "four more yards" to be gained by the zero friction of the flat spot. 

Damn, you stole my joke I was about to type.

 

And it could be marketed as unique, pun intended.

 

On 9/19/2020 at 9:17 AM, BlackDiamondPar5 said:

I prefer using this ?

 

 

Those are only allowed during a shotgun tournament.

 

 

 

(Sorry. My filter is at the cleaners, so I have no filter today.)

[Schulzmc]

I’m jumping in a little late to this party, but consider the following: Aristotle made a distinction between something‘s essence and its accidents. When you make a golf tee, its color, shape, material, etc. are accidents (they do not determine that it is a tee) but its essence, its “tee-ness” is determined and not subject to change. Likewise a bottle cap is a bottle cap, even if you change its accidents (remove it from the ring, sand off the nibs, or even carve “tee” in the side). The essence - what it was designed for - does not change. 

 

The more relevant question is the one Sawgrass hit on in his message to the USGA - whether the statement in the rules (“designed to”) is simply descriptive or prescriptive. Did the ruling bodies intend that phrase to limit what can be used as a tee, or simply use the phrase descriptively. 

 

By the way, if you want some interesting non-golf rules related reading sometime, look at how Thomas Aquinas adapted Aristotle’s thinking on accidents and essence to describe the Roman Catholic understanding of what happens to bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper. 

[Dpavs]

Soloman beat me to it ..shot gun starts... lol  (post deleted)

Edited September 23, 2020 by Dpavs

[oikos1]

Would a tee made from melted and recycled plastic bottle caps be legal?

[Newby]

6 hours ago, oikos1 said:

Would a tee made from melted and recycled plastic bottle caps be legal?

Why not? Probably many are already.

Edited September 24, 2020 by Newby

[oikos1]

6 hours ago, Newby said:

Why not? Probably many are already.

Then a modified bottle cap as a tee would be perfectly legal.

[Mr. Bean]

1 hour ago, oikos1 said:

Then a modified bottle cap as a tee would be perfectly legal.

 

I think your logic needs some improvement on this one.

[oikos1]

3 hours ago, Mr. Bean said:

 

I think your logic needs some improvement on this one.

How so?

[Newby]

1 hour ago, oikos1 said:

How so?

Making from raw material and modifying an existing product are somewhat different

[oikos1]

4 hours ago, Newby said:

Making from raw material and modifying an existing product are somewhat different

Right, because "raw material" is clearly defined in the rules of golf. You're stretching now. 

 

The original design/intent would have been a plastic bottle or bottle cap.

[57Driver]

Might this be applicable -

 

4.3a. Allowed and Prohibited Uses of Equipment

A player may use equipment to help his or her play during a round, except that a player must not create a potential advantage by:

• Using equipment (other than a club or a ball) that artificially eliminates or reduces the need for a skill or judgment that is essential to the challenge of the game, or

• Using equipment (including a club or a ball) in an abnormal way in making a stroke. “Abnormal way” means a way that is fundamentally different than its intended use and is not normally recognized as part of playing the game.

[antip]

28 minutes ago, 57Driver said:

Might this be applicable -

 

4.3a. Allowed and Prohibited Uses of Equipment

A player may use equipment to help his or her play during a round, except that a player must not create a potential advantage by:

• Using equipment (other than a club or a ball) that artificially eliminates or reduces the need for a skill or judgment that is essential to the challenge of the game, or

• Using equipment (including a club or a ball) in an abnormal way in making a stroke. “Abnormal way” means a way that is fundamentally different than its intended use and is not normally recognized as part of playing the game.

I don't believe so. If a plastic bottle cap creates no potential advantage over a permitted tee, then this rule has no relevance to the OP. So the answer (to the question currently with the USGA, see @Sawgrass's post above) lies within other rules, in particular the Equipment Rules that limit a 'conforming' tee.

[shagmoreline]

A thread only a mother could love.

[Mr. Bean]

I assume Sawgrass has not yet received an answer from USGA to his query?

[Sawgrass]

2 hours ago, Mr. Bean said:

I assume Sawgrass has not yet received an answer from USGA to his query?

I’ve gotten no answer yet, only a notice that my inquiry had been forwarded from the mainstream rules people to the equipment rules people. 

[cardoustie]

Moe Norman was hitting tee shots off of coke bottles at The Masters back in the day ... the boys in green did not appreciate his brilliance

[rogolf]

Bottles, beer cans, pencils, and extra long tees were some of the reasons that equipment Rules for tees were implemented.

[Mr. Bean]

I wonder why RBs have found defining a tee in so many ways so important. IMO it would suffice if the tee had a maximum length and it would not indicate direction or otherwise assist a player in his stroke apart from lifting the ball off the ground.

Edited September 27, 2020 by Mr. Bean

[PinShark]

Very interesting reading and thanks for the responses.  I still have not received  a response from Golf Magazine rules guy!!!  If i do I will post it as i am still unclear of the ruling.

Thanks again

[gripandrip]

I have used tees similar to these in the winter for a while now. Specifically for golf, not a bottle cap, but basically the same thing. I would assume legal? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2020 by gripandrip

[Newby]

4 hours ago, gripandrip said:

I have used tees similar to these in the winter for a while now. Specifically for golf, not a bottle cap, but basically the same thing. I would assume legal? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes. The were not legal in USGA territories until last year but they are now, providing the strings are not used to help with alignment.

[Sawgrass]

40 minutes ago, Newby said:

Yes. The were not legal in USGA territories until last year but they are now, providing the strings are not used to help with alignment.

AND provided that you are experiencing "difficult turf conditions."  From the 2019 Equipment Rules:

 

 

1. Tees (Rule 6.2)

A tee is a device designed to raise the ball off the ground. A tee must not:

• be longer than 4 inches (101.6 mm);

• be designed or manufactured in such a way that it could indicate line of play;

• unduly influence the movement of the ball; or

• otherwise assist the player in making a stroke or in his play.

Note: As an exception for difficult turf conditions, tees tethered together or to an anchor may be used during the round provided that the player does not align the tees or tether in such a way that could indicate line of play or otherwise assist the player in making a stroke.

[phil75070]

Just curious as to why a tee can't be designed to indicate line of play but you can place a ball on top of the tee and use the markings or a line on the ball itself to indicate line of play.