Mulligan rule and myth. discuss.

[shGGman]

Also, share your thought on mulligans.

Today I played a quick 9 holes by myself. There were two 40+yrs old gentlemen in front of me, and 2 college kids in front them. Obviously, the adults with proper manner told me to go first. They've been tracking my pace and kindly let me go when I caught up to them. The two college kids however, didn't cooperate. They got me thinking about mulligans though. Why? because both of them were hitting like 3 mulligans per hole/per person. That translates into like... waiting for these guys to hit total 6~7 balls @ tee-box. Might as well go to driving range and practice. Worst part, they would look for all the balls they hit. It was taking FOREVER since those balls were everywhere. Pre-mulligan shots are usually really tough to find or far from the direction you must go to.


Mulligan by definition, "n. A golf shot not tallied against the score, granted in informal play after a poor shot especially from the tee."
Please help me find answers for these 3 questions.

1: Is "mulligan" a legit golf rule? written and signed? or is it something that golfers just made up for fun, but became so popular that it became a "term" or "tradition" to golf?

2: How many mulligans are you actually allowed to use per 18 holes? My friends told me this. In general, you can use many mulligans as possible if your handicap is somewhere between 30~40. BUT, only under circumstances that you are not pissing anyone off and not causing a huge delay of game. After that, maybe one mulligan per 9 holes if your handicap is somewhere between 25~30. Below that, no one really uses mulligan.

3: Can you "mulligan" a 2nd/3rd/4th shots? Say you hit well with your driver, but screwed up your FW wood and the ball went in the water. Can you mulligan that? What about mulligan for putting?


I used to use 1 mulligans per 9 holes when I first started golfing. this was when I used to play 18 holes and would lose 18 balls. I see so many people using so many damn mulligans. Its ridiculous. I had a friend who would use like 10+ mulligans per 18 holes. Thank god now he realized that just looks really bad. Im glad I never really got so comfortable of using mulligans, because that really helped me raise my game level. Unfortunately, some newbies thinks that breaking into 100 with 10 mulligans = true skills. When they brag about how well they hit, I nod, but I laugh my a** off inside thinking "WOW, 5 mulligans translates into 5~10+ shots you've saved. You used 10 mulligans, thats 10~20+ on your score card. Congradulations, your real handicap is still somewhere between 30~40.".


What is your thought on mulligans? Personal thoughts? funny experiences/stories?

[AirTime23]

To my knowledge there is nothing about mulligans in the rules, because in real golf (tournament or handicapped rounds) there ain't no mulligans. Therefore as they're only used in fun rounds, you can take as many as you like whenever you like.

If you'd need more than10 mulligans a round and are not trying out different shots, I'd seriously think about a new sport to take up....;-)

[Shaitan]

I only hit extra balls when I'm not slowing play down and i'm just practicing/playing with a friend. We don't play mulligans...generally :lol:

[scotchblade]

If you are writing numbers on a scorecard and adding 'em up, you don't get to take a mulligan, period. There are no "gimmes" either.

 

There are no special allowances based on your handicap.

 

This doesn't stop many people though :lol:

 

In a casual (non scoring) practice round, take all you want, as long as you aren't holding anyone up.

[Bomb and Gouge]

What is your thought on mulligans? Personal thoughts?

 

I could go on all day about mulligans but I'm sure most people here feel the same way.

 

Let me just say that they often give people a false sense of their abilities. Many people don't realize how much ONE SHOT can affect a round of golf.

[shGGman]

What is your thought on mulligans? Personal thoughts?

 

Let me just say that they often give people a false sense of their abilities. Many people don't realize how much ONE SHOT can affect a round of golf.

 

Exactly. Some people doesn't understand how big of an effect it has on scores. To me, I usually shave approximately 2 shots off for par 4s/5s, and 1 shot for par 3. when I use mulligan.

That is just an estimated guess though, based on my skill level and ability to pull off rescue shots. Since Im not a very good rescue-shot maker, if I were to hit a second shot with the non-mulligan first ball(which probably is in a terrible location), it would take me at least 2 more shots to finish that hole compared to the score of second ball(mulligan) that landed on the fairway. It probably is similar for most mid-handicappers, but there is a considerable accuracy/distance difference between the rough shots and the fairway shots.

 

This usually is true, at least for me that is. I actually kept track of myself in a mulligan situation and wrote notes.

At last, my conclusion came out to be saving approximately 1.5 shots per mulligan. Which means if I used 5 mulligans, I add 7 or 8(depending on the difficulty of the course) to the score.

[RobotDoctor]

I never take a mulligan, ever. I always play according to the rules set forth by the USGA and R&A. It does not matter whether I am playing in a tournament or just by myself. I don't use Mulligans so that I can gauge my game against a standard. Mulligans would mask a poor shot as the poor shot is removed from my score. I have an accurate measure (score) of my abilities, my failures and what I need to work on when not using a Mulligan. Besides that, I am really only cheating myself. In a casual round, with no monies exchanging (which is normal for me), I could care less whether a person uses a Mulligan or not. However, when they say how great they did compared to how poorly I might have played a hole, I kindly remind them I did not play a Mulligan and they did.

 

Now in a tournament, I will not tolerate a Mulligan because it is my responsibility (as well as every golfer in the field) to protect the field against rules violations. Mulligans are not a provision allowed in the rules and should never be played merely as such in any round that is in a tournament field (unless local rules state differently) or in a round that is used to establish a handicap.

 

If my recent rounds are indications of my consistency, I could save 4-6 shots (or so) if I used a Mulligan per side (2 per round) as I usually have 3 or 4 bad holes per round. The 4-6 shots usually stem from a very poor tee shot and only gets worse when I attempt to recover from that shot. I mean when I have a bad hole, it is bad!!! At least I would eliminate 2 of those holes which eliminates the usual cascading sequence of bad shot after bad shot after bad shot. However, that is another story.

[JayManMtl]

...

1: Is "mulligan" a legit golf rule? written and signed? or is it something that golfers just made up for fun, but became so popular that it became a "term" or "tradition" to golf?

 

2: How many mulligans are you actually allowed to use per 18 holes? My friends told me this. In general, you can use many mulligans as possible if your handicap is somewhere between 30~40. BUT, only under circumstances that you are not pissing anyone off and not causing a huge delay of game. After that, maybe one mulligan per 9 holes if your handicap is somewhere between 25~30. Below that, no one really uses mulligan.

 

3: Can you "mulligan" a 2nd/3rd/4th shots? Say you hit well with your driver, but screwed up your FW wood and the ball went in the water. Can you mulligan that? What about mulligan for putting?

1. A mulligan is strictly prohibited in the official 'Rules of Golf';

 

2. & 3. Playing recreational golf, you are only allowed one mulligan per round - on your tee shot at the first hole...

 

The term mulligan comes from David Mulligan who was playing in the 1920's at 'The Country Club of Montreal' and had to drive his playing partners to the course - nearby a (by then) tough bridge to cross (Victoria Bridge)... He was obviously the only one to have a car... thus, his buddies allowed him a second shot on the first tee because of the nervousness caused by crossing the bridge just prior to playing...

[stianvm]

When i play with my usual crowd on my homecourse we have 1 mulligan on the first tee if needed, thats it. The reason is that its a tricky starting hole, and it sucks to have a really bad start. But thats it, from there its a grind :lol:

 

Ofcourse never in any competition or the likes.

 

 

 

Playing recreational golf, you are only allowed one mulligan per round - on your tee shot at the first hole..

 

Playing recreation golf where you keep scores and adjust hcp up or down if needed, the one mulligan is one more than whats allowed. There is simply no such thing as a "second serve" in golf. Essentially, the flight agrees to break the rules and are in effect cheating.

[JDorfler]

A lot of charity tourneys I've played you can buy one mulligan per 9 holes. These are usually at a very high cost, but it goes to the charity. It's all in good fun and nothing wrong with them if taken like that. Hitting 3-6 tee shots per hole is a bit excessive.

[ErichZF]

I used to work on an English Cruise ship and ran the golf program. Most had never heard the term Mulligan and didn't know what it meant on the Virtual Golf Simulator and always asked me what the hell a Mulligan was.

[golfortennis]

What's a mulligan?

[PurePursuit]

No mulligans! I hate them. I also hate how they sell them in charity scrambles/best ball tourneys, because the rich guys will literally buy 20 of them each. Your whole round is worthless if you take even one mulligan.

[Kyle M]

I do not take mulligan's but I always give my Uncle a mulligan when we play together. He plays recreational golf, shoots 90 to 105 and just wants to have a good time. I have no problem with a mulligan in that sense. Now when he comes in one day and says he shot an 82 or 85...well, then I may have bring up the whole mulligan thing with him.

[golfernut78]

i don't play mulligans ever on the golf course (might have stolen a line from kevin costner in tin cup about taking a mulligan - but that wasn't on the golf course). i can't find mulligans in the usga rules, so i don't play it.

 

i have a few friends that if we don't warm up i will let them take a mulligan on the first tee and only the first tee. i have another friend i give 1 mulligan per side, only from the tee too.

[golfortennis]

What's a mulligan?

 

you're kidding, right?

 

Technically, I know what a mulligan refers to. He asked for our thoughts on mulligans. My post best sums up my thoughts on them because I never take one.

[parpar41]

Not all mulligans are off the tee !

 

I play once a month with some guys who are relatively new to golf and they allow themselves ( and everyonne in the foursome) ONE mulligan per nine holes. it is their idea , not mine.

 

Anyway, I drive them a little bit crazy because I do not have to use my "mully" off the tee; i save it for use on or around the green - if I accidently chip the ball way too far past the hole or if I jerk my first putt way too hard, then I take my mully then and there. we all know how well we usually play the second shot .

 

Mulligans have a valid place in a casual game. they make the game more fun ( less intimidating ) for beginnners. Like everything else, they can become a bad thing if they are abused or used too often.

[Bomb and Gouge]

Here's something some people don't think about...;

 

You hit your tee shot into a hazard. So you take a mulligan and smoke it down the fairway, hit GIR, two-putt and make par.

 

Now if you hadn't taken the mulligan:

 

You hit your third shot from a nasty lie after you drop your ball. That shot hooks into a hazard as well. Now you're playing your fifth shot. You hit five into a greenside bunker. Your bunker shot goes o/b and you have to drop in the bunker. Now you're playing your EIGHTH SHOT!

 

It pops up onto the green and three putt for an ELEVEN.

 

That's SEVEN STROKES you just saved because of one little mulligan.

 

Now this is an extreme case but we've all had holes like this. (or at least I have- ha ha!)

[golfmaster135327]

there are no mulligans in the game of golf, if you use one and still report your score at the end of the round, you are cheating!!!!

[jjj912]

...

The term mulligan comes from David Mulligan who was playing in the 1920's at 'The Country Club of Montreal' and had to drive his playing partners to the course - nearby a (by then) tough bridge to cross (Victoria Bridge)... He was obviously the only one to have a car... thus, his buddies allowed him a second shot on the first tee because of the nervousness caused by crossing the bridge just prior to playing...

 

That's a bit different than the story I read. What I read was that Mr. Mulligan had a slice and was famous for playing a second shot if his first one went into the woods. He got so proficient at it, that he would have his second shot airborne before before the first one touched the ground.

[InTheHole]

In researching the term "Mulligan" in golf, there are about 5 different "official" versions. I believe the origin of the term is leaning toward the "urban myth" category.

[jjj912]

...

Please help me find answers for these 3 questions.

 

1: Is "mulligan" a legit golf rule? written and signed? or is it something that golfers just made up for fun, but became so popular that it became a "term" or "tradition" to golf?

 

It is not part of the Rules of Golf. In casual play and in some charities, mulligans are common. See other posts for the origins.

 

2: How many mulligans are you actually allowed to use per 18 holes? My friends told me this. In general, you can use many mulligans as possible if your handicap is somewhere between 30~40. BUT, only under circumstances that you are not pissing anyone off and not causing a huge delay of game. After that, maybe one mulligan per 9 holes if your handicap is somewhere between 25~30. Below that, no one really uses mulligan.

 

How many mulligans are allowed, who gets them, when they can be used, and where they can be used, are decided upon by the golfers that are playing. There are no standards that I know of. I play in a small company tournament. Until this year, we used to give one mulligan per 18 holes to our better players to be used outside of 100 yards from the green. Everyone else got one mulligan on each nine that could be used anywhere on the course. We dropped mulligans from the rules this year because we ran into an issue with "provisional mulligans".

 

3: Can you "mulligan" a 2nd/3rd/4th shots? Say you hit well with your driver, but screwed up your FW wood and the ball went in the water. Can you mulligan that? What about mulligan for putting?

...

 

Again, this is entirely up the golfers playing.

 

Personally, I don't have much experience outside of my company tournament. Based on what little experience I do have with them, I found that the most valuable mulligans are the ones that are used near the green, though putting mulligans don't seem to be as valuable as you might think. One time I saw two players make four strokes at a four foot putt and missed all four times. A player that misses a putt with his first stroke will likely miss it again with his mulligan, but a player that blades a ball across the green from a sand bunker will likely find the green with his mulligan. That said, a really good player may get his best value when putting.

[Dizz]

there are no mulligans in the game of golf, if you use one and still report your score at the end of the round, you are cheating!!!!

 

no doubt but im fairly sure that most people who frequently use mulligans or use them at all dont really post scores. one of my favorite things to see on the course is the guy who goes through a routine, waggles, adjusts, waggles, adjusts, waggles and then stands over it for another 20 seconds only to roll one down the fairway. then you see him tee up a ball real quick and actually get a decent result. i dont really have a problem with people taking a quick mulligan because honestly i dont care what anyone else claims to have shot. i play a lot of tournament golf, money games, skins games, etc and you dont get mulligans there...i also keep a ghin handicap so no mulligans for me. however if im playing by myself i do not post the rounds for handicap purposes so ill hit some extra shots here and there for practice.

[Erasmus]

My dad plays a Shapiro. Thats when your mulligan is worse than your first shot and you play the first one.

[xan_user]

My dad plays a Shapiro. Thats when your mulligan is worse than your first shot and you play the first one.

 

Q U A L I T Y ! :lol:

[SpeedyPro]

I posted sometime ago about gimmies and some other generosities that are not accepted by some serious amateurs. Some aggressive poster even said why do I even play golf if I get gimmies?

 

There are different reasons why you play golf. Some play golf to gamble on money, some want to get a compensating feeling from a hobby while he is not good at his main job, some this, some that.

 

I sometimes play competitive golf, but most of times I play golf with my good friends to have fun with them while we do some physical exercise. We accept any rule that will give us some fun. Gimmie, no problem, mulligan, why not? We even tried a game "Harry Putter" which we used a hockey stick as a putter and the winner of a hole is forced to use only the Harry putter.

 

Do whatever you want as long as that doesn't bother anyone in your group and the group behind you. And make sure you don't add up the score to your handicap if you took gimmies or mulligans. Simple.

[Tom Lerch]

Joke:

 

A golfer was visiting Ireland where he chose to visit a famed golf course. He lined up one of the oldest and best caddies available and proceeded to the first tee. After hitting his first drive out of bounds, he turned to his ancient caddie and asked him, "What do they call Mulligans in Ireland?"

 

His caddie replied, "Aye laddie, we call it hittin three."

[avrag]

What's a mulligan?

 

Good one. I wanted to post that myself. :lol:

While playing Golf on a public course in Florida (with residents, not tourists), I got introduced to another strange beast, the "Gilligan". A few regulars on that course allowed each other to take a "Gilligan" under the following "rules":

If your regular shot is a bad slice or hook, which makes you aim to the extreme left or right of the fairway to account for it, and if you hit it straight out of sheer luck once in a while, which puts you in trouble, because it goes exactly where you aimed it, you're entitled to take a "Gilligan". I think their "rules" included 1 for each player per nine holes. But their rules also included a certain illegal substance, and I can testify to the fact that they DID inhale.

[mojomover]

Mulligans are a no-no if you are keeping handicap- EXCEPT, on the first tee. Technically, lets assume you hit your first shot OB- you can declare that you are starting a new round. So your not really breaking any "rules" so to speak. And you cannot post the first shot on your score card as you did you complete the required number of holes.

[teejaywhy]

Mulligans are a no-no if you are keeping handicap- EXCEPT, on the first tee. Technically, lets assume you hit your first shot OB- you can declare that you are starting a new round. So your not really breaking any "rules" so to speak. And you cannot post the first shot on your score card as you did you complete the required number of holes.

 

That's a new one. :lol: