If you could change one rule in golf....

[Double True]

What would it be? Which rule to you seems so stupid, so out of place that if the PGA came up to you today and said "Joe Schmuckateli, we really value you as a player and a person and am granting you ONE rule change." Which would you choose?

 

Not sure what mine would be yet....I'll get back to you on that.

[b81smith]

Fix any imperfection on green - ball marks, spike marks, anything you want........and you shouldn't need to hit from a divot in fairway. Those two are out dated and stupid.

[longballjs]

Grounding your club in a hazard - It would be nice to know upon setting down the club if there was a rock 1/10 of an inch under the surface before hitting

[blaird]

definitely would like to see free drops from divots in fairways, i dont like that idea of hitting a 300+ yard drive down the center and having to hit from a divot. also i feel you should be able to tap down spike marks on the green.

[theballbites]

Grounding your club in a hazard - It would be nice to know upon setting down the club if there was a rock 1/10 of an inch under the surface before hitting

 

 

- I agree, especially when you may damage your club because of those rocks or hazard :black eye:

[scotto69]

Divots and scorecards. Perfect drives down the middle shouldn't be punished; especially if some digger made a real deep one.

 

The idea that a guy can lose a tournement with 50,000 people on site, millions on tv who know the score, because he made an addition error seems stupid in todays age.

[Dill Pickleson]

free do overs for bad shots that kill good rounds, i would like that implemented

[mikpga]

Eliminate stroke & distance as a penalty for out of bounds shots...

 

Identify location of where ball went out of bounds and drop it just like a lateral hazard...One stroke penalty...

 

Let's keep the pace moving...

[cnelson]

Eliminate stroke & distance as a penalty for out of bounds shots...

 

Identify location of where ball went out of bounds and drop it just like a lateral hazard...One stroke penalty...

 

Let's keep the pace moving...

 

 

Ehh, maybe in everyday local play.. But on tour, it should still be stroke and distance.

 

If more people knew what a provisional ball was, the pace would stay fine!! Know the rules! Btw; its rule 27-2 a.

 

 

 

 

Anyways, mine would be.. In match play, if you win the hole, instead of HAVING to play first from the next tee, you have the option for other player/team to hit first. Because in match play isn't the point of having an advantage? Well if you make the other player/team hit first and they go OB, well advantage you.

 

 

 

BTW; The comment about scorecards.. The players do NOT have to add up the strokes. All they must do is simply write in the numbers and sign the card. (to my understanding) it is the sole job of the committee to add the scores, the only way to be DQ is if you have a 4 on your card, and the player really made a 5. (to my understand at least, and the way all tournaments i've ever played in have been)

[crutch85]

I completely agree with the divots in fairway, ball marks, and spike marks comments. My addition would be to allow players to fix a bunker that is unraked and your ball is in a footprint. We don't always get to play on courses with caddies that make sure every bunker is raked and I think it is rediculous to have to play a shot out of some lazy word not alloweds foot print.

[skinny99]

I think that having to hit out of a divot in the fairway is the worst rule in golf. However in regards to the bunkers,OB and grounding club in hazard,they have to stay,golf has to have penalties for bad shots. Hitting it long and deep down the fairway is not a bad shot!! Also you should be able to tap down spike marks,the green is not a penalty area. IMO Todd

[marrigo]

Just to stir the pot a little and play devils advocate; for all you proponents of the divots in the fairway revision, please define divot. I think that's the problem, where do you draw the line? Is an old divot that is mostly grown back still a divot? It seem intuitive until you try to define it and start to think about how to enforce it.

[Status]

Having to drop the ball when taking relief in a waterlogged bunker. You just know it will plug. You should be able to place it at the nearest point of relief and play from there.

[Bones01gt]

I disagree with the penalty for signing a incorrect scorecard. If the guy keeping my scorecard screws it up, he should be penalized. That or just let each player keep his own scorecard...better yet, with all the marshals and whatnot walking the course, just have a neutral party keep both scorecards.

 

Sure, it is the player's duty to check the scorecard before signing it, but come on man, people make mistakes. I just think it's a silly rule.

 

I too agree with the fairway divots talk. You should definitely get a free drop if you come to rest in a fairway divot.

[InTheHole]

BTW; The comment about scorecards.. The players do NOT have to add up the strokes. All they must do is simply write in the numbers and sign the card. (to my understanding) it is the sole job of the committee to add the scores, the only way to be DQ is if you have a 4 on your card, and the player really made a 5. (to my understand at least, and the way all tournaments i've ever played in have been)

 

 

Irrelevant. In no other game does a player or team (that I can think of) have to keep score and assert that the score is correct at the end, or be disqualified.

 

With the computers, cameras, spotters, and officials all over the place, and with millions of dollars at stake each week, keeping score on paper is rediculous.

 

And even with the "keep score" rules, the fact that a player could walk away from the scoring table, for whatever stupid reason, and not be allowed to walk back and sign the scorecard is equally stupid (ala Michelle Wie).

 

Rule: sink putt on 18, game over- walk to locker room or collect trophy. Done. Anything else is having a rule for the rule's sake.

 

In amateur tournaments without all the volunteers and computers, different story. Especially with the size of a golf course and the number of participants. But in a pro tourny? C'mon. Silliness. Look at the PGA Tour web site with the stats, shot tracker, etc. We know the score almost before the player does!

[cnelson]

Having to drop the ball when taking relief in a waterlogged bunker. You just know it will plug. You should be able to place it at the nearest point of relief and play from there.

 

Whats a waterlogged bunker? The rule book never uses the word waterlogged? I'm just kidding.. You mean casual water right? ha.

 

But anyway.. Rule 25-1 ii. (b) States, you may drop a ball outside a bunker with abnormal ground conditions under a one stroke penalty. Keeping the point between the ball and the flag you may go back as far as you like.

 

 

I wasn't saying you were wrong about the scorecard rule. I agree, its silly. All I'm saying is they aren't getting DQ for adding wrong, they just get DQ for signed a wrong card. There math skills don't really come into play. But again, a lot of rules are silly.

[Tighthead]

It's interesting that so many people want to take bad breaks out of the game. What ever happened to rub of the green? I don't see any suggestions for relief from good breaks...

[kylemacca01]

The divot one in the fairway is definitely the rule to change however the only way i can see it being done is just to have placing on all the time. If distinguishing between divot and not divot is going to cause issues just say if you hit it in the fairway you can place it within a foot regardless.

[pjccjp]

stroke and distance

[longballjs]

I think that having to hit out of a divot in the fairway is the worst rule in golf. However in regards to the bunkers,OB and grounding club in hazard,they have to stay,golf has to have penalties for bad shots. Hitting it long and deep down the fairway is not a bad shot!! Also you should be able to tap down spike marks,the green is not a penalty area. IMO Todd

 

Well as far as hazards (speaking of water hazards, not sand traps), playing from the hazard is already a penalty. You are in an often unkept and rugged area, usually full of rocks, tall grass, akward stances, and little chance. To preserve the club and potentially ones health, grounding would be to allow them to prevent an unfortunate situation.

 

But I understand, and I think every response has at least a few people who do not like it. I for one am not a huge fan of dropping from a divot - one of golfs oldest traditions and rules is playing the ball as it lies - now granted some hackers are to lazy to replace their divots and you get stuck in their mess, but thats golf - not just skill but also luck

[cnelson]

stroke and distance

 

 

Stroke and distance what? Ha. There has to be at least 12 rules that you may continue under stroke and distance, are you saying that stoke and distance just shouldn't be an option?

 

The idea behind not grounding in a hazard (any kind of hazard) is that you may be able to get an idea of how the club with react to the ball. No offense, but golf clubs aren't some sort of fancy pen.. If they get banged up, they get banged up. I've seen people play balls off cart paths because the nearest point of relief was horrible. Of course you just make sure you catch that ball thin! ha.

[kenoli22]

Stroke and distance for OB! You can hit it 300 yards, 1" OB and you're penalized more so than if you whiff! Seems a little ridiculous if you ask me.

[Double True]

Yeah mine would definitely have to be dropping from a divot. Either that or not being able to remove any twigs, stones, bugs etc. from a bunker. That rule kind of bothers me as well. To me a bunker should be almost as neatly kept as the fairway, not another penalty for hitting a slightly wayward shot.

[skinny99]

I think that having to hit out of a divot in the fairway is the worst rule in golf. However in regards to the bunkers,OB and grounding club in hazard,they have to stay,golf has to have penalties for bad shots. Hitting it long and deep down the fairway is not a bad shot!! Also you should be able to tap down spike marks,the green is not a penalty area. IMO Todd

 

Well as far as hazards (speaking of water hazards, not sand traps), playing from the hazard is already a penalty. You are in an often unkept and rugged area, usually full of rocks, tall grass, akward stances, and little chance. To preserve the club and potentially ones health, grounding would be to allow them to prevent an unfortunate situation.

 

But I understand, and I think every response has at least a few people who do not like it. I for one am not a huge fan of dropping from a divot - one of golfs oldest traditions and rules is playing the ball as it lies - now granted some hackers are to lazy to replace their divots and you get stuck in their mess, but thats golf - not just skill but also luck

Longball the good news is that we don't get to decide :) The problem with hitting out of divots here in Florida, is that it is not possible to replace divots,you either fill them with sand if you are respectful or just leave the divot open! On a highly travelled course there is a lot of them in small areas,tough to deal with some times. I just play it as it lies and deal with it. Tighthead makes a good point,we all take the good breaks,sometimes we have to take the bad ones! IMO Todd

[Skaffa77]

3 rules I can possibly see changing:

 

-DQ for signing an incorrect score-card

-Remove penalty for the ball moving on the green after the player is at address (change only applies if it is deemed that the player didn't cause the ball to move, ie: wind, slope of green or other outside agent causes ball to move)

-Free drop from a divot in the fairway

[InTheHole]

I wasn't saying you were wrong about the scorecard rule. I agree, its silly. All I'm saying is they aren't getting DQ for adding wrong, they just get DQ for signed a wrong card. There math skills don't really come into play. But again, a lot of rules are silly.

 

 

Point taken. I agree- I should have acknowledged that.

[cnelson]

Stroke and distance for OB! You can hit it 300 yards, 1" OB and you're penalized more so than if you whiff! Seems a little ridiculous if you ask me.

 

Well I mean the entire point is that you should have not hit the ball there. I agree, it sucks. However, I think it would be two easy to just take two club lengths and drop. Also, you might rather re-hit from the previous point. Because where there is OB, two club lengths might be a crappy option.

[Adk Jake]

Agree with several previous posters on putting the OB rule in line with those for a lateral hazard.

 

Opening hole on my home course, a long par 4 has OB on both sides!! Driving range on the right, entrance road on the left. (there's another hole to the left of the road) I can see them not wanting golfers hitting back over the road. But shouldn't the range be marked as a hazard?

[SwingLikeElk]

There ought to be a rule where the player who pulls a Henrik Stenson gets cuffed and dragged into a hospitality tent and beaten with a Pat Perez headcover.

[cnelson]

Agree with several previous posters on putting the OB rule in line with those for a lateral hazard.

 

Opening hole on my home course, a long par 4 has OB on both sides!! Driving range on the right, entrance road on the left. (there's another hole to the left of the road) I can see them not wanting golfers hitting back over the road. But shouldn't the range be marked as a hazard?

 

Ok, well you bring up a GREAT point. The problem is the way courses are marked, not so much the rules. OB needs to be watched carefully the way it is marked, because its a harsh penalty. However, IMO the range shouldn't me marked as anything..

 

And by the rule book definition. The range SHOULD NOT be marked as any kind of lateral hazard. Lateral hazard is any ditch man made or not filled with water or not. Yes you can have a dry piece of land marked as a hazard but it shouldn't be.

 

Its just bad placement/marking of a golf hole. Simple as that.