Golf unveils a modern set of rules to make it easier to play

[edjr 6,898]

https://www.boston.com/sports/golf/2017/03/01/golf-unveils-a-modern-set-of-rules-to-make-it-easier-to-play

 

 

 

 

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Golf’s two governing bodies released a draft of modern rules on Wednesday aimed at bringing common sense to what can be a complicated sport.

The Royal & Ancient Golf Club and the U.S. Golf Association spent more than five years trying to simplify the Rules of Golf without stripping the centuries-old game of its traditions and fundamentals of fair play. The result figures to be the most comprehensive overhaul since the first set of rules was published in 1744.

But in this case, the Rules of Golf actually shrunk.

The proposal, which now faces six months of public feedback, reduces the number of rules from 34 to 24.

In many cases, penalties have been rescinded. Players no longer will be assessed a one-shot penalty if their golf ball accidentally moves, if their club touches the ground while in a hazard or even if a putt strikes a flagstick that is not being tended.

Remember when Jeff Maggert’s shot from a fairway bunker caromed off the lip and hit him in the chest? That cost him a two-shot penalty in the 2003 Masters. Under the proposed rules, it wouldn’t be a penalty.

“The primary objective was, ‘How do we make the rules easier to understand and easier to apply around the world,'” said Thomas Pagel, the USGA’s senior director of rules and amateur status. “I think what you’ll see is that part of this process is to evaluate all the outcomes and identify outcomes that are more reasonable and common-sense based.”

Rory McIlroy has been informed of the changes and liked what he heard.

“I think golf’s emphasis on the rules can sometimes turn people away from it,” McIlroy said. “To modernize and make it simple is a good thing. With what’s happened in the last couple of years, with some rulings and high-profile things that have happened at crucial stages in tournaments, people who look at that and might want to get into the game say: ‘You know what? It’s too complicated.’

“Making them more modern to move with the times is good.”

Depending on the six-month public comment period, the proposal would be finalized in 2018 and become effective in 2019.

One of the proposed rules would penalize caddies who stand behind their players until right before the shot, to help them with alignment. That is most prominent on the LPGA Tour. If the modern rules are adopted, caddies would have to move as soon as their players take their stances.

“This is one we stepped back and said, ‘Aligning yourself is just fundamental to playing the game,'” Pagel said. “It’s not that caddies can no longer help the player. But when a player goes to set up to the ball, that challenge is the player’s.”

Another significant proposal, which got McIlroy’s attention, was how to drop. The goal was to get the ball back in play quickly. Modern rules would more easily identify where to drop, and players would only have to hold the ball above the ground without it touching anything. The recommendation is at least 1 inch above the ground or grass. Currently, players have to stand upright and hold the ball at shoulder height and arm’s length from their bodies.

Among other proposed rules:

— Instead of only being allowed to repair pitch marks or old hole plugs on the greens, players now can fix just about anything, including spike marks and heel prints.

— Players were disqualified if they used a club that was damaged in anger. Under the proposal, they can still use it.

— Players who touched the line of their putts or the putting green in pointing out a target faced a two-shot penalty. The modern rule has no penalty, provided they are not improving the condition of the putt.

Several proposed rules were geared toward improving the pace of play, such as encouraging players to hit their shot when ready. Players would have only three minutes to search for a lost ball instead of five minutes.

“It is important that the Rules continue to evolve and remain in tune with the way the modern game is played,” said David Rickman, executive director of governance for the R&A. “But we have been careful not to change the game’s longstanding principles and character.”

While the Rules of Golf would only be 24 rules, that’s not to suggest 10 rules were simply eliminated. That indicates how the book was taken apart and put back together.

“Probably a bit more than 10 went away,” Pagel said.

 

 

 

 

all solid changes. I am 100% on board

 

Seems like something from the Onion, it is too good to be true

[dain11279 980]

 

 

one-shot penalty if their golf ball accidentally moves

 

Thank you, dumbest rule in sports

 

I'll add a free drop from a fairway divot as well

[edjr 6,898]

 

Thank you, dumbest rule in sports

 

I'll add a free drop from a fairway divot as well

 

Which I think most people already do

[vuduchile 1,947]

We're fairly lax about most of these in casual play anyway.

 

I don't love all the proposed changes, but I don't care enough about any of them to get wound up if they do change.

[edjr 6,898]

We're fairly lax about most of these in casual play anyway.

 

I don't love all the proposed changes, but I don't care enough about any of them to get wound up if they do change.

 

will make for some good golf course arguments this summer

[Filthy Fernadez 2,696]

Or a free drop from hardpan. I don't get free clubs and NFW am I jacking mine up.

 

They should also make an amateur rule for Out of Bounds that you don't have to go back to the tee and hit again; just drop near where it went in at for a 1 stroke penalty. The courses we play don't have the real estate the pros do and it would speed up the pace of play.

[vuduchile 1,947]

Or a free drop from hardpan. I don't get free clubs and NFW am I jacking mine up.

 

They should also make an amateur rule for Out of Bounds that you don't have to go back to the tee and hit again; just drop near where it went in at for a 1 stroke penalty. The courses we play don't have the real estate the pros do and it would speed up the pace of play.

We rarely observe the OB off the tee rule unless we're playing for serious money. On the rare occasion when that occurs, we adhere to ALL the rules.

[dain11279 980]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhaeW2U0HkA

 

Nothing you can really do about that but I still would've wanted to throw my clubs in the lake after it happened

[edjr 6,898]

Or a free drop from hardpan. I don't get free clubs and NFW am I jacking mine up.

 

They should also make an amateur rule for Out of Bounds that you don't have to go back to the tee and hit again; just drop near where it went in at for a 1 stroke penalty. The courses we play don't have the real estate the pros do and it would speed up the pace of play.

 

most sane people already do this.

 

in my 30+ years of golfing, I have NEVER, ever, once seen someone go back and re-tee.

[Cruzer 1,996]

And both the R&A and USGA are considering changes to rules in a bunker. Most notably, loose impediments.... All long overdue.

[dain11279 980]

Isn't another one you can move a hazard stake but not an OB stake? WTF is that all about?

[Cruzer 1,996]

Isn't another one you can move a hazard stake but not an OB stake? WTF is that all about?

OB stakes are the same boundary defining markers as a fence, wall, etc.. On those you don't get relief from either... This rule is actually ok in my book.

[dain11279 980]

OB stakes are the same boundary defining markers as a fence, wall, etc.. On those you don't get relief from either... This rule is actually ok in my book.

 

Meh, you get relief from a TV tower if it impedes your swing. Should be the same for everything as long as you're inbounds or not actually in the hazard.

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,433]

 

most sane people already do this.

 

in my 30+ years of golfing, I have NEVER, ever, once seen someone go back and re-tee.

 

It is not that hard to address this issue. Just hit a provisional before you leave the tee box.

[parrot 789]

 

most sane people already do this.

 

in my 30+ years of golfing, I have NEVER, ever, once seen someone go back and re-tee.

 

Don't most sane people ignore most of these rules already?

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,433]

 

Meh, you get relief from a TV tower if it impedes your swing. Should be the same for everything as long as you're inbounds or not actually in the hazard.

 

The TV tower is a man-made object that is not normally part of the course (only there for televised events). The OB markers are part of the course.

[edjr 6,898]

 

Meh, you get relief from a TV tower if it impedes your swing. Should be the same for everything as long as you're inbounds or not actually in the hazard.

 

TV tower isn't typically there

[parrot 789]

 

It is not that hard to address this issue. Just hit a provisional before you leave the tee box.

 

Are you lying 2 or 3 after the provisional though?

[edjr 6,898]

 

Don't most sane people ignore most of these rules already?

 

yes, but you do have your sticklers that you want to break your club and stab them with it

[edjr 6,898]

 

Are you lying 2 or 3 after the provisional though?

 

3

 

how is there no penalty, ever, after you've taken a swing

[Cruzer 1,996]

 

Meh, you get relief from a TV tower if it impedes your swing. Should be the same for everything as long as you're inbounds or not actually in the hazard.

They're not the same.. As Patsboy said, OB stakes are part of the course - the same as if they were a wall or out of bounds fence.

[Filthy Fernadez 2,696]

 

Are you lying 2 or 3 after the provisional though?

 

Guys I golf with, you're hitting 4 from your provisional.

 

I want it to be a rule so when money is on the line, it's not an issue.

[edjr 6,898]

 

Guys I golf with, you're hitting 4 from your provisional.

 

I want it to be a rule so when money is on the line, it's not an issue.

 

hitting 4?

 

[Filthy Fernadez 2,696]

 

hitting 4?

 

 

Clarified; stroke and distance on OB. 1 is OB, 2 is your drop and 3 is hit as provisional. You're lying 3 hitting 4. Sorry

[parrot 789]

 

3

 

how is there no penalty, ever, after you've taken a swing

 

If you're lying 2 off the tee that's a penalty, ain't it? When you drop like Filthy said are you lying 2 or 3? I took it to mean lying 2, hitting 3.

[edjr 6,898]

 

Clarified; stroke and distance on OB. 1 is OB, 2 is your drop and 3 is hit as provisional. You're lying 3 hitting 4. Sorry

 

 

only time you should be lying 2 on the tee box is if you swing and miss.

[Cruzer 1,996]

 

hitting 4?

 

Yea.. You still have to get penalized for hitting it OB. And the penalty still has to be more penal than hitting it into a hazard... Hitting 4 as if your re-tee had landed there. You speed up play - but still get penalized.

[edjr 6,898]

Yea.. You still have to get penalized for hitting it OB. And the penalty still has to be more penal than hitting it into a hazard... Hitting 4 as if your re-tee had landed there. You speed up play - but still get penalized.

 

we play hitting 3. a penalty for having to re-tee.

[Filthy Fernadez 2,696]

Yea.. You still have to get penalized for hitting it OB. And the penalty still has to be more penal than hitting it into a hazard... Hitting 4 as if your re-tee had landed there. You speed up play - but still get penalized.

 

I guess that's my point. Make it penalized as a hazard for amateurs.

[parrot 789]

 

I guess that's my point. Make it penalized as a hazard for amateurs.

 

My home course is laid out so that you can slice the fock out of it on about any hole any you're just going to land in another fairway, but it you hook anything it's OB. As a hooker who plays with a bunch of slicers this tends to piss me off.

[Filthy Fernadez 2,696]

 

My home course is laid out so that you can slice the fock out of it on about any hole any you're just going to land in another fairway, but it you hook anything it's OB. As a hooker who plays with a bunch of slicers this tends to piss me off.

 

What's your rate, big boy?

 

I get you though. My home course has OB on several holes where it's just a pain in the a$$ if I overcook my draw a little.

[parrot 789]

 

What's your rate, big boy?

 

 

 

If you have to ask...

[Cruzer 1,996]

 

we play hitting 3. a penalty for having to re-tee.

The intent is to speed up play - which dropping where it went out does.. But you don't get a free pass on the actual infraction of hitting it out of bounds on top of that. You're still on the hook for the OB score penalty - you just get the benefit of speeding up play.

[parrot 789]

The intent is to speed up play - which dropping where it went out does.. But you don't get a free pass on the actual infraction of hitting it out of bounds on top of that. You're still on the hook for the OB score penalty - you just get the benefit of speeding up play.

The OB rule is dumb though. You have a hazard on the right and OB on the left. One guy goes in the hazard and the other goes OB. Both guys drop and one guy is hitting 3 and the other hitting 4? Dumb and arbitrary.

[Cruzer 1,996]

The OB rule is dumb though. You have a hazard on the right and OB on the left. One guy goes in the hazard and the other goes OB. Both guys drop and one guy is hitting 3 and the other hitting 4? Dumb and arbitrary.

I don't think so. Primarily bcoz of the clear distinction between one being part of the golf course and the later being a non-part of the course.

 

The OB rule was originally created for the flamboyant, cocky and self loving Charles Blair McDonald.. When CB designed famed Chicago Golf Club it was the 1st 18 hole course in America. But much like Nicklaus does today, CB designed it to fit his left to right game... As it was well known back then, CB had a ferocious slice, that often would fly clear to other time zones not even part of the course.. It was not deemed fair that he be allowed to recover from such places - thus, the OB rule.... Hazards on the other hand, were long staples of early golf that formed more often by nature than by man - and almost always in the field of play... I think it's totally feasible to keep both - and speed up play at the same time.

[edjr 6,898]

The intent is to speed up play - which dropping where it went out does.. But you don't get a free pass on the actual infraction of hitting it out of bounds on top of that. You're still on the hook for the OB score penalty - you just get the benefit of speeding up play.

 

you've lost me.

 

are you saying there is an additional penalty for losing the ball on top of OOB?

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,433]

 

you've lost me.

 

are you saying there is an additional penalty for losing the ball on top of OOB?

 

They are wrong. You hit your first ball. If you are not sure whether you are OB or not, you tee up and declare a "provisional". If your first ball ends up being OB, then the provisional that you hit from the tee (assuming you are in bounds on that one) is now lying 3.

 

Tee shot = 1

Penalty = 2

2nd tee shot = 3

[Drizzay 745]

There are rules in golf? The only one I play with is "no foot wedges".

[edjr 6,898]

 

They are wrong. You hit your first ball. If you are not sure whether you are OB or not, you tee up and declare a "provisional". If your first ball ends up being OB, then the provisional that you hit from the tee (assuming you are in bounds on that one) is now lying 3.

 

Tee shot = 1

Penalty = 2

2nd tee shot = 3

 

I am talking about hitting it OOB, not hitting a provo and walking up and playing distance and hitting 3, whether or not you find your drive

[Cruzer 1,996]

 

They are wrong. You hit your first ball. If you are not sure whether you are OB or not, you tee up and declare a "provisional". If your first ball ends up being OB, then the provisional that you hit from the tee (assuming you are in bounds on that one) is now lying 3.

 

Tee shot = 1

Penalty = 2

2nd tee shot = 3

I'm not wrong - we are talking about 2 different things.