Whiffing

photo credit: ttarasiuk   Whiffing (missing) your ball on the first tee, is about the most humiliating experience in the game of golf.  Its happened to everyone at one time or another as beginners.  Miss the ball and its a one stroke penalty.

Now, let’s presume you hit a beautiful 285 yard drive down the right or left side of the fairway and it trickles out of bounds.  For just a few inches of error or perhaps, just bad luck, you receive a penalty of one stroke and distance (tee it up and hit the shot again).  

The rules of golf leave many players bewildered.  I would venture to guess that golf has more rules than any other sport.  Somebody correct me if I’m wrong?

The New Groove Rule

photo credit: nimish_gogri   Starting January 1, 2010, a new rule will go into effect that is designed to reduce the spin on the ball.  This new “groove rule,” will take the advantage away from the “bombers” who, because of their length, are able to enjoy relatively close approach shots.  Also, when hitting from the rough, they will hit more “flyers” (shots that roll when they hit).

The question:  Will the new rule make the game easier for amateurs?  Answer: Not yet !  For all players besides Tour Pros, the rule doesn’t go into effect until the year 2024, however, the answer is a resounding “yes.”  Amateurs will have more difficulty trying to stop the ball on the greens.  Does this rule change make sense then?

USGA. Rule 17-3 Flagstick

photo credit: sidewalk flying   If the flag is left in the cup while you are putting and your ball hits the flagpole you will incur a 2 stroke penalty and have to play the ball as it lies.  If your ball hits the pin during your approach shot from off the green, there is no penalty.

There are advantages and disadvantages when the pin is left in the cup.  When playing a shot from off the green, the flag can play an important role in stopping a fast moving ball that would ordinarily have rolled a good distance past the cup.  Another reason for leaving the flag in the cup is for alignment, especially if you are playing to an elevated green and can only see the top of the flagstick.

Dropping From a Water Hazard

photo credit: nsaplayer   One of the least understood options after taking a penalty drop, after hitting a ball in a lateral water hazard, is the drop on the “opposite margin.”  USGA. Rule 26-1c says that if your ball crosses into a lateral water hazard, you’re allowed to find a point on the opposite side of the hazard that’s the same distance from the hole as the point where your ball crossed the hazard.  From there, you are allowed to take a drop within two club-lengths…but no closer to the hole (adding one penalty stroke).

Note:  If you draw an imaginary line from the point where your ball first entered the hazard, to that point on the opposite side of the hazard and that line first crosses land that is outside the hazard, then dropping on the opposite side is not an option.

Leaf Piles

photo credit: LiamDC   In the Midwest, leaves accumulate in the fall in great quantities.  In these conditions you should be sure to check with the course to see if it’s using a rule that treats the accumulation of leaves as ground under repair.  On designated holes, you may be entitled to relief without penalty if your ball stops in a leaf pile.  If there is reasonable evidence that a ball entered a pile but is lost, a player can substitute another ball without penalty and drop it at the spot where the lost ball is believed to have crossed into the leaf pile.  You must be certain the ball could not have been lost for any other reason.  If you’re not certain, treat it as a lost ball (Rule 27), take a one-stroke penalty and replay the shot.

Cart Paths

photo credit: bradleypjohnson   Cart paths are considered immovable obstructions and you are entitled to move your ball off the path without penalty.  In rare cases, paths made of packed sand or wood chips are considered to be in play and the ball should be played where it came to rest. 

To move your ball from the cart path you must determine the nearest spot from where the ball came to rest that is no closer to the hole and also provides you with enough room to stand and swing without interference from the path. 

You must remember that the club you are hitting for your next shot will affect  how much space you need.  You are entitled to take a drop in an area that is one club-length but no closer to the hole.

Rule 28. Ball Unplayable

photo credit: bradleypjohnson   If your ball is on the course and not in a water hazard, and you have identified it, you can declare it “unplayable.”  Options:  1)  Play your next shot from where the ball was last played (add one stroke).  2)  Keeping the spot of the unplayable lie directly between you and the hole, drop a ball as far back as you want (add one stroke).  3)  Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the unplayable lie, but no closer to the hole (add one stroke).

Use any club to determine club-lengths.  If you take an unplayable lie in a bunker and choose option two or three, you must take the drop in the bunker.  Technically, a ball can be determined to be unplayable, even when on a putting green (rarely, if ever used).

Match or Medal Play ?

photo credit: danperry.com   USGA. Rules allow contestants to play the game in two different ways, match or medal.  Match play is when each golf hole is counted separately, meaning that whichever player gets the lowest score on each hole, wins that hole.  Whoever wins the most holes, wins.  Medal play is when the player with the lowest total strokes after 18 holes, wins. 

Match play was always the most popular method until the middle of the 20th Century.  It was used in most of the Major Championships and was as popular as Medal play is today.

Match play is more suitable for different skill levels.  When wagers are placed, match play is the order of the day.  Match play also allows for more variables when choosing partners.  Next time, try match play for more fun on the links !

Marking Your Golf Ball

photo credit: lrargerich   There are no hard-fast rules when it comes to marking your golf ball.  The official USGA. Rules offer guidlines only.  Placing your golf ball on the exact same spot that it was in when you marked it, is required.  You are allowed to mark your ball with any object, in any manner you choose.

The USGA guidlines simply state that the ball mark should be a coin or an object shaped like a coin.  It also recommends that the object you use should not distract other players. 

The marker should be placed immediately behing the ball.  Do not touch the ball until the marker is in place.  Once the ball is returned to it’s original position and the marker is removed, the ball is considered to be “in play.”

Determining the Point of Relief

photo credit: Samuraijohnny   In the game of golf, determining the nearest point of relief is critical.  It’s a very simple procedure that, unfortunately, not all weekend golfers are familiar with.

In nearly every case, the nearest point of relief is determined by finding the spot that is no closer to the hole than where your ball came to rest and that allows you to stand and swing without interference from the spot or object that prompted you to drop.  The nearest point of relief is usually the starting point far an area that is triangular in shape, typically determined by one club-length, in which you may drop or place the golf ball.

In too many cases the ball is dropped in simply a convenient location.  Unless the above procedure is followed, the rules of golf have been broken.

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