Sounds like you golf like me. For fun, not for competiton and stuffy traditions. Drink a few beers have a few laughs and play by the rules but dont follow them to a Tee!
I play as a solo often and get paired with people I don’t know. I’m a fairly good player and I typically tell my new partners on the first tee, ‘I don’t care what you do in regards to the rules. If you need to tee it up on each shot in order to have fun, then do it.’
The 10 pick up rule. If you are ever hitting an 11th shot. Pick up the ball and go to the next tee. Place an "X" on the scorecard. I did this once with a stranger and he called the marshal who then broke us up. What a jerk that guy was. I had the other two golfers I was paired with shake my hand on the 19th green saying how embarrassed they were playing with him. The GREAT golfer was voted out and I was invited in lol !!
@@billnotice9957 Fair enough Bill. I've seen my fair share of arrogant idiots interfering with other players' balls (!). Total lack of respect. No idea why anyone would have a problem with your actions (probably the same sort of idiots). ; )
Between the hand wedges out of the bunker, the relief from boulders in the rough, the mulligans off the tees and the dropped balls in the fairway near where the previous one sailed into the forest, it's probably safe to say I have never played an "official" round of golf in 35 years of playing golf.
I was at The Players one year and a competitor’s tee shot settled on the concrete cart path on 18. I was a few feet away. He determined at a glance that his nearest point of complete relief would have put the ball on the side of the hill. He quickly grabbed his hybrid, took a full swing and caught the ball solidly without so much as a spark.
It's always good to know the rules, even if you aren't playing by them. If you think of them by default, you won't be surprised when you play an occasional tournament where they are enforced.
Loose impediments: Suppose the ball rolls under and is fully covered by leaves, 1 foot around (late september/October) under a tree. Leaves being loose impediments, how much can be removed or allowed to be removed?
Great video guys. My son is a junior golfer and plays tournaments. He's at the age where caddies are no longer allowed in tournament play (dad helping with rules and club selection). The video reinforces many of the things I already tell him like "ask your playing partner if you can finish a putt", "make sure the slope is off on the range finder," "always verbally declare you're hitting a provisional" and "know how to take a drop from a cart path".
I am SOOO happy that I play with guys that just want to go out and enjoy a day on the course with good friends, good beer and good laughs. I would hate to play by the book and end all of the good times only to argue and never want to play together again. VERY few golfers are elite championship caliber that any of these rules would make or break you.
That’s totally fine, but if you’re playing competitive golf, including club play or “charity scrambles”, and you don’t follow the rules, you’re cheating. 🤷🏻♂️
@@SlapShotOffTheGlass And where did you read me type ANY such thing in my comment? I said a fun day outing with friends... NOT tournaments. Guys like you probably don't want to attract more players to the game just so you can have the course to yourself.
I've never played competitive golf in my life, but I've finally managed to gain enough skill to play in a recreational league next year with some friends. It's good to know these things! I'm sure this league will not follow the highest levels of strictness, but it'll be really helpful to not end up ignorant to a potential situation.
I play with retired guys that love playing golf. Some are 80, have ailments, so we toss the rule book out and play to enjoy being able to play anyway with no restrictions.. We aren’t competing, we are playing to enjoy our company in the outdoors in the venue we love. How we play the game is no one else’s business. We don’t maintain handicaps or play in tournaments that mean anything. We also don’t care what anyone else’s think about it. lol we don’t even keep score. We play closest to the pin on par threes for a few dollars.
One other thing I would add in Rule 2 besides announcing you playing a provisional is identifying the ball (Use a different brand of ball say what number the first ball was and use a different number if its the same brand), scenario is what if you hit it in the same spot and find only one ball, was it your first or your second could lead to a few issues in match play.
Absolutely, unless you have clearly indicated to your playing partners which were the first and second balls before you reach the spot and begin looking both could be considered lost.
@@anthonyat2401 you must be able to identify your ball. In a match you could lose a hole if you lose sight of where exactly your ball landed and had not got an identifying mark on it. Manufacturers make numerous balls with same numbers so a referee or opponent may not accept name and number as being your ball.
@@franceshawe9572 You would never make a lawyer. The rules require YOU to be able to identify your ball; not anyone else. Tell me where it is stated that the "identifying marks" on your own ball must be communicated to others. Players idly suppose and construe all sorts of things, which lead to disputes that are fiercely waged, without anyone ever having actually read the ROG.
Hi, I have two questions on these great subjects! One, if on a wrong green, where can you drop? On the apron or do you have to clear that as well? And two, if lying in deep rough, people tend to reach into the deep grass to be able to identify and or even pick it up. When retrieving your hand, the ball gets much more open in the grass because of these search and identify actions. In my opinion, you have to recover your ball with the grass which it was lurking under before playing. Because of improving your lie. Is that right? Great vid bye the way! Gr Gijs from The Netherlands
True enough. Also, if the area of the drop is a slope that makes the ball roll back toward the path, I'm not sure that you can play the drop if you are NOT taking complete relief (meaning, your feet are still on the path). If that's true, you can make the drop again, with same result, allowing you to place the ball at the point of the drop. In a tough situation in a competitive match, you will be complying with the rules but still have the benefit of placing the ball at the point of the drop. Makes the best of a bad situation.
Also, the drop area can not be in a penalty area (or OB). This includes if your feet or swing would touch any part of the penalty area. We have several spots on our home course with a penalty area to the side of the cart path and have seen many players try to insist the nearest point of relief is in a penalty area which is wrong.
Wow, very interesting guys! Thanks for sharing, however, I think if you apply all of these rules to your regular social weekday rounds, you soon won't have anyone to play with!! I found the rules regarding the range-finder very interesting as most people won't be aware of this one.
great video. Most golfers and me included sometimes bend the rules a but if just playing with friends. Ive played a lot of tournaments tho, where the rules must be followed by all for it to be fair. Let me tell ya, we are not all as good as we think we are once the rules are applied. Another thing most dont realize, is if the score is going to be posted for handicap purposes, then that round is required to be played by the rules.
Just ran across this video. Super helpful!! One question ... tip #3 talks about finding yourself on the "wrong green". In the video there is a wide fringe, and the rule is to take the "nearest relief". So, should you drop on the fringe of the "wrong green" and play your iron shot from there? ... obviously you would potentially take a big divot out of the fringe.
The real problem is when an amateur who plays only for fun and breaks a few rules plays a real match and finds being forced to play by the rules messes with your head and confidence for that round.
@@hasenpfeffer2975 exactly right. That's why you gotta know what's going on. Some of the rules are just silly and the changes to the new ones just brings more issues up for debate.
This is the kind of video Kramer would watch just to make sure Steve Gendason was playing correctly. Because a rule is a rule, and let’s face it, without rules, there’s chaos.
Very informative and useful.....also might be a good idea to try to get people to put a mark on their ball as I've been in a situation where I played the exact same ball as another player (only in practice) and exact same number. We both teed off then realized what had happened and had to pick our balls up and scratch the hole( it was a stableford mess about on a Friday evening). If everyone put a personal mark on their ball with a Sharpie before teeing off.....it would save a lot of hassle.
If u play a few rounds of golf a month rule breaking is a must to have fun when you ain’t touching the club as much as needed but cool vid got my sub 😁
I guess I'm lucky that I grew up with the same emphasis on playing by the rules. When I saw happy gilmore for the first time I died. It was that real for me when he's getting beep out screaming about play it where it lies etc. Funny stuff cause it hit home.
Actually, now that I think about it they gave him the option but it would mean him having to come back tomorrow and by then the house would be sold. So he chose to play the shot.
Great vid, concise explanations and pleased that my own interpretation has always been on the money (just wish sometimes others were as diligent as I endeavour to). But I have a couple of questions: 1) could you finish off putting, as in your vid, if you asked your opponent, even if out of turn? 2) If a player looses sight of his ball off the tee, does not play a provisional, walks over to where he thinks first ball may have come to rest, but after several minutes (definitely more than 3) jogs back to the tee, hits another ball (provisional?), jogs away toward the green and on his way spots the original ball, he stops and plays it. We were advised that that this action was permissible by the pro at the pro-shop; it doesn’t see fair, was the pro right? Not the first time I’d seen this process.
We cover that at the end of this video on the Golf Monthly website... www.golf-monthly.co.uk/features/golf-rules/bunker-rules-every-golfer-needs-to-know-208566
Really useful, Im assuming that the dual green scenario is only relevant when the 2 greens are clearly defined with some rough or fringe between them, rather than an old fashioned double green?
Correct - a double green would not count as a wrong green, except in the rare case where they've drawn a line to differentiate it into two greens. In such a case, it would be noted in the conditions of competition.
A double green can sometimes be considered a wrong green. It will usually be under the local rules and term of conditions for the particular course or tournament. It can be found under committee procedures.
"Real" golfers would not play with anyone who doesn't play by these rules. You go out and hack up the course every weekend and STILL can't break 💯. Jack wagons like you will not last long in a Men's Club.
@@keithcunningham923 Sorry kyle, I mean Keith...I wouldn't play with you if they paid me. I go out maybe 4 times a year to have fun not to police myself. Sometimes I don't even keep score because I want to focus on making contact and not concerned with score.
Nice work. Good and clear explanations. I wish they'd included improving lies in the rough. Something I see way too often! People seem to think it's ok to tamp the grass down behind the ball...
@@jakemcphail3795 Had to play it from where it landed, in the condition it landed. Pretty sure there'd be a rule about endangering another human being that allowed a drop ball, but I'm not familiar enough with golf to know.
i get the rule about multiple tee shots, i ended up doing that a couple of times the other day when i played and found my first drive i thought i lost in the woods further than i thought it would have went. however i never knew about the cart path rule, i played at least 3 shots off the cart path ( it was gravel not solid though) thinking the old " play it as it lies" kinda wish i knew this before that round, probobly wouldnt have helped the over all score, but i can only believe it would have 🤣🤣, good video gents !! keep the great content going
I actually had the opponent in the regional matchplay championship (The final) calling on the referee to give me a penalty for accidentally walking in his putting line. (No mark in the ground or noting from my footstep, but he was convinced I should have a penalty.) No penalty of course. Just so you understand. His marker was literally invisible (a small GREEN button he claimed was from his favorite shirt). Not easy to see when I came from the bunker just to mark my ball. (I actually understood during the round why he used that invisible marker.) This was his trick: He always put the ball down and apparently ook up the marker. (As you might imagine I couldn't see his marker.) What I didn't see either was that he planted his foot on his real marker when he did this move. The next move was to put down the club in a straight line behind the ball and pick up the first marker on the fly, pretending to look for the line. (Almost impossible to spot.) Anyway, his loss. Never poke the bear. I always play better when I'm angry. Won 6 and 5. His cheating you say. I didn't care. I made my put from a couple of feet almost every time (the pitching part of the game is my strong suit.) He stole a yard here and there but didn't make the puts anyway. (The last hole the referee picked up on the same thing but couldn't say for sure what happened.) Still quite funny for me when he told the guy to change the marker or lose the hole. 😊 My motto: Never give an energy thief your energy in match play. Always play your game and let them self-implode!
Saw #7 (using the slope feature on a range finder) happen at the 2017 U.S. Amateur. A player's caddie was using it unintentionally, but then the player looked through the range finder on the 9th hole and realized that the slope feature was activated, so he called the rules official and called the penalty on himself and got DQed as they assumed the feature was active for all 9 holes.
@Ken McCoy- I would go for the green as if I had a good lie on grass. The only thing I would do different Is that I would use my playing partners club..lol
@@TheNYgolfer which would be illegal so if your going to play illegally then why not just put the golf ball in better spot where you like. So your comment makes no sense and it doesn’t pass as a joke because the whole reason you would use your “partners club” is so you didnt do something illegal which actually is illegal what you’re doing trying not to do something illegal.....🤦♂️
@@Keyser___Soze Technically playing partners can share clubs as long as the total number of clubs between the two does not exceed 14 (Rule 4-4b). Of course that scenario is impractical and unlikely.
Regarding the rule about playing from the wrong green, how does that apply to double greens? The best example I can think off would be St Andrews, for example playing the 8th hole but landing on the portion of the green that is clearly the 10th. Does the rule differ in that scenario?
@@murraywestenskow2896 I believe it doesn't matter if you hit a wedge or a 5iron - the point of the wrong green rule iirc is that you are not allowed to hit a ball if it is located on a wrong green; period. Whether putting/chipping/5iron etc. You must drop closest point of relief, no closer to the hole off of the green I believe.
When you don’t have someone supplying you clubs via a sponsorship, it’s somewhat of an unfair rule IMO to say your best option is to play it off the cart path.
That has always been the rules-its actually easier to play and less harmful to your clubs off a path than you would believe. Question is do you "do" golf or "play golf",?; are shiny clubs more important than carding a genuine score?
The option wasn't to play it off the cart path, but to drop it near the bush. Most people (myself included) tend to drop no closer to the hole (as in dropping for a hazard) but pick the better side of the cart path to drop it on.
@@trevenscott8833 The options were , play the ball OR take relief. The ball was on the path, so one of the options WAS to play it off the path . He said he would play off the path himself at the end.
@@A2Z1Two3 Sorry, I was just trying to make to point that when most people take the drop, they do it like a lateral hazard and drop it "no closer to the hole" and move it into a more advantageous location instead of dropping where it should be, next to the bush.
Thanks for enlightening us on 8 rules! In the 8th rule shown about a drop drop cart path, can you advise on following scenario: Ball lies towards the bushes on cart path. The area immediate to the cart path is OB. Where does one drop??
If the area on the 'bush' side is OB, its not on the golf course. Implied is the drop must nearest point of relief on the golf course. The complication for me is when there are real trees on the "bush" side of the cart path. If the nearest point of relief from the path implies a drop point "inside" a trunk of tree, and moving to a drop point that is not "inside" the tree is farther from the ball on the path than taking relief on the other side, do you then go to the other side? You wouldnt get 'relief' from having hit that tree but nor can you drop a ball inside a tree...Whether a tree or pond or a steep slope (that won't hold even a placed ball), I'm not sure what the answer is under the rules...
Very solid and relevant examples. I want to emphasize that you MUST take relief from a wrong green. You MUST take a drop at the nearest point of relief (stance and swing off that green). You CANNOT opt to avoid a bad drop by playing from a wrong green.
I assume this does not apply to a shared green. These are pretty rare these days but a few do exist. It is not 2 greens separated by any kind of boundary but 1 large green with 2 holes on it and no boundary.
@@edwardbach5893 Your assumption is correct. Technically, it is one green with two holes, not two greens connected. Additionally, there are no lines to demarcate one green from the other. Thus, you are playing from the correct green. I wonder if you would get line-of-sight relief if the wrong hole was on your intended line? My guess would be "no."
One question ref. the case with ball lying on the fringe: if the shot from my playing partner out of the bunker covers my ball with sand, am I allowed to not only clean the fringe, but also the ball?
Yes, you would be allowed to clean the ball to the same condition it was lieing there before the Bunker Play threw sand on it. The same holds true anywhere on the Course if another's play changed Your Lie.
Group I play in has their own set of "rules". Everyone uses our "rules" so everyone is happy. We are there to have a enjoyable day and we usually do. And yes there is always money on the line.
Hi all, have played for 58 years. 66 years old. I now play, emphasis on play, where I want the ball to lie. I used to work at a job. Now I play at a game. Enjoy the walk and friends. Stay safe.
Do exactly what you want to do! As long as it's not a competition. I recently told a friend, "I'm moving this out of the divot; I don't care about divot practice."
If I pay good money to play and hit a great drive in the middle of the fairway... and somebody didn’t repair a divot... you bet your £¥€~ I’m gonna move it . Right left or back a few inches!
@@jekutube9 The worst error (IMO) in the latest rules revision. Failing to provide for relief from an unfilled divot allows a yahoo in front of me to negatively impact my game.
@@jimknapp8731 and the "Rule Change" you Desire will only create more damage and even less repair to the damage. "I Don't Need to fix this, the next guy can move his Ball anyway."
@@apaulmcdonough2170 I don't know where you play, but that already happens - on both Muni and private courses (unless there are caddies cleaning up lazy golfers). If it was only an occasional thing it wouldn't be a problem.
Nice video. Regarding scenario # 1 keep in mind that relief is for both your stance and the ball. If the ball is directly in the middle of the path then typically relief taken on the left hand side of the path would a bit closer to where the ball originally rested. As a leftie golfer, I see situations where relief for a left handed player and right handed player would be on opposite sides of the path.
Actually either Rt or Lt handed the relief is from the cart path and in the scenario presented the "nearest" relief is to the right and a Lt handed player would have to deal with the bush that would impair the stance
@@tutteturunen6822 no he doesn't, he refers to two greens really close with just a bit of fringe. I play one course that has a "peanut" shaped green with the mid section (the waist if you will) about 15 feet wide, and the upper part is the green for one hole and the lower for a different hole. There is nothing definitively separating one from the other.
@@stupidas9466 if it's a true shared green, and one of the pins is what you are aiming at, you putt mate. It's not the wrong green if it's a shared green, just a bloody long putt. after all, you aren't going to take a wedge when on a green regardless.
I've read a lot of comments and became a bit disturbed by them. I think it's important to understand that the spirit of golf is as important or more important than any other aspect of the game. I found that only by playing by the rules and keeping your real, correct score are you able to gauge your improvement. It also creates a correct spirit and respect for the game which makes it immensely more pleasurable. I cheated my score for years thinking that I "Deserved" a better score than I was making (Often in the upper 90s just to get into the lower 90s). It made the game frustrating and afforded me no improvement. I decided to learn how to hit a ball properly and at the same time decided that I would play the ball where it lies and by the rules always. It was the most freeing thing I could have ever done for my game and it worked like magic. I am forever grateful to whatever power allowed me to see the light. I know what my real scores are now and when I improve a bit I know it's real. I'm not giving advice I'm just saying play by the rules and you will see what I am talking about. I shot an 82 in that same season. I hit two drivers out of bounds in the round. I counted the shots, assessed myself a penalty, and hit the 3rd shot from the tee on both holes. My friends told me to take a "Mulligan" but I did not. I broke 90 often that season. That 82 was a real score and came about because I was learning a consistent swing on the golf range and working on chipping and putting a lot. But I can say truly that knowing that my next shot was going to count for my score helped my focus and spirit for playing. Honest playing made me a better player and knowing at the end of the day that my score was one I truly earned made striving for improvement real labor of love. The game is so much more fun now. Try it and see what I mean. Because of what I have said I can say in earnest that I appreciate this video very much.
I agree! I started doing the same and found my game improved almost immediately! Now I’m fine if people want to play easy golf with no real goal to improve… fluff up your lie, move your ball onto a better patch of grass, kick your ball back on the fairway, hell tee it back up mid hole for all I care. But at that point I think you should just toss out the score card, because it is mostly meaningless if you are not playing by the rules. At some point you are just practicing your swing on the course instead of on the range.
@@lyingcat9022 what’s a scorecard? Is it that thing on the steering wheel I usually toss in the trash, along with my first empty whiskey bottle, on hole 7?
agreed im freshly returning to the game from a very long hiatus. I was never remotely good at it (haven't shot a round under 100 in my life). I remember me and my playing partners would take mulligans and break other rules that at the time we didnt feel were a big deal. Im not of the mindset that if your going to keep score you should be following all the rules of the game (to your best ability anyways) or the score doesn't actually matter at all as its not accurate.
Great video. Thanks. I play with my spouse a lot. He’s a stickler for rules (in ANY sport or game). Not worth arguing with him! I learned loads and play much better golf by sticking to the rules. Never fudging the scores on a card means I know when I am making a real improvement. My favourite lady partner (for,early a PE teacher) is similarly a stickler for getting it right.
Are you talking about 18.2a(1)/3 - Ball May Become Lost if It is Not Promptly Identified? I am not aware of a rules/decision scenario where you can declare a ball lost if you find it within the allotted time to search. AFAIK, if a ball is found within the allotted search time, and its yours. Then again, not a rules guy, just a casual player.
@@Cyril_Squirrel well, if your just out playing for fun i don't really care how someone else plays their own game. but if your playing in a tournament then obviously the rules of golf apply even. but if your playing a match with your buddies and they all agree on a changed rule or something then I don't see an issue with that
@@the_g1254 Ok then, you're saying that when your playing a game with your mates, the guy who plays the stroke gets to devide which rules will apply. E.g. he has a gin shot, does that count, or he hits the ball out of bounds, does he incur a penalty, he hits the wrong ball,, penalty or not. He misses a putt by a hairs breadth, does he regard that as a holed ball. Where do you draw the line, if there are no rules you might as well go to a driving range. As a golfer who plays competition golf and social rounds it offends me when people don't respect the rules and the traditions of the noble game.
In our rules videos we are talking about the way to proceed in competition. When you are playing non-competition friendly golf with your friends you can take a different approach
Very interesting video. I’m looking forward to the next one. For the first example of the sand, it is not immediately clear that the ball lies off the green because it is quite a long way from the camera. This may confuse people who wonder why you can remove some of the sand but not all of it. On the subject of the provisional ball, you might have said that the player must announce her/his provisional ball which cannot be identical to the first ball played. So many golfers do not specify the difference between the first and provisional balls. Keep going, this is very useful information.
Ball (and play) on the green is protected and more forgiving to the golfer. Ball elsewhere (in the general area) must respect the play as it lies rule, with no allowance to improve the lie of the ball nor the stance/swing of the golfer
Please cover dropping on a line back from flag when talking relief from a penalty area. I played with a few people who dropped on the line it went in, i.e. back to where they hit it from. They’ve argued it doesn’t make any difference but it does and gave them a much easier shot as a result.
I know that that rule can get really complicated and is best handled by an official on-site, during a tournament. It also depends upon the stake and where it crossed the hazard, which can be very difficult to assess
Remember there are Multiple Options available in certain situations. A Player can replay the same shot again from the Original Place. Secondly, the as Far Back from Point of Entry option is usually violated because the Player must drop on a line straight back from the Hole (Flagstick) *through* the Point of Entry. Often the Player, in Violation, will simply drop straight back from the Point of Entry *without* taking into account the exact location of the Hole.
@@edwardwood3622 , "Cup" was excercising the allowable option of Replaying from the Same Place. He never moved Forward towards the Hole in the Final Round.
You can ask about anything, as long as it doesn't influence your shot. You can ask what club the guy used, as long as it is after you played your shot. That has no influence on your shot, club selection or approach yo the hole, so it is not _advice_ .
Well done. The rules facilitate equity and consistency. They help rather than hinder the game as some imply. If not followed, you're hitting golf balls, not playing golf.
There are only two things you need to know about "slope functionality" - whether the slope is up or down. This you can usually tell by the view in front of you.
Exactly, I play with guys who use them on every shot within 200 metres, I usually call out to them, ‘the green’s there, 50 metres away!’ Often, they miss, or duff the shot, and I’ll call out, ‘ it should be about 30 now’ 🙄
Another rule I often see broken is pitchmarks being repaired on the fringe when they are in line with the next shot. Similar thing to the sand you show here.
I also think you should identify the ball when playing a provisional ball eg number two Titleist. I’ve seen people claim their second ball was actually their first.
It’s not a requirement under the rules to declare anything about a ball you put into play... brand/number/markings. It’s common practice, especially in matchplay. But it’s not required under the rules.
I realise it’s not a rule but it’s a good and fair idea. Most people I’ve played with follow the practice but then they’re not the ones who are likely to take advantage of the situation. People will still cheat of course using balls of the same make and number and I’ve seen the full range of cheating in the rough including having a pocket with a hole in it to drop a ball through.
@@Steve-jq4st I’ve seen so much cheating while I was officiating. One issue with what you ask for, say I’m playing a Pro VI #2 and I need to hit a provisional, I very well could be hitting a 2nd ball of the sleeve.
@@GolferMike Pre-marking all 3 balls differently is one solution. I like to empty all 4 sleeves into the box and reassemble the sleeves 123/412/341/234 as I like using the same Sharpie marking all the time.
Question 2: Does 'complete relief' mean both your feet and the ball have to be off (in this case) the cart path or just the ball? I would think the cart path would have a few inches of fairly short grass along it's sides for your ball to sit on while you stand on the path itself. Fun fact: I enjoyed this video and found it fascinating even though I don't actually play golf. I've tried. 'It wasn't pretty' would be an understatement.
Yeah complete relief is what it describes. "Complete relief". So your feet and ball have to be clear of any unnatural obstacles or whatnot. Relief would mean you could stand on the path and hit it a few inches in the rough. You're best off getting out a flat club and smacking the thing off of the path. It's It's good job for the old dusty hybrid.
I love the game and play an average of 80 rounds per year (limited due to Canadian winters), but Golf really does have some stupid rules. Thankfully, I mostly just play fun games with friends and try to avoid tournaments where these rules come into play.
Most of the rules, even the arcane ones are not stupid at all. They are sometimes cruel, but make sense. The one here about relief from a cart path is a good example. Your nearest point of relief may be in a very poor lie, even behind a tree. But all you are entitled to is relief from the cart path. If you don't like the relief you are entitled to, you are free to play it from the cart path. The problem with the rules seeming silly or unfair usually arises when one player simply didn't know what the rule was. Or, more precisely, he thought he knew the rule, but he was wrong.
@@edwardbach5893 No, there are a ton of stupid rules in golf. They come up all the time in professional play and the fact that virtually no amateur golfers even attempt to play by the USGA rules is a testament to the fact that they need to address the issue.
@@hrzgoose647 There is a valid reason for every rule. We may not always agree or understand why, but there is always a circumstance where that particular rule is very important. For example, seems everyone thinks we should get free relief from a divot hole. Divots holes aren't forever and are always in various stages of growing in. Some are new and fresh, but some are almost completely healed. If you're in one of those, at what point do you no longer get relief? Who gets to decide? What if your opponent believes it's no longer a divot hole, but you do? The powers that be have decided that rather than have the problem of having to decide, agree, disagree, argue, etc, that no relief at all will be given. After all, most casual players will move it anyway, but have you ever seen a tour play hit a bad shot from a divot hole? Usually the camera zooms in and the announcers talk about what a bad break that was, and then the player stiffs it...because a skilled player knows how to hit that shot anyway. And the general public will never learn it because they will just move the ball. ( I keep saying divot hole because a divot is the part that comes out of the hole and flies through the air). This is just one example of why rules are the way they are.
Interesting on the provisional ball point: people often at my club state: “playing a provisional ball [ball manufacturers name], which i recently found out is not required.
A Player does have to be able to Identify and Differentiate between the Original Ball and the Provisional Ball, usually by a Different Number printed on the Ball and any special personal Marking. Infoming others of the difference is a Courtesy, just as is identifying your Ball on the First Tee before start of Play.
@@lukeho555 , Aaron was talking about actually Identifying the Ball that was to be used as a Provisional Ball. This Identification is not required, but it does help inform your playing companions as to specifically what they will be searching for.
@@jonathanedwards7658 , in a governed Tournament since he CAN'T Prove the difference between the Original and the Provisional then BOTH Balls are considered LOST. Back to the Tee and "Hit 5!"
I do the same thing when I watch motocross, windsurfing, soccer, skateboarding, tennis, ice skating, hockey, horse racing, sky diving, bungee jumping and probably a dozen other sports.
"Playing from the wrong green" - the player takes nearest complete relief, no nearer the (correct) hole. Does that mean I drop the ball on the first cut of fringe of the wrong green? I would hate to take a big divot out of there.
i disagree with "pretentious and pointless"... "picky" maybe. but name a sport that doesn't have very particular, picky, often tough-to-define or tough-to-determine rules..
Every rule serves a purpose in order to produce a fair outcome. There are so many ways to bend the rules ever so slightly to better your score. If it's not in competition or for accurate handicapping, then it doesn't matter what you do - just don't say you shot 85 afterwards when you actually shot 95.
@@davidbrown5152 I agree, if its just for fun. then frankly let them do what they want aslong as it doesnt impede anyone in the club comps. If they are in the club comp then stick with proper rules. Either way fun all the time
Wow, I’m 15 strokes behind and I haven’t even tee’d off on the first hole.
You should stay on the range then
TRUTH
Sounds like you golf like me. For fun, not for competiton and stuffy traditions. Drink a few beers have a few laughs and play by the rules but dont follow them to a Tee!
Greatest golf advice I've ever heard sir.
🫡
I play as a solo often and get paired with people I don’t know. I’m a fairly good player and I typically tell my new partners on the first tee, ‘I don’t care what you do in regards to the rules. If you need to tee it up on each shot in order to have fun, then do it.’
Outside of a tournament or a bet, this is the way. I play ready golf and don't worry about particulars unless someone says loser buys the beer.
The 10 pick up rule. If you are ever hitting an 11th shot. Pick up the ball and go to the next tee. Place an "X" on the scorecard. I did this once with a stranger and he called the marshal who then broke us up. What a jerk that guy was. I had the other two golfers I was paired with shake my hand on the 19th green saying how embarrassed they were playing with him. The GREAT golfer was voted out and I was invited in lol !!
@@billnotice9957 Ambiguous - whose ball did you pick up, yours or his?
@@anthonyat2401 Mine. I was sitting 11 just off the green. TWO OB's and one water shot and a bunker.
@@billnotice9957 Fair enough Bill. I've seen my fair share of arrogant idiots interfering with other players' balls (!). Total lack of respect. No idea why anyone would have a problem with your actions (probably the same sort of idiots). ; )
Between the hand wedges out of the bunker, the relief from boulders in the rough, the mulligans off the tees and the dropped balls in the fairway near where the previous one sailed into the forest, it's probably safe to say I have never played an "official" round of golf in 35 years of playing golf.
same. I would also say that while not playing competitive, if i actually followed all of these rules it would ruin golf for me.
Everyone gets a breakfast ball off of the first tee
"the dropped balls in the fairway near where the previous one sailed into the forest" lol.... yup
@@LanceCampeau That used to save 5 minutes, now it saves 3.
3 minutes x 4 guys x 18 holes = one long ass day.
Which is why golf is the greatest game, probably the hardest game to play the high level.
If you are over a 15 handicap, forget everything you just heard and have another beer.
Exactly. I keep score by I.Q. ....... and usually win. But enjoy losing. Brilliance should be embraced.
1 beer every 4 holes with one in thr clubhouse before you tee off and a porkpie on the 8th is the perfect pace of play i feel
That’s me, baby.
Amen. Range finder hahaha. They can’t stop me using the one eye closed, beer in hand method.
dont forget the unlimitted mulligan provision for us over 15's
I was at The Players one year and a competitor’s tee shot settled on the concrete cart path on 18. I was a few feet away. He determined at a glance that his nearest point of complete relief would have put the ball on the side of the hill. He quickly grabbed his hybrid, took a full swing and caught the ball solidly without so much as a spark.
It's always good to know the rules, even if you aren't playing by them. If you think of them by default, you won't be surprised when you play an occasional tournament where they are enforced.
Imagine playing with this dude
Golf police 🚨
I’ll give it til hole 6 before he’s picking himself out of a hedge
Loose impediments:
Suppose the ball rolls under and is fully covered by leaves, 1 foot around (late september/October) under a tree.
Leaves being loose impediments, how much can be removed or allowed to be removed?
We all have that friend don't we?
NICE SHOT!! Do it again, rule breaker.
I’m going to enforce all of these rules on my mates the next time we go to the links. They will love me for it.
Make sure you drove.
Enjoy your solo games in the future.
I love these rules that are less know than others. There are guys in my men’s club that don’t care for me ar times
The only game in the world where you are considered a bad sport for playing to the rules. Why is that?
I know me too lol
Great video guys. My son is a junior golfer and plays tournaments. He's at the age where caddies are no longer allowed in tournament play (dad helping with rules and club selection). The video reinforces many of the things I already tell him like "ask your playing partner if you can finish a putt", "make sure the slope is off on the range finder," "always verbally declare you're hitting a provisional" and "know how to take a drop from a cart path".
I am SOOO happy that I play with guys that just want to go out and enjoy a day on the course with good friends, good beer and good laughs. I would hate to play by the book and end all of the good times only to argue and never want to play together again. VERY few golfers are elite championship caliber that any of these rules would make or break you.
That’s totally fine, but if you’re playing competitive golf, including club play or “charity scrambles”, and you don’t follow the rules, you’re cheating. 🤷🏻♂️
@@SlapShotOffTheGlass And where did you read me type ANY such thing in my comment? I said a fun day outing with friends... NOT tournaments. Guys like you probably don't want to attract more players to the game just so you can have the course to yourself.
This was very helpful! Most rules tutorials bore me to tears or get too in the weeds, but this one was clear and understandable. Much thanks.
Ive been playing golf my whole life and didn't know 5 of the 8. Great video! Very informative!
Thank you for clarifying some rules. Those of us who really care about improving and playing properly will appreciate it.😁
I've never played competitive golf in my life, but I've finally managed to gain enough skill to play in a recreational league next year with some friends. It's good to know these things! I'm sure this league will not follow the highest levels of strictness, but it'll be really helpful to not end up ignorant to a potential situation.
Wow i am totally going to keep this in mind while i continue to break these same rules and actually enjoy my time on course
I play with retired guys that love playing golf. Some are 80, have ailments, so we toss the rule book out and play to enjoy being able to play anyway with no restrictions.. We aren’t competing, we are playing to enjoy our company in the outdoors in the venue we love. How we play the game is no one else’s business. We don’t maintain handicaps or play in tournaments that mean anything. We also don’t care what anyone else’s think about it. lol we don’t even keep score. We play closest to the pin on par threes for a few dollars.
That is fine but if you are ignoring the rules you are playing another game, not Golf.
One other thing I would add in Rule 2 besides announcing you playing a provisional is identifying the ball (Use a different brand of ball say what number the first ball was and use a different number if its the same brand), scenario is what if you hit it in the same spot and find only one ball, was it your first or your second could lead to a few issues in match play.
Absolutely, unless you have clearly indicated to your playing partners which were the first and second balls before you reach the spot and begin looking both could be considered lost.
sod law,done this twice in my 7 years
The rules do not require a player to do that.
@@anthonyat2401 you must be able to identify your ball. In a match you could lose a hole if you lose sight of where exactly your ball landed and had not got an identifying mark on it. Manufacturers make numerous balls with same numbers so a referee or opponent may not accept name and number as being your ball.
@@franceshawe9572 You would never make a lawyer. The rules require YOU to be able to identify your ball; not anyone else. Tell me where it is stated that the "identifying marks" on your own ball must be communicated to others. Players idly suppose and construe all sorts of things, which lead to disputes that are fiercely waged, without anyone ever having actually read the ROG.
Hi, I have two questions on these great subjects! One, if on a wrong green, where can you drop? On the apron or do you have to clear that as well? And two, if lying in deep rough, people tend to reach into the deep grass to be able to identify and or even pick it up. When retrieving your hand, the ball gets much more open in the grass because of these search and identify actions. In my opinion, you have to recover your ball with the grass which it was lurking under before playing. Because of improving your lie. Is that right?
Great vid bye the way!
Gr Gijs from The Netherlands
Clear and easy to understand presentation on the rules golfers need to know .
Excellent !!!
This is a great video...I don't agree with every rule being a good rule however to know them is massively helpful
#1: You forgot to mention that after you find the nearest point of relief, from there you get 1 club length
True enough. Also, if the area of the drop is a slope that makes the ball roll back toward the path, I'm not sure that you can play the drop if you are NOT taking complete relief (meaning, your feet are still on the path). If that's true, you can make the drop again, with same result, allowing you to place the ball at the point of the drop. In a tough situation in a competitive match, you will be complying with the rules but still have the benefit of placing the ball at the point of the drop. Makes the best of a bad situation.
Also, the drop area can not be in a penalty area (or OB). This includes if your feet or swing would touch any part of the penalty area. We have several spots on our home course with a penalty area to the side of the cart path and have seen many players try to insist the nearest point of relief is in a penalty area which is wrong.
Wow, very interesting guys! Thanks for sharing, however, I think if you apply all of these rules to your regular social weekday rounds, you soon won't have anyone to play with!! I found the rules regarding the range-finder very interesting as most people won't be aware of this one.
really useful and simply explained, would love to see more of this.
great video. Most golfers and me included sometimes bend the rules a but if just playing with friends. Ive played a lot of tournaments tho, where the rules must be followed by all for it to be fair. Let me tell ya, we are not all as good as we think we are once the rules are applied. Another thing most dont realize, is if the score is going to be posted for handicap purposes, then that round is required to be played by the rules.
Just ran across this video. Super helpful!! One question ... tip #3 talks about finding yourself on the "wrong green". In the video there is a wide fringe, and the rule is to take the "nearest relief". So, should you drop on the fringe of the "wrong green" and play your iron shot from there? ... obviously you would potentially take a big divot out of the fringe.
Great video! Thankyou to both Golfers for the advice and help provided!! Love to see more like this and I will definately subscribe!!
Break all of these rules to have more fun with my group each round!
As long as its not in a comp do what you want to have more fun
Good luck making it to the tour!! Haha jk
The real problem is when an amateur who plays only for fun and breaks a few rules plays a real match and finds being forced to play by the rules messes with your head and confidence for that round.
@@hasenpfeffer2975 exactly right. That's why you gotta know what's going on. Some of the rules are just silly and the changes to the new ones just brings more issues up for debate.
Yes sir! Don’t break the wrong green rule though lol
This is the kind of video Kramer would watch just to make sure Steve Gendason was playing correctly. Because a rule is a rule, and let’s face it, without rules, there’s chaos.
If steve saw this he might have kept his cool and never killed that guy that night SMH 🤦♂️
Very informative and useful.....also might be a good idea to try to get people to put a mark on their ball as I've been in a situation where I played the exact same ball as another player (only in practice) and exact same number. We both teed off then realized what had happened and had to pick our balls up and scratch the hole( it was a stableford mess about on a Friday evening). If everyone put a personal mark on their ball with a Sharpie before teeing off.....it would save a lot of hassle.
Neil Tappin: nominative determinism at its best.
If u play a few rounds of golf a month rule breaking is a must to have fun when you ain’t touching the club as much as needed but cool vid got my sub 😁
No way is your name Neil Tappin that’s hilarious 😂😂
Just give him the gimme everytime
He was named after Happy Gilmore's golf ball
Better than Shirley Tappin!
I was thinking the exact thing before I scrolled down lol.
It's true!
If anyone watching this is single and wondering what marriage is like... this is it.
Hahahahahahahahahahaha
🤣🤣🤣 Ahhh the longest sentence in the English language...... 'I do'
Well played sir
This comment is criminally under-liked
@@justandy333
The two saddest words in the
World:: If Only...
Great work guys, very helpful and easy to understand. 👍
Great video for a beginner like me. Thanks for clearing these things up.
Since I stopped keeping score years ago, I feel free to break whatever rule I like.
A good walk unspoiled, sounds fun.
Then you are not playing golf, it is something else.
@@PanglossDr sorry, it's still golf
Whatever allows u to have fun with your hard earned money. Snobs need not apply
@@wegarnett I guess then if you insist it is Golf you are just admitting that you cheat by breaking the rules.
When I play golf I play strictly by the rules. Someday, I dream of having someone, maybe a friend, really anyone, who will actually play with me.
#life
I guess I'm lucky that I grew up with the same emphasis on playing by the rules. When I saw happy gilmore for the first time I died. It was that real for me when he's getting beep out screaming about play it where it lies etc. Funny stuff cause it hit home.
I play casual rounds with friends under relaxed play. However when we play for $$, I play by the rules. Unfortunately they still want relaxed rules.
I always play by the rules Les from Perth WA ⛳🏌️⛳🏌️⛳🏌️💯💯💯👍👍👍👀👀👀
I'd play with you but i have the triple bogie curse.
luckily i have many coworkers who play golf.
So you mean to tell me Happy didn’t have to chip it off the bug and over the scaffolding when shooter hired that guy to hit him with the car!!!
Actually, now that I think about it they gave him the option but it would mean him having to come back tomorrow and by then the house would be sold. So he chose to play the shot.
Shooter didn't have to hit the ball off of Frankenstein's foot
@@eddieblackford4919oh- mo- mo- my god!!
I haven't played in 20 years, that was a great video for me!
Great vid, concise explanations and pleased that my own interpretation has always been on the money (just wish sometimes others were as diligent as I endeavour to). But I have a couple of questions: 1) could you finish off putting, as in your vid, if you asked your opponent, even if out of turn? 2) If a player looses sight of his ball off the tee, does not play a provisional, walks over to where he thinks first ball may have come to rest, but after several minutes (definitely more than 3) jogs back to the tee, hits another ball (provisional?), jogs away toward the green and on his way spots the original ball, he stops and plays it. We were advised that that this action was permissible by the pro at the pro-shop; it doesn’t see fair, was the pro right? Not the first time I’d seen this process.
Would be good if you could do a video about water in a Bunker, especially as we see that a lot during the winter.
We cover that at the end of this video on the Golf Monthly website... www.golf-monthly.co.uk/features/golf-rules/bunker-rules-every-golfer-needs-to-know-208566
Those of us in Canada call that ice in the winter. Our 4 seasons are June, July, August and Winter.
@@sabredog1955 Scotland has 4 seasons too. Usually all on the same day.
@@Rid3thetig3r As a Canadian who visited Scotland, I'm proudly agreeing with both of you
Really useful, Im assuming that the dual green scenario is only relevant when the 2 greens are clearly defined with some rough or fringe between them, rather than an old fashioned double green?
Correct - a double green would not count as a wrong green, except in the rare case where they've drawn a line to differentiate it into two greens. In such a case, it would be noted in the conditions of competition.
A double green can sometimes be considered a wrong green. It will usually be under the local rules and term of conditions for the particular course or tournament. It can be found under committee procedures.
@@lukeho555 but how can it be defined as the wrong green out of the 2 if there is no defined physical separation between the greens ?
@@5grasmere 165 ft putt 😳
its a good thing I don't play with anyone good enough to care about these rules
Agreed. But, it is a highly informative video nonetheless.
"Real" golfers would not play with anyone who doesn't play by these rules. You go out and hack up the course every weekend and STILL can't break 💯. Jack wagons like you will not last long in a Men's Club.
@@keithcunningham923 wow, I bet you are fun at parties. I have survived just fine in Men's Clubs, and we don't wig out when someone asks what you hit.
Playing by a uniform set of rules let's everyone enjoy the game more because they know how they placed is completely fair.
@@keithcunningham923 Sorry kyle, I mean Keith...I wouldn't play with you if they paid me. I go out maybe 4 times a year to have fun not to police myself. Sometimes I don't even keep score because I want to focus on making contact and not concerned with score.
Nice work. Good and clear explanations. I wish they'd included improving lies in the rough. Something I see way too often! People seem to think it's ok to tamp the grass down behind the ball...
because the title is "breaking rules WITHOUT REALIZING it"
Very interesting. What about putting the ball in the hole while standing the other side of the hole ? Some say you cant do it but cant find the rule !
The London golf club 🙌🏼 bit pricy but so worth it what a track. Only played the international mind, it's just down the road from me
Yes, great golf course - was in amazing condition!
I was lucky enough to play there with the late Henry Cooper. Won it in a competition. Top bloke and top course.
Tom Lee must been an unreal experience that mate
2:11 if only happy gilmore knew this when the TV tower fell, he wouldnt have needed to do a trick shot.
Mabye he did know the rules. But he didn't feel like waiting. "I'll just beat him now"
He did know. They offered to take it out of the way but he said "no...I'm going to win right now."
No No No Shooter had hit it of Frankensteins fat foot!
@@jakemcphail3795 Had to play it from where it landed, in the condition it landed. Pretty sure there'd be a rule about endangering another human being that allowed a drop ball, but I'm not familiar enough with golf to know.
Something like that would have suspended the tournament.
My mate grounds his club on every bunker shot before his swing. To say we have a pretty loose view of the rules is an understatement.
In the US now you can ground the club in a sand bunker.
@@atulkanagat521 In a fairway waste bunker you can. Not sure you can in a green side bunker.
You can't ground your club at all with either a practice swing or making the actual shot...end of story
Mike McDonald it's either a fairway bunker or a waste area, not both. Different rules apply to each. Waste area- ok , bunker (defined hazard)- not ok.
@@atulkanagat521 Incorrect. You can ground your club in a marked hazard (ditch, pond, etc.), but never in a bunker.
i get the rule about multiple tee shots, i ended up doing that a couple of times the other day when i played and found my first drive i thought i lost in the woods further than i thought it would have went. however i never knew about the cart path rule, i played at least 3 shots off the cart path ( it was gravel not solid though) thinking the old " play it as it lies" kinda wish i knew this before that round, probobly wouldnt have helped the over all score, but i can only believe it would have 🤣🤣, good video gents !! keep the great content going
Very interesting. Thanx, guys. I leaned much.
On your putting out of turn rule you seem to have walked on his putting line. Not a penalty but material for another video!
I actually had the opponent in the regional matchplay championship (The final) calling on the referee to give me a penalty for accidentally walking in his putting line. (No mark in the ground or noting from my footstep, but he was convinced I should have a penalty.) No penalty of course.
Just so you understand. His marker was literally invisible (a small GREEN button he claimed was from his favorite shirt). Not easy to see when I came from the bunker just to mark my ball. (I actually understood during the round why he used that invisible marker.)
This was his trick: He always put the ball down and apparently ook up the marker. (As you might imagine I couldn't see his marker.) What I didn't see either was that he planted his foot on his real marker when he did this move. The next move was to put down the club in a straight line behind the ball and pick up the first marker on the fly, pretending to look for the line. (Almost impossible to spot.)
Anyway, his loss. Never poke the bear. I always play better when I'm angry. Won 6 and 5.
His cheating you say. I didn't care. I made my put from a couple of feet almost every time (the pitching part of the game is my strong suit.) He stole a yard here and there but didn't make the puts anyway. (The last hole the referee picked up on the same thing but couldn't say for sure what happened.) Still quite funny for me when he told the guy to change the marker or lose the hole. 😊
My motto: Never give an energy thief your energy in match play. Always play your game and let them self-implode!
@@ExbotHero P.Option .
My childhood friends I golf with walk in my line every 18! I've told them this rule many times and it seems like common curiosity.
I was thinking the same thing. I really thought that was the rule they were going to talk about. Most ppl tho just let the person putt out.
Saw #7 (using the slope feature on a range finder) happen at the 2017 U.S. Amateur. A player's caddie was using it unintentionally, but then the player looked through the range finder on the 9th hole and realized that the slope feature was activated, so he called the rules official and called the penalty on himself and got DQed as they assumed the feature was active for all 9 holes.
The rule for slope is absolutely idiotic. Never understood that
Good on the player, I hope the person they were playing with that day bought them a beer afterwards for their honesty.
...grab your oldest wedge and watch the sparks fly!!😂
If you don't like the Point of FREE Relief, you can declare it Unplayable and go with those Reliefs for a 1 Stroke Penalty.
@Ken McCoy- I would go for the green as if I had a good lie on grass. The only thing I would do different Is that I would use my playing partners club..lol
@@TheNYgolfer which would be illegal so if your going to play illegally then why not just put the golf ball in better spot where you like. So your comment makes no sense and it doesn’t pass as a joke because the whole reason you would use your “partners club” is so you didnt do something illegal which actually is illegal what you’re doing trying not to do something illegal.....🤦♂️
@@Keyser___Soze Technically playing partners can share clubs as long as the total number of clubs between the two does not exceed 14 (Rule 4-4b). Of course that scenario is impractical and unlikely.
This was a very beautiful video!! From Minnesota, United States. The knowledge is lifelong!!
Great information! Thanks for the post! Liked and subscribed!
Regarding the rule about playing from the wrong green, how does that apply to double greens? The best example I can think off would be St Andrews, for example playing the 8th hole but landing on the portion of the green that is clearly the 10th. Does the rule differ in that scenario?
If your Hole is a Shared Green, you aren't on a Wrong Green.
There's a difference between hitting a wedge off a green and a five iron - that's the point they were making in the video.
@@murraywestenskow2896 I believe it doesn't matter if you hit a wedge or a 5iron - the point of the wrong green rule iirc is that you are not allowed to hit a ball if it is located on a wrong green; period. Whether putting/chipping/5iron etc. You must drop closest point of relief, no closer to the hole off of the green I believe.
There's 2 ways to play golf. A mates round where is social and fun. And the correct way. Good to understand things as life is about learning lessons
When you don’t have someone supplying you clubs via a sponsorship, it’s somewhat of an unfair rule IMO to say your best option is to play it off the cart path.
That has always been the rules-its actually easier to play and less harmful to your clubs off a path than you would believe. Question is do you "do" golf or "play golf",?; are shiny clubs more important than carding a genuine score?
The option wasn't to play it off the cart path, but to drop it near the bush. Most people (myself included) tend to drop no closer to the hole (as in dropping for a hazard) but pick the better side of the cart path to drop it on.
@@trevenscott8833 The options were , play the ball OR take relief.
The ball was on the path, so one of the options WAS to play it off the path . He said he would play off the path himself at the end.
@@A2Z1Two3 Sorry, I was just trying to make to point that when most people take the drop, they do it like a lateral hazard and drop it "no closer to the hole" and move it into a more advantageous location instead of dropping where it should be, next to the bush.
Always a good idea to look at your options BEFORE marking the ball and picking it up. Once the ball is in hand, you’re stuck dropping by the bush.
Thanks for enlightening us on 8 rules!
In the 8th rule shown about a drop drop cart path, can you advise on following scenario:
Ball lies towards the bushes on cart path. The area immediate to the cart path is OB. Where does one drop??
Same question from me.... why if there was red or yellow hazard......where to drop it then???
If the area on the 'bush' side is OB, its not on the golf course. Implied is the drop must nearest point of relief on the golf course. The complication for me is when there are real trees on the "bush" side of the cart path. If the nearest point of relief from the path implies a drop point "inside" a trunk of tree, and moving to a drop point that is not "inside" the tree is farther from the ball on the path than taking relief on the other side, do you then go to the other side? You wouldnt get 'relief' from having hit that tree but nor can you drop a ball inside a tree...Whether a tree or pond or a steep slope (that won't hold even a placed ball), I'm not sure what the answer is under the rules...
Very solid and relevant examples. I want to emphasize that you MUST take relief from a wrong green. You MUST take a drop at the nearest point of relief (stance and swing off that green). You CANNOT opt to avoid a bad drop by playing from a wrong green.
I assume this does not apply to a shared green. These are pretty rare these days but a few do exist. It is not 2 greens separated by any kind of boundary but 1 large green with 2 holes on it and no boundary.
@@edwardbach5893 Your assumption is correct. Technically, it is one green with two holes, not two greens connected. Additionally, there are no lines to demarcate one green from the other. Thus, you are playing from the correct green.
I wonder if you would get line-of-sight relief if the wrong hole was on your intended line? My guess would be "no."
One question ref. the case with ball lying on the fringe: if the shot from my playing partner out of the bunker covers my ball with sand, am I allowed to not only clean the fringe, but also the ball?
Yes, you would be allowed to clean the ball to the same condition it was lieing there before the Bunker Play threw sand on it. The same holds true anywhere on the Course if another's play changed Your Lie.
Informative but glad that I just play golf for fun and will continue to ignore most of these rules.
Group I play in has their own set of "rules". Everyone uses our "rules" so everyone is happy. We are there to have a enjoyable day and we usually do. And yes there is always money on the line.
Hi all, have played for 58 years. 66 years old. I now play, emphasis on play, where I want the ball to lie. I used to work at a job. Now I play at a game. Enjoy the walk and friends. Stay safe.
Do exactly what you want to do! As long as it's not a competition. I recently told a friend, "I'm moving this out of the divot; I don't care about divot practice."
If I pay good money to play and hit a great drive in the middle of the fairway... and somebody didn’t repair a divot... you bet your £¥€~ I’m gonna move it . Right left or back a few inches!
@@jekutube9 The worst error (IMO) in the latest rules revision. Failing to provide for relief from an unfilled divot allows a yahoo in front of me to negatively impact my game.
@@jimknapp8731 and the "Rule Change" you Desire will only create more damage and even less repair to the damage.
"I Don't Need to fix this, the next guy can move his Ball anyway."
@@apaulmcdonough2170 I don't know where you play, but that already happens - on both Muni and private courses (unless there are caddies cleaning up lazy golfers). If it was only an occasional thing it wouldn't be a problem.
Thanks for this video. I really enjoyed it and since I am playing more golf then ever, I feel I should finally learn the rules in more detail.
Nice video. Regarding scenario # 1 keep in mind that relief is for both your stance and the ball. If the ball is directly in the middle of the path then typically relief taken on the left hand side of the path would a bit closer to where the ball originally rested. As a leftie golfer, I see situations where relief for a left handed player and right handed player would be on opposite sides of the path.
Good point. It actually makes a fairly large difference. The ball can be a fair distance right of the centre of the path (for a right handed golfer).
Actually either Rt or Lt handed the relief is from the cart path and in the scenario presented the "nearest" relief is to the right and a Lt handed player would have to deal with the bush that would impair the stance
6. Pedantically...you can ask a playing “partner” (read teammate), but you can’t ask a playing “competitor” (read opponent), right?
er...yes.
Would like to know what the ruling is with regard to playing from the "wrong green" when a course uses shared greens?
If a friendly game drop off the green, use common sense. If it was a tour event, play it as it lies...
he answers this in this video...
@@tutteturunen6822 no he doesn't, he refers to two greens really close with just a bit of fringe. I play one course that has a "peanut" shaped green with the mid section (the waist if you will) about 15 feet wide, and the upper part is the green for one hole and the lower for a different hole. There is nothing definitively separating one from the other.
@@stupidas9466 if it's a true shared green, and one of the pins is what you are aiming at, you putt mate. It's not the wrong green if it's a shared green, just a bloody long putt. after all, you aren't going to take a wedge when on a green regardless.
Nearest point of relief, but no closer to the hole. Play it like a cart path
I've read a lot of comments and became a bit disturbed by them. I think it's important to understand that the spirit of golf is as important or more important than any other aspect of the game. I found that only by playing by the rules and keeping your real, correct score are you able to gauge your improvement. It also creates a correct spirit and respect for the game which makes it immensely more pleasurable. I cheated my score for years thinking that I "Deserved" a better score than I was making (Often in the upper 90s just to get into the lower 90s). It made the game frustrating and afforded me no improvement. I decided to learn how to hit a ball properly and at the same time decided that I would play the ball where it lies and by the rules always. It was the most freeing thing I could have ever done for my game and it worked like magic. I am forever grateful to whatever power allowed me to see the light. I know what my real scores are now and when I improve a bit I know it's real. I'm not giving advice I'm just saying play by the rules and you will see what I am talking about. I shot an 82 in that same season. I hit two drivers out of bounds in the round. I counted the shots, assessed myself a penalty, and hit the 3rd shot from the tee on both holes. My friends told me to take a "Mulligan" but I did not. I broke 90 often that season. That 82 was a real score and came about because I was learning a consistent swing on the golf range and working on chipping and putting a lot. But I can say truly that knowing that my next shot was going to count for my score helped my focus and spirit for playing. Honest playing made me a better player and knowing at the end of the day that my score was one I truly earned made striving for improvement real labor of love. The game is so much more fun now. Try it and see what I mean. Because of what I have said I can say in earnest that I appreciate this video very much.
I agree! I started doing the same and found my game improved almost immediately! Now I’m fine if people want to play easy golf with no real goal to improve… fluff up your lie, move your ball onto a better patch of grass, kick your ball back on the fairway, hell tee it back up mid hole for all I care. But at that point I think you should just toss out the score card, because it is mostly meaningless if you are not playing by the rules. At some point you are just practicing your swing on the course instead of on the range.
Play with your wife much ?
@@lyingcat9022 what’s a scorecard? Is it that thing on the steering wheel I usually toss in the trash, along with my first empty whiskey bottle, on hole 7?
agreed im freshly returning to the game from a very long hiatus. I was never remotely good at it (haven't shot a round under 100 in my life). I remember me and my playing partners would take mulligans and break other rules that at the time we didnt feel were a big deal. Im not of the mindset that if your going to keep score you should be following all the rules of the game (to your best ability anyways) or the score doesn't actually matter at all as its not accurate.
Great video. Thanks.
I play with my spouse a lot. He’s a stickler for rules (in ANY sport or game). Not worth arguing with him! I learned loads and play much better golf by sticking to the rules. Never fudging the scores on a card means I know when I am making a real improvement. My favourite lady partner (for,early a PE teacher) is similarly a stickler for getting it right.
Really helpful , was not aware of the sand or the slope function
Great video. I think you should elaborate on the provisional ball scenario to show if you can declare a ball lost even if you find it.
Are you talking about 18.2a(1)/3 - Ball May Become Lost if It is Not Promptly Identified? I am not aware of a rules/decision scenario where you can declare a ball lost if you find it within the allotted time to search. AFAIK, if a ball is found within the allotted search time, and its yours. Then again, not a rules guy, just a casual player.
I rolled my eyes so many times
I would give up the game if the boys always called each other out on these things.
OK then, where do you personally draw the line. I contend that the rules are the rules and one of the rules says you may not waive the rules.
I think most of these were in the context of a competition, I doubt any casual players would know or care about most of these rules.
I would never call anybody out on any of these things during casual play... but they might be good to know if we were playing for money
@@Cyril_Squirrel well, if your just out playing for fun i don't really care how someone else plays their own game. but if your playing in a tournament then obviously the rules of golf apply even. but if your playing a match with your buddies and they all agree on a changed rule or something then I don't see an issue with that
@@the_g1254 Ok then, you're saying that when your playing a game with your mates, the guy who plays the stroke gets to devide which rules will apply. E.g. he has a gin shot, does that count, or he hits the ball out of bounds, does he incur a penalty, he hits the wrong ball,, penalty or not. He misses a putt by a hairs breadth, does he regard that as a holed ball. Where do you draw the line, if there are no rules you might as well go to a driving range. As a golfer who plays competition golf and social rounds it offends me when people don't respect the rules and the traditions of the noble game.
Very insightful, but if I demand my friends to follow these rules. I would be playing golf alone for the rest of my life 🤪
and of course one only demands this when one is apt to make money from it. Otherwise, as the soccer ref says, play on.
In our rules videos we are talking about the way to proceed in competition. When you are playing non-competition friendly golf with your friends you can take a different approach
Well, there are friendlies and then there are the comps...
Thank you so much for the information! If anyone want be better at golf should try Golf Kinetics!
Very interesting video. I’m looking forward to the next one.
For the first example of the sand, it is not immediately clear that the ball lies off the green because it is quite a long way from the camera. This may confuse people who wonder why you can remove some of the sand but not all of it.
On the subject of the provisional ball, you might have said that the player must announce her/his provisional ball which cannot be identical to the first ball played. So many golfers do not specify the difference between the first and provisional balls.
Keep going, this is very useful information.
Ball (and play) on the green is protected and more forgiving to the golfer. Ball elsewhere (in the general area) must respect the play as it lies rule, with no allowance to improve the lie of the ball nor the stance/swing of the golfer
How perfect that this dude’s last name is Tap In
I get lessons from a guy called Dave Longdrive
Please cover dropping on a line back from flag when talking relief from a penalty area. I played with a few people who dropped on the line it went in, i.e. back to where they hit it from. They’ve argued it doesn’t make any difference but it does and gave them a much easier shot as a result.
Did you ever see the movie "Tin Cup"? Remember where Kevin hit six balls from the same spot after going in the green front pond?
I know that that rule can get really complicated and is best handled by an official on-site, during a tournament. It also depends upon the stake and where it crossed the hazard, which can be very difficult to assess
Remember there are Multiple Options available in certain situations.
A Player can replay the same shot again from the Original Place.
Secondly, the as Far Back from Point of Entry option is usually violated because the Player must drop on a line straight back from the Hole (Flagstick) *through* the Point of Entry.
Often the Player, in Violation, will simply drop straight back from the Point of Entry *without* taking into account the exact location of the Hole.
@@edwardwood3622 , "Cup" was excercising the allowable option of Replaying from the Same Place.
He never moved Forward towards the Hole in the Final Round.
@@edwardwood3622 , *only 5 Balls,* After splashing his Second Shot.
What if the player has a 10 iron... 05:45 can I ask about that?
that's a pitching wedge
You can ask about anything, as long as it doesn't influence your shot. You can ask what club the guy used, as long as it is after you played your shot. That has no influence on your shot, club selection or approach yo the hole, so it is not _advice_ .
Well done. The rules facilitate equity and consistency. They help rather than hinder the game as some imply. If not followed, you're hitting golf balls, not playing golf.
There are only two things you need to know about "slope functionality" - whether the slope is up or down. This you can usually tell by the view in front of you.
The slope functionality on my GPS gives me yardage adjustment (it's 156 but it plays 161), and that's what is breaking the rules.
Exactly, I play with guys who use them on every shot within 200 metres, I usually call out to them, ‘the green’s there, 50 metres away!’ Often, they miss, or duff the shot, and I’ll call out, ‘ it should be about 30 now’ 🙄
@@mikejones-go8vz I bet they love playing with you.
@@brettleewilliams rereading my post and it does sound a bit over the top, probably why they don’t like playing with me 🤔🫣
Another rule I often see broken is pitchmarks being repaired on the fringe when they are in line with the next shot. Similar thing to the sand you show here.
You are allowed to fix Anything ON the Green before playing from OFF the Green.
It's fascinating that such a small number of rules can be so complicated; at times, even for the Tour pros and their caddies.
The rules are simple, logical and consistent. What's your problem?
Great video. Next version should include something about the new flagstick handling rules.
So many ways of breaking the rules but this helps. Thanks.
Is there a condensed version of this? Sheeesh
As a close friend of mine says “We’re not playing for Cadillacs”
I’ll leave the inane rules for the pros.
I also think you should identify the ball when playing a provisional ball eg number two Titleist. I’ve seen people claim their second ball was actually their first.
It’s not a requirement under the rules to declare anything about a ball you put into play... brand/number/markings.
It’s common practice, especially in matchplay. But it’s not required under the rules.
As Peter says, it's not a bad idea and many people do do that, but it's not a requirement under the Rules
I realise it’s not a rule but it’s a good and fair idea. Most people I’ve played with follow the practice but then they’re not the ones who are likely to take advantage of the situation. People will still cheat of course using balls of the same make and number and I’ve seen the full range of cheating in the rough including having a pocket with a hole in it to drop a ball through.
@@Steve-jq4st I’ve seen so much cheating while I was officiating. One issue with what you ask for, say I’m playing a Pro VI #2 and I need to hit a provisional, I very well could be hitting a 2nd ball of the sleeve.
@@GolferMike Pre-marking all 3 balls differently is one solution. I like to empty all 4 sleeves into the box and reassemble the sleeves 123/412/341/234 as I like using the same Sharpie marking all the time.
Question 2: Does 'complete relief' mean both your feet and the ball have to be off (in this case) the cart path or just the ball? I would think the cart path would have a few inches of fairly short grass along it's sides for your ball to sit on while you stand on the path itself.
Fun fact: I enjoyed this video and found it fascinating even though I don't actually play golf. I've tried. 'It wasn't pretty' would be an understatement.
Yeah complete relief is what it describes. "Complete relief". So your feet and ball have to be clear of any unnatural obstacles or whatnot. Relief would mean you could stand on the path and hit it a few inches in the rough. You're best off getting out a flat club and smacking the thing off of the path. It's It's good job for the old dusty hybrid.
Useful. My mates need watch this!
I love the game and play an average of 80 rounds per year (limited due to Canadian winters), but Golf really does have some stupid rules. Thankfully, I mostly just play fun games with friends and try to avoid tournaments where these rules come into play.
The very stupidest rule of them all is the one about having to get the ball in the hole...
Most of the rules, even the arcane ones are not stupid at all. They are sometimes cruel, but make sense. The one here about relief from a cart path is a good example. Your nearest point of relief may be in a very poor lie, even behind a tree. But all you are entitled to is relief from the cart path. If you don't like the relief you are entitled to, you are free to play it from the cart path.
The problem with the rules seeming silly or unfair usually arises when one player simply didn't know what the rule was. Or, more precisely, he thought he knew the rule, but he was wrong.
@@edwardbach5893 No, there are a ton of stupid rules in golf. They come up all the time in professional play and the fact that virtually no amateur golfers even attempt to play by the USGA rules is a testament to the fact that they need to address the issue.
@@hrzgoose647 There is a valid reason for every rule. We may not always agree or understand why, but there is always a circumstance where that particular rule is very important.
For example, seems everyone thinks we should get free relief from a divot hole. Divots holes aren't forever and are always in various stages of growing in. Some are new and fresh, but some are almost completely healed. If you're in one of those, at what point do you no longer get relief? Who gets to decide? What if your opponent believes it's no longer a divot hole, but you do? The powers that be have decided that rather than have the problem of having to decide, agree, disagree, argue, etc, that no relief at all will be given. After all, most casual players will move it anyway, but have you ever seen a tour play hit a bad shot from a divot hole? Usually the camera zooms in and the announcers talk about what a bad break that was, and then the player stiffs it...because a skilled player knows how to hit that shot anyway. And the general public will never learn it because they will just move the ball. ( I keep saying divot hole because a divot is the part that comes out of the hole and flies through the air). This is just one example of why rules are the way they are.
@@hrzgoose647 That's because 95% of "amateur golfers" aren't amateurs. They are recreational golfers and they stink at the game.
Interesting on the provisional ball point: people often at my club state: “playing a provisional ball [ball manufacturers name], which i recently found out is not required.
A Player does have to be able to Identify and Differentiate between the Original Ball and the Provisional Ball, usually by a Different Number printed on the Ball and any special personal Marking.
Infoming others of the difference is a Courtesy, just as is identifying your Ball on the First Tee before start of Play.
You have to use/call a “PROVISIONAL” ball. If not the first ball is considered lost
@@lukeho555 , Aaron was talking about actually Identifying the Ball that was to be used as a Provisional Ball. This Identification is not required, but it does help inform your playing companions as to specifically what they will be searching for.
That's only cos some cheats play an identical provisional ball, then find said provisional ball in a better position and claim it's their 1st ball.
@@jonathanedwards7658 , in a governed Tournament since he CAN'T Prove the difference between the Original and the Provisional then BOTH Balls are considered LOST.
Back to the Tee and "Hit 5!"
I just watched the entire video and have never played a single hole of golf.
I don't know whether to be happy or sad for you. 👍
I do the same thing when I watch motocross, windsurfing, soccer, skateboarding, tennis, ice skating, hockey, horse racing, sky diving, bungee jumping and probably a dozen other sports.
Thanks! Just what I needed.
Minnedosa Manitoba
Such a useful video! Thank you.
5:54 is that a 10-iron?!
Yeah, aka a pitching wedge
Many Japanese companies lable wedge as 10 iron
It is indeed - from Honma
@@drywater_ Today I learned something new, I've never heard the expression before.
@@gr0bbelaar it makes sense given that practically every iron set made goes ...8, 9, p-wedge to just call it a 10 iron
"Playing from the wrong green" - the player takes nearest complete relief, no nearer the (correct) hole. Does that mean I drop the ball on the first cut of fringe of the wrong green? I would hate to take a big divot out of there.
I absolutely love playing golf but must admit some of the rules are so pretentious and pointless!
i disagree with "pretentious and pointless"... "picky" maybe. but name a sport that doesn't have very particular, picky, often tough-to-define or tough-to-determine rules..
@@adamgoodrich80 swimming
@@CaptainCrunch486 I expect there are lots of rules in competitive swimming.
Every rule serves a purpose in order to produce a fair outcome. There are so many ways to bend the rules ever so slightly to better your score. If it's not in competition or for accurate handicapping, then it doesn't matter what you do - just don't say you shot 85 afterwards when you actually shot 95.
Thank you, I have broken as of some of my friends these rules. but we are beginners and now will know butter
I bet playing a round with ‘mr rules’ Jezza is a right barrel of laughs 🙄 let’s face it we’ve all played with a stickler for the rules!
Like playing with my father in law
Better than playing with a cheat and having to point out why he's cheating
Rob, this is why I never play anyone in a competitive way. I play “ready golf”. Just for fun.
@@davidbrown5152 I agree, if its just for fun. then frankly let them do what they want aslong as it doesnt impede anyone in the club comps. If they are in the club comp then stick with proper rules. Either way fun all the time
@@michaelarnold7439 Thanks for the comment!
Ya, cause I can afford a new club everytime I hit off the cart path 😂