[Jason Topp]

Apparently Golf's ruling bodies are considering changing the rule that imposes a penalty when the wind moves a ball on the putting green after the player has addressed the ball.   I understand Webb Simpson was penalized under this rule last weekend.  I recall several events being delayed (and even a round of the Australian Open cancelled) because of such conditions.

 I suppose the change makes sense in light of the high green speeds that make the likelihood of such a ball moving much more likely.  It seems to me, however, that slowing down the greens a bit would be a better approach in terms of both the cost and the quality of the game.

Here are a couple of stories, one of which was quoted on Geoff Shackelford's blog:


http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-tours-news/blogs/local-knowledge/2011/05/rule-that-cost-webb-simpson-could-be-changed.html

http://davidhbarrett.com/golf/golf/personalities/976/no-harm-no-foul-not-in-golf/

[Garland Bayley]

If the ball moves after you address it, you should get a penalty. Addressing it means grounding the club behind the ball before the stroke. If you never address the ball, you don't need a rule change. More whiners taking over the rules of golf. What next? If the ball oscillates, it must be shivering, so you get to apply a warming devise to it?

[Tony_Chapman]

Can someone clarify that rule for me? Do you have to "ground" your club to be considered addressing the ball? If so, I'd never ground sole my putter on the green inside a couple feet like Simpson. I'd just hover the putter and knock it in. Did I once here that Nicklaus, never soled his putter on the green?

[Rick Shefchik]

Simpson called it "a bad rule." Aside from the fact that he was reacting with disappointment that the rule was detrimental to him, I agree with him. I've always thought it was a bad rule. I've called it on myself at least a half-dozen times, and each time because the ball moved for some reason that had nothing to do with me. It's one of the worst feelings you can have in the game of golf.

Where I disagree with the potential new rule is in the wording: The change to the rule would add a clause that if it was "known or virtually certain" that the player didn't cause the ball to move -- in instances where the wind or other outside factors were the cause -- the player would no longer be subject to a penalty.

Seems to me it would make more sense to word it the other way: If it was known or virtually certain that the player DID cause the ball to move, it's a one-stroke penalty. I think it's a lot harder to know that something didn't happen -- proving a negative, in other words. But if you make contact of some kind with the ball and it moves, case closed.

[Garland Bayley]

Can someone clarify that rule for me? Do you have to "ground" your club to be considered addressing the ball? If so, I'd never ground sole my putter on the green inside a couple feet like Simpson. I'd just hover the putter and knock it in. Did I once here that Nicklaus, never soled his putter on the green?

You are correct. Nicklaus never soled his putter on the green, thereby completely avoiding ever being hit by this penalty. It was almost down to ta routine. Jack gets ready to putt. Wind moves ball. Jack looks at rules official. Rules official signals Jack is OK. Jack putts. At least that is somewhat how Jack tells it.

[SL_Solow]

Jack never soled his club anywhere prefering to "hover" the club.  He avoide penalties and he also believed this smoothed out his backswing.

[Ed Oden]

I have never particularly liked the rule.  If grounding the club had no effect and did not cause the ball to move, then I just don't see why doing so should result in a penalty.

PS - It seems common for players calling for a ruling in this situation to say they are not entirely sure what happened.  The ball may have moved.  They're not quite sure whether or not they grounded their club or addressed the ball.  That doubt combined with the fact that there are typically no other witnesses often leads to no penalty.  I'm not saying players who claim doubt are dishonest.  It is easy to question what you saw or did, especially when it's not what you were expecting.  But I give Simpson very high marks for definitively stating he saw the ball move and that he had grounded his club, essentially leaving no leeway.

[Adam Clayman]

Letting the green speed race continue is bad form. Removing the player's responsibility to be aware enough to know the circumstances where this might occur is proof the ruling bodies are missing the point, again. It's a sport and wind is an element that needs to be calculated in being successful at the sport.

Further allowing these pros to dilute the sportiness of their game should not affect the rest of us, to the extent that it has.

[Jim Franklin]

Bad rule, get rid of it.

[Steve Lang]

   I can't help but think of Robin Williams' take on Golf ... and how the rules developed...  http://youtu.be/pcnFbCCgTo4

[Kalen Braley]

I suppose the way I look at it is like this.

I've never had the ball move by just grounding the club behind it.  Every single last time I've seen this happen or had it happen to me, it occurred on a windy day.  Can't we infer from the fact that because the ball never moves in non-windy conditions ....that it indeed must be the wind causing this to happen?

So how about amending the rule to say when the ball stops moving...replace it to its last position and hit the putt....without penalty.

P.S. If the greens are too fast for the wind conditions, why should I, who has no control over the courses maintainence practices suffer from this?

[Richard Choi]

Here is what I don't get.

Rules of golf expect you to referee yourself and call all violations, but it does not trust you enough to judge whether or not the ball was moved by your action or the actions of an outside agency.

To me, that is just dumb. If you caused the ball to move, call a penalty on yourself. If you didn't, just replace the ball back to the original position and move on. This should apply anywhere on the course.

[Pete_Pittock]

The discussion on Rule 18-2b between the USGA and the R&A has been ongoing for many years. It will make for some intersting discussions in the scoring tents and trailers.


The only time Jack Nicklaus addressed the ball, it was in a hazard. He was never penalized in his career. Frankly, hovering the club IMO is a superior technique because it eliminates any drag on the club at the start of the takeaway.

Players can avoid a penalty under 18-2 by hovering their club (not meeting the defintion of addressing the ball) or they can erase doubt by (re)marking the ball, which cancels any addressing issues.

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