Rules - What would you change?

[Alex Miller]

Actually, the 8/15-50 rule is something I would like for the pros more than anything else....I think it would be more entertaining to watch. 

Agreed.


I also reckon it would make the game easier for the majority of high handicappers as well, no bad thing, as a 15* tee club ought to be easier for them to hit and shots should go straighter than with a lower lofted current driver and most high handicappers are not very good at playing shots with clubs with more than 50* so only having 50* could well improve their scoring.


For the pro's and lower handicappers 8/15-50 should make things a bit harder. Less distance and more spin on the ball from the tee with 15*, less clubs in the bag so bigger yardsge gaps between clubs so more 1/2 and 3/4 shots ought to be needed and with only 50* max loft some of the shots that are currently being played won't be so easy to execute.


Atb

Jokes on you! My new 12 degree driving wood will be 15 degrees by standard measurements, but set open enough to play at a lower loft. Same goes for the 50 degree wedge your mandating - it's natural set up is super closed with negative bounce 

[Mike Wagner]

Cut the amount of time you have to look for a lost ball as close to zero as possible. In other words: if you can't hit when it's your turn to hit, your ball is lost; drop another one right where you're standing and hit your third.

Has any golfer in the history of recreational golf ever hit one so badly that he immediately suspected it was lost and then, after 5 minutes of searching, found anything other than someone else's used topflite?

We don't play with hand crafted featheries anymore; if you can afford to play golf you can afford to lose a ball instead of bugging your playing companions and annoying everyone behind you by wandering aimlessly through the rough for a $2 golf ball you'll never find.  And if you can afford to play a ProV1 then you can certainly afford to lose a ProV1.

Peter - you'd be surprised how much it happens in competition .. especially here in Phoenix.  We found 3 or 4 in under 5 minutes just this morning, but it took at least 3 minutes.


The real problem with what I believe you're getting at is the lack of ability for players these days to get out of their routine and back into position.  Things happen that take time, but I see it a lot from players .. find their ball after 4 minutes then back to the same old routine instead of hustling to get back in position. 

[Colin Macqueen]

Joe, Dave, you write,


"...if a dog leaves a turd in the middle of the landing zone the golfer shouldn't expect to hit out of it"


and


"Learn to hit out of the dog crap......"


but bear in mind you will incur a two stroke penalty for hitting a ball in motion!!!!


Cheers Colin

[Cliff Hamm]

Only allow marking of ball on the green if in the line of others or if mud on the ball.

[Jim Hoak]

1)  No putting a line on the ball and trying to get it ever so perfectly to putt.
2)  No caddie standing behind a player to line him (her?) up.

[Charles Lund]

Not allowing caddie to assist with alignment of stance or clubface on any shot.

Charles Lund

[Thomas Dai]

Jokes on you! My new 12 degree driving wood will be 15 degrees by standard measurements, but set open enough to play at a lower loft. Same goes for the 50 degree wedge your mandating - it's natural set up is super closed with negative bounce 

Any other suggested rule changes mentioned in this thread you'd like to find a way around? 😊
Atb

[Sean_A]

Actually, the 8/15-50 rule is something I would like for the pros more than anything else....I think it would be more entertaining to watch. 

Agreed.


I also reckon it would make the game easier for the majority of high handicappers as well, no bad thing, as a 15* tee club ought to be easier for them to hit and shots should go straighter than with a lower lofted current driver and most high handicappers are not very good at playing shots with clubs with more than 50* so only having 50* could well improve their scoring.


For the pro's and lower handicappers 8/15-50 should make things a bit harder. Less distance and more spin on the ball from the tee with 15*, less clubs in the bag so bigger yardsge gaps between clubs so more 1/2 and 3/4 shots ought to be needed and with only 50* max loft some of the shots that are currently being played won't be so easy to execute.


Atb

Jokes on you! My new 12 degree driving wood will be 15 degrees by standard measurements, but set open enough to play at a lower loft. Same goes for the 50 degree wedge your mandating - it's natural set up is super closed with negative bounce 

I would ban that too then..easily done!  It doesn't make much sense to have a loft rule which isn't enforced.

Another rule I would change is no outside advice except for that which is provided on the course.  That means no books, guns, watches or caddies providing info. 


Ciao

[Pete Lavallee]

Oh my, pro golfers figuring out their own yardage. Now that would speed up the game!

[BHoover]

Oh my, pro golfers figuring out their own yardage. Now that would speed up the game!

Would it? I think just the opposite would happen and the pace of play would turn glacial (more so than already). I understand the reasoning behind not allowing outside distance aids (at least in competition), but it would not speed up play...unless there was also a shot clock of some sort.

I do like the idea of not allowing caddies to assist in lining up players. As someone who always has trouble lining up correctly, this is a skill that the player should figure out on his/her own.

[Philippe Binette]

Number of clubs:


maximum 10 clubs...


would lower the cost of the game;


speed up everyday play because of quicker decisions;


will probably lead players to switch from a 10-degree driver to a smaller 12-13 degree club that players could hit off the ground also... which would lead to shorter drives for the pros, but same length and straighter drive for everyday play... thus speeding up play.


would also add interest in the choice of clubs in tournament play... a pro, 4 strokes back in a major decide to use his 8-degree driver for the final round instead of his 12 -degree... etc.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Jokes on you! My new 12 degree driving wood will be 15 degrees by standard measurements, but set open enough to play at a lower loft. Same goes for the 50 degree wedge your mandating - it's natural set up is super closed with negative bounce 

Any other suggested rule changes mentioned in this thread you'd like to find a way around? 😊
Atb

Thomas unless the rules are simple and bullet proof we are certain to face constant challenges and ‘developments’.

Another example.

 Only allow marking of ball on the green if in the line of others or if mud on the ball.
 

Who agrees a ball is ‘on the line’ on a breaking putt, or if that dark mark is really ‘mud’?

I doubt anything but play it as she lies works as a simplification.
Increasingly professional Sport is seeking taking out the element of chance and any proposed rule changes that might allow it are doomed.
 
So Bi furcate the sport?
Matchplay - play it as she lies
Strokeplay allow all the madness that follows once you allow a single exception.

Sadly, the element of charm is also being lost. Sport is also LESS dramatic as a result. There is less of ‘life’ in a true bouncing artificial pitch than a capricious ‘real’ one.

I’ll leave it to those who care about winning more than I do because they’ll never stop arguing or challenging the rules.

[Cliff Hamm]

It is a game of honor is it not     Just too many folks who think they need to mark every putt.


 I also think having competitive and non competitive rules makes perfect sense.  Pick up basketball doesn't have lane violations, doesn't have the same 3 point line as pros, etc.

[Mike Wagner]

College coaches should not be deemed amateurs.  I know this is way out in left field but it always bothers me when I see a college coach competing in amateur events.  These are people who get paid to coach GOLF.  They are compensated for their golf knowledge and coaching ability.  Where's the gray area?

OK.  You guys can go back to the rules of actually playing golf...

Ken

How about agents?

[Mike Wagner]

.

[jeffwarne]

1)  No putting a line on the ball and trying to get it ever so perfectly to putt.
2)  No caddie standing behind a player to line him (her?) up.

Two rules I could easily get on board with

[Andrew Buck]

Number of clubs:


maximum 10 clubs...


would lower the cost of the game;


speed up everyday play because of quicker decisions;


will probably lead players to switch from a 10-degree driver to a smaller 12-13 degree club that players could hit off the ground also... which would lead to shorter drives for the pros, but same length and straighter drive for everyday play... thus speeding up play.


would also add interest in the choice of clubs in tournament play... a pro, 4 strokes back in a major decide to use his 8-degree driver for the final round instead of his 12 -degree... etc.

Disagree, I think the club that would be bundled would be the driving iron/hybrid/fairway wood, and overall the Pro's bag would likely go something like:

Driver - 9 degree
19 - 20 Hybrid/driving iron
4 - strong 5 25degree
6 iron 30 degree
strong 8 36 degree
9 42degree
weak PW/Strong Gap  48 degree
SW 54-55 degree
LW 60 degree
Putter. 

[Adrian_Stiff]

A ball shall be cleaned and marked only once when on the putting green.

Some players take up to 60 seconds to mark, replace the ball, align the ball, remove the marker.

This would save 30-40 minutes on the time of a 4 Ball.

Time is the reason the game is becoming less popular.

No penalty for striking another players ball. The opponent can ask for the player to mark the ball if it is directly on his line and the player may then opt to either putt or mark.