The Official Golf Thread

[JimStynes]

Another nil return today. Clubs are going to go over the hedge soon.

[maco]

This is what I thought, and what I did yesterday. However I have since been told that I was wrong to do this. I have been told that the green is a separate part of the course and you can only move objects on the green if you are on the green. I have had a look at the rules and, in my opinion, rule 23 clearly states that loose impediments can be moved. My argument is that if your ball is 2 inches off the green and there is a large twig on the green between your ball and the hole, then surely it can be moved. Rule 24-2 is apparantly the rule I have broken, but I can only find reference to immovable obstructions in this rule.

[JimStynes]

I've always thought that you can lift anything off the green even if your ball is not on the green??? I see boys doing it all the time. Too many rules in golf

[Orior]

That is a difficult one Maco. The guy who pulled you on it must be a right *%$^. There are some rules gurus who suck all the enjoyment out of the game even before you tee-off.

Today with that wind, many greens were covered in all sorts of junk. I played Greenisland today for the first time. The first hole is a killer, and could do with a chair lift.

Another interesting rule. The scene: your ball is in the bunker, and a leaf has blown in and rested on your ball. But if you lift the leaf you will incur a penalty. You can lift big stones, but not twigs or leaves.

[Orior]

Another nil return today. Clubs are going to go over the hedge soon.

I know single figure handicappers who throw the head up if they dont break 33 points. What is your handicap?

Have you booked a lesson yet?

[JimStynes]

Another nil return today. Clubs are going to go over the hedge soon.

I know single figure handicappers who throw the head up if they dont break 33 points. What is your handicap?

Have you booked a lesson yet?

Up to 20.7 or something now. was shooting 83 and 84 last year and now can barely break 90 ffs. Had a back operation in december so I am only back playing about 2 months. went for a lesson a few weeks ago and its helped but losing too many shots around the greens. My putting is a joke. had 7s at stroke index 1 and 2 today and was on the green in 3 for both of them. Was slicing like f**k off the tee about 2 weeks ago and now I am pulling everything. More pissed off as I know I can play a lot better. I throw the head up too if I am not walking onto the 10th with about 18 points or more. Frustrating game. All my mates I play with are single figure handicappers and regularly break clubs. A fella i play with snapped his wedge in 2 a few weeks ago there. Big winter of practice and lessons ahead of me

[maco]

Orior - the guy who mentioned it is actually a good friend. It was Presidents Day at our club. I was on the 17th with a good score going - was in with a good chance of winning (ended up 7 points behind the winner, but I didn't know that at the time). Anyway, I got a prize last night and after the drink was in, one of my playing partners informed me of the ruling. He says him and another member of our 4ball looked at each other and shook their heads after I removed the grass from the green, but neither said anything at the time. Both discussed it again on the 18th tee, and again at the prize giving last night. Only after all this and the presentation of prizes was it mentioned to me. I'm keen to find out the ruling here as if I was in the wrong, I intend to write to the club to disqualify myself and return my prize.

[Orior]

The best I can offer you is a decade of the rosary.

I went through the same a year ago. I got new custom fitted clubs, and my game went  t i ts up. Dont forget, it is meant to be fun.

[gerrykeegan]

Another nil return today. Clubs are going to go over the hedge soon.

I know single figure handicappers who throw the head up if they dont break 33 points. What is your handicap?

Have you booked a lesson yet?

Up to 20.7 or something now. was shooting 83 and 84 last year and now can barely break 90 ffs. Had a back operation in december so I am only back playing about 2 months. went for a lesson a few weeks ago and its helped but losing too many shots around the greens. My putting is a joke. had 7s at stroke index 1 and 2 today and was on the green in 3 for both of them. Was slicing like f**k off the tee about 2 weeks ago and now I am pulling everything. More pissed off as I know I can play a lot better. I throw the head up too if I am not walking onto the 10th with about 18 points or more. Frustrating game. All my mates I play with are single figure handicappers and regularly break clubs. A fella i play with snapped his wedge in 2 a few weeks ago there. Big winter of practice and lessons ahead of me

I went from playing to 15 comfortably enough and went to scoring rounds of 18-23 points for about 6 months. Had a lesson, the pro asked me to hit a few wedges. Bladed the first, bladed the second and nearly it the pro with the third. He asked me if I had Sky Sports at home, I said yes. That's most of your problem he said. You are watching the pro's and trying to pick a little bit of their swings except you are making a balls of it. The root of my problem was my head. As Orior says it's meant to be fun. Try getting back to that. Don't think too much about it.

[Puckoon]

That is a difficult one Maco. The guy who pulled you on it must be a right *%$^. There are some rules gurus who suck all the enjoyment out of the game even before you tee-off.

Today with that wind, many greens were covered in all sorts of junk. I played Greenisland today for the first time. The first hole is a killer, and could do with a chair lift.

Another interesting rule. The scene: your ball is in the bunker, and a leaf has blown in and rested on your ball. But if you lift the leaf you will incur a penalty. You can lift big stones, but not twigs or leaves.

Local rules only on stones in bunkers Orior. Be careful if moving stones at clubs which don't apply the local rule for safety.

[Puckoon]

Evening all. I have a rules question, so picture the scene.  My ball is 3 feet off the green and I have the putter out. There is a small lump of grass on the green (loose impediment) directly between my ball and the hole. Can I move the grass without incurring a penalty?

23-1. Relief
Except when both the loose impediment and the ball lie in or touch the same hazard, any loose impediment may be removed without penalty.


Hang on to your prize Maco, and tell your buddies not to bring up rules infractions unless they are certain.

Different story if the grass was attached or you were feeling it in the line between your ball and the cup to gain knowledge of the grain etc..

[Orior]

Evening all. I have a rules question, so picture the scene.  My ball is 3 feet off the green and I have the putter out. There is a small lump of grass on the green (loose impediment) directly between my ball and the hole. Can I move the grass without incurring a penalty?

23-1. Relief
Except when both the loose impediment and the ball lie in or touch the same hazard, any loose impediment may be removed without penalty.


Hang on to your prize Maco, and tell your buddies not to bring up rules infractions unless they are certain.

Different story if the grass was attached or you were feeling it in the line between your ball and the cup to gain knowledge of the grain etc..

You would not be allowed to repair any pitch marks either.

[Puckoon]

I'm going to say that you can repair ball marks on the green, both your own and others. You can't repair spike marks, and you couldnt repair a pitch mark on the fringe between your ball and the hole.

You cannot repair a ball mark anywhere else on the course prior to you shot. You can, and should repair a pitch mark in a fairway after your shot - its decent course maintainence.

[heganboy]

I'm actually thinking that you were fine- no infringement.
If the grass (or loose impediment) was actually on the green proper (not the fringe) and assuming you didnt tap down the lie after removing the grass.

See young Master McIlroy's hiccup earlier this year. If the sand was on the green he would have been fine...





http://www.cogolf.org/index.php?mod=RulesOfGolf_Read&article_id=724

During the 2nd round of the Abu Dhabi Championship Rory McIlroy's golf ball was lying just off of the putting green on the 9th hole. While surveying his next shot, he brushed sand off of his line of play on the fringe of the green. His fellow competitor, Luke Donald, witnessed him do this and informed Rory that he believed this action was a penalty. Was it?

As you know, sand is everywhere on most golf courses. There are sand filled divots, waste areas, ant hills and of course, bunkers. Sand is also commonly found around the fringe of the putting green when play from an adjacent bunker spills it onto the fringe (just ask Rory). In the Rules of Golf, sand is identified in the definition of Loose Impediments as follows: "Sand and loose soil are loose impediments on the putting green, but not elsewhere."

Unfortunately, Rory McIlroy learned about this definition the hard way. They called a Rules official over and he told him that because sand is only a loose impediment on the putting green, when he removed this it he was in breach of Rule 13-2. There are a number of ways to breach this Rule, but the part that pertains to Rory's situation is "A player must not improve or allow to be improved: his line of play ..., by any of the following actions: removing or pressing down sand or loose soil ..." Note that if the sand he removed had been on the green there would have been no penalty, even though his ball wasn't.

When on the course, before taking any actions to remove sand, take into consideration a few variables such as: Is the sand in a hazard, through the green or on the putting green? Is the sand a cast that was made by an insect such as ants which would now make this accumulation a loose impediment? All of these can factor into whether or not you can remove it.

It's good to remember that sand is a loose impediment on the putting green, so feel free to remove it and give your ball a smoother ride to the hole. Conversely, if it's not on the green, be careful! Rory incurred a costly two-stroke penalty for removing sand from the fringe, and went on to finish second, losing by one stroke. This cost him about 115,000 euros. Talk about "precious sands!"

there's another note here http://www.barryrhodes.com/2010/02/questions-on-loose-impediments.html

[maco]

Yeah - grass was clearly on the green, and I didn't tap anywhere on the green. I have looked at a good few websites and have not seen it stated anywhere that I was in breech of rules. There is a fairly knowledgable man who lives near me who I know has officiated at golf tournaments throughout Ireland. I think I'll ask him.