Pace of play 'rules' say to pick up?

[Steve_Oakey]

Not sure whether to put this in the rules section or local section, but I had a confrontation with a marshal today who reamed my group (3-some) for a 2.5 hour front while we were waiting for the group ahead of us (4-some) to clear the fairway so we could hit our tee shots..... but I digress....

I was looking at the pamphlet they hand out which list 19 'hints' for keeping pace. Most of them are excellent tips and are some of my pet peeves on the course (e.g. plan your shot before you get to your ball, don't give lessons on the course, line up your putt when others are putting). However the last rule seemed excessive which was in the section called 'Picking Up'

• If you are a lower handicapper, pick up after a triple bogey.

I may be way off, but I doubt many low handicappers will just pick up their ball en-route to a triple bogey. Sure if I have one of those holes that come along every year where I bust 2 or 3 balls OB then hit my in-play provisional in the water and I'm CLEARLY holding up my group, I will call it quits for that hole and take an X. But triple bogey? I'm sorry, but if I can a 25 footer for a quad, making that putt still feels good!

I thought this rule was excessive, and I was already angry about the way the marshal treated us on the golf course (was only 1 of 4 marshals we talked with, the other 3 were great). Hence the rant. It's a shame because the course in question is great, was in fantastic shape for this time of year and the rest of the staff was excellent; But I don't want to be yelled at for a 2.5 hour 9 if we are in pace with the groups ahead. We ended up finishing the round in 4.5 hours for reference.



- Steve

[Kilroy]

Did he really "ream" or "yell" at you? My guess is that he spoke to your group politely, but you were annoyed by it. Be honest.

If you are over tripple and not holding anything up I don't see a problem. If taking your 14th stroke is slowing the group down, please have mercy on those behind you and move on to the next hole.

[BC MIST]

I may be way off, but I doubt many low handicappers will just pick up their ball en-route to a triple bogey.

My experience indicates that many low handicap players DO pick up after being 2 over, probably because their egos would be wounded if they had to play out the hole.

If the issue is pace of play, then a pickup is understandable, however, by the book, there are no pickups in stroke play. Some players incorrectly apply Equitable Stroke Control DURING the round, but it's proper application is AFTER the round.

[Steve_Oakey]

Did he really "ream" or "yell" at you? My guess is that he spoke to your group politely, but you were annoyed by it. Be honest.

I consider being spoken at in a loud, aggressive tone to be 'yelled' at, yes.

[albatrossman]

When "Equitable Stroke Control (ESC)" was introduced, I was taught that the dual purposes were to better measure a player's potential and to speed up pace of play.

The RCGA definition is: “Equitable Stroke Control” (ESC) is the downward adjustment of individual hole scores for handicap purposes in order to make handicaps more representative of a player’s potential ability. ESC sets a maximum number that a player can post on any hole depending on the player’s Course Handicap. ESC is used only when a player’s actual or most likely score exceeds the player’s maximum number based on the table in Section 4-3.

The definition does not explicitly state whether or not a player should pick up his/her ball when it becomes certain that they will have to use ESC for handicap purposes. However, it seems reasonable that if you are not playing in a tournament, then a player has the option to pick up or continue playing depending on the circumstances. Dealing specifically with the situation under discussion, there is no requirement to pick up your ball if you are keeping pace with the group ahead.

[quinner]

I wouldn't consider myself lower handicap (I am an 8 at the moment), because I feel that's an arbitrary term however, if I happen to be hacking up a hole and I am above a double and I am clearly slowing the group down I will certainly pick it up. It doesn't have anything to do with my ego, because believe me I have taken some doozies on the scorecard, but more for the pace of play and the sanity of my fellow players.

[BC MIST]

When "Equitable Stroke Control (ESC)" was introduced, I was taught that the dual purposes were to better measure a player's potential and to speed up pace of play.

The RCGA definition is: “Equitable Stroke Control” (ESC) is the downward adjustment of individual hole scores for handicap purposes in order to make handicaps more representative of a player’s potential ability. ESC sets a maximum number that a player can post on any hole depending on the player’s Course Handicap. ESC is used only when a player’s actual or most likely score exceeds the player’s maximum number based on the table in Section 4-3.

The definition does not explicitly state whether or not a player should pick up his/her ball when it becomes certain that they will have to use ESC for handicap purposes. However, it seems reasonable that if you are not playing in a tournament, then a player has the option to pick up or continue playing depending on the circumstances. Dealing specifically with the situation under discussion, there is no requirement to pick up your ball if you are keeping pace with the group ahead.

Rule 1-1. The game of Golf consists of playing a ball with a club from the teeing ground into the hole by a stroke or successive strokes in accordance with the Rules. Therefore, ESC is applicable AFTER the round has been completed and just before you enter a score into your scoring record.

Obviously pace of play will be positively affected if you pick up, but it's still against the Rules.

[albatrossman]

Rule 1-1. The game of Golf consists of playing a ball with a club from the teeing ground into the hole by a stroke or successive strokes in accordance with the Rules.

ESC is used only when a player’s actual or most likely score exceeds the player’s maximum number based on the table in Section 4-3.

If a player always played the ball from the teeing ground into the hole, then there would be no such thing as a most likely score. Rule 1-1 is intended to state the objective of the game. ESC was added much later to deal with the realities of players that cheat and players that have bad holes. I still claim that it is perfectly acceptable and within the rules in non-tournament play to pick up your ball and give yourself ESC when you are having a bad hole. The definition of ESC would not say "most likely score"if players were always expected to finish the hole.