Ball in the bush

[BC MIST]

How about a rule change so that if a player hits his first shot in trouble, he can then hit a provisional in case #1 is lost, and he also hits a 3rd ball from the tee in case his first or 2nd ball is unplayable and he wants to proceed under option 3 of the unplayable rule. No need to go back to the tee. Instead of announcing "provisional", players would announce "in case my ball is unplayable"

Are you suggesting that a player may have two balls in play and then he gets to choose which ever one he likes best? Is that "best ball?"

[nokids]

Are you suggesting that a player may have two balls in play and then he gets to choose which ever one he likes best? Is that "best ball?"

Walking back to the tee is just such a bummer. A golfer should only have to do this if his ball goes out of bounds. And if he played a provisional ball he wouldn`t have to go back.

With lost and unplayable balls, rules of golf should have some kind of penalty where a golfer can take the distance he gained. E.g. drop a ball in play (no closer to the hole) and add 2 stroke penalty. Speeds up play too.

[AAA]

With lost and unplayable balls, rules of golf should have some kind of penalty where a golfer can take the distance he gained. E.g. drop a ball in play (no closer to the hole) and add 2 stroke penalty. Speeds up play too.

Player drives towards the trees inside a dogleg. Gets round the corner and can't find his ball anywhere. How does he determine the distance he gained in order to drop the ball as you require?

Player hits into the jungle 20m from the light rough. Finds his ball in gorse bush - unplayable. How far from the bush can he go to drop and in which direction?

[nokids]

Player drives towards the trees inside a dogleg. Gets round the corner and can't find his ball anywhere. How does he determine the distance he gained in order to drop the ball as you require?

Player hits into the jungle 20m from the light rough. Finds his ball in gorse bush - unplayable. How far from the bush can he go to drop and in which direction?

a) in this case I'd say player should be playing a provisional before going to look for his ball. If he doesn't, then the penalty would be treated as a yellow staked water hazard, drop behind the trees and add 2 stroke penalty instead of 1.

b) same as above, treat the bush as a yellow stake hazard, drop and 2 stroke penalty instead of 1.

[BC MIST]

With lost and unplayable balls, rules of golf should have some kind of penalty where a golfer can take the distance he gained. E.g. drop a ball in play (no closer to the hole) and add 2 stroke penalty. Speeds up play too.

Speeding up play is often the excuse given for many players wanting to change the Rules. Case in point was the thread here regarding marking areas of courses with red stakes when these areas were not in fact hazards.

Slow play is mainly a function of players walking too slowly to their balls and taking too much time playing an actual stroke. On Monday/Tuesday, Gerry and I worked the Ladies City and District Championship. The last group finished on Monday in 4:04 with a large number of groups finishing in 3:59 or less. Why? The ladies walked quickly to their golf balls, played strokes without wasting time, and marked scores after playing from the next tee. This time included many lost balls, unplayables, out of bounds, provisionals and balls in water hazards. Instead of men playing the game this way, they want to change the Rules.

[nokids]

Speeding up play is often the excuse given for many players wanting to change the Rules. Case in point was the thread here regarding marking areas of courses with red stakes when these areas were not in fact hazards.

I think that was my thread too

[nokids]

The rules of golf are biased to the straight hitters!

[adanac]

The rules of golf are biased to the straight hitters!

So is every hole of every golf course.